How do you make someone understand RSD? I have it and don't understand it. I am in the appeals process of SSDI. I have been through a Psych-eval (which IMO with RSD is a gimmme that you are depressed), I have an attorney but still no answers.

Wht do I say to my representative that is going to make them go to battle for me?

I am so sorry for you and your wife are going through :hug:

Thanks Ada. I now remember you posting this before and I found it very interesting to gather all your records and send them to the representative. I do remember Ben Nighthorse Cambell. He looked to be American Indian, wore nice western style cloths, grey hair pulled back into a pony tail...neat guy.:D

Hi,
 

He was very caring. He was Indian. He was a very caring man. Gov. Romer was the same. I ask him to help me with a couple of things that didn't pertain to me but someone else and he did. He helped me get my Methadone at a time when I was fighting every month for the insurance to pay for it. 40. a month and they fought me.

I got my medical records from the Drs. as I saw them back then so all I had to do was run off copies of them. It was about 2 inches thick. I honestly don't know if he read them or just thought OMG, give it to her and be done with it. LOL Now I have a army trunk full and I quit collecting them. I can't lift the trunk and it won't hold anymore. I said, that's enough.
You just have to find that one that cares. Gigglebabe {Deb} that was on here for a long time got hers through the help of one too.

Ada

Does anyone know if there is anything in the Americans with disabilities Act that could be helpful in this fight?

A good question. When I find time I may dig into it. :)

Jim,

I am also going to look into and maybe together we can come up with something! It is just a shame that our disease is off the charts on the McGill Pain scale yet so many don't take it seriously!

I think not.......SSDI's whole point is they are saying she is not disabled. ADA is about discrimination against someone because of their disability

Dear Jim -

Sorry to be so late in opening this thread. It does indeed sound like a nightmare.

Has your lawyer told you that it will take another year to get a hearing? I have to think there's a proceedure for a motion for a rehearing based upon err if filed within 30 days or so of the judge's order. Please check it out.

Mike

Mike, my wife's lawyer told me we have 30 days to straighten it out. All week I've been in contact with my wife's former employer, a very very large defense contractor. What we need to prove is whether pay she received 8 months before she filed for SSDI was short term disability, not hours worked. Her W-2 does not state it was STD but "retirement" instead. We've given the employer her SS#, her company ID number but instead they want her pin number which Suzy has forgotten after 4 years. They are mailing us the pin number just in case we're fakes. We'll use this pin number to aquire accurate records. However, yesterday they did mail a copy of the original letter of benefit sent to Suzy stating she will receive 6 months of short term disability at her full salary dated Jan. 2007. I faxed it to the lawyer hoping that may be enough proof. One other comment told to me from the lawyer who said SS felt that so called short term pay sounded way too much to be STD. Depending how long you've worked for this outfit they will and did pay Suzy full pay for 6 months then she was terminated.

I do have a question. My wife said she does recall, when filling out the application for SSDI, that a question was posed to her wether she was receiving or had received disability pay in which she stated yes. Does any one recall if that is one of the questions asked in the interview or application process, because it sounds like it should be asked in order to avoid this mess which only cropped up now, not at any previous rejections.

I was receiving WC when I applied for SSDI, so I still had income coming in too. I don't specifically remember having to document that, but I must have because I know SSDI knows about my WC because they lowered my backpay, my SSDI amount, and my kids' SSDI amounts to offset the difference (because with all of the above, I would be over the cap of 80% of pre disablity income on my SSDI amount.)