Never once did my disability advocate tell me not to go on vacation. Just because I cant sit at a desk anymore or lift more than 10 pounds or focus on detail work due to pain meds, doesnt mean I cant take my kids to Wisconsin Dells with my husband. I can sit in a hot tub or float down the lazy river. I just dont go in the wave pool or down any slides as it would KILL my neck and back!

I also dont see why a weekend vaca to Vegas would be out of hand. I cant sit or stand or walk for long stretches of time, but I certainly can walk a block or too and then go sit by a slot machine for 20 minutes and then move on. I can manage to sit through a show (although I have to get up once or twice and move around) and I certainly can lie by the pool for a bit.

WC Fraud is usually a much different animal in this case. Although both SSDI and WC are full of frauds I think its a bigger issue with WC as its to companies and their insurance carriers that do not want to pay out...even to people who actually deserve it.

If you're concerned - dont do it. If you're going on vacation and you're doing things you supposedly cant do in your everyday life then maybe you shouldnt have received SSDI in the first place...but if its something as outlined above you should be just fine. Go...relax...do something to make yourself feel better. Get a massage, relax in a hot tub...get away from stress. Use good judegment and common sense and you'll be fine.

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Not to be a jerk, and I understand your concern for your sister, but you should report him.

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The Vegas comment made me laugh.

6 months after I injured my neck at work, my mom took my sister and I to Las Vegas to celebrate my 40th birthday. Long plane ride from Boston, awful pain by the time we got there. Spent a long time in bed and on cervical traction. Finally get to the blackjack table and order a drink.....Woo Hoo vacation can begin......I turned to tip the waitress just as my work supervisor passes by......OOPS !

I felt 5 inches high.

The thing is......I shouldn't have. She saw me when I finally had decent control of my pain. She didn't see the hellish 24 hours before that.

I understand WC needs to validate that people are not abusing the system. The van with video equipment was seen multiple times on my road (I live in a secluded area.....stood out like a sore thumb, neighbors, my husband, and my kids all saw the investigator). As far as I know, he only has pics of me in my chair or me laying in bed, plus my car in the driveway. I have certainly done things over the years that I shouldn't because it worsens my pain.....say bringing in 1 grocery bag. Take pictures of that......but also take them of me being bedbound for a week after that.

How funny. When my husband was on WC, we saw the same thing. We live in the country on a dead end road. There are only 6 houses in a 1 mile stretch, so the same white van with tinted windows really stood out. Especially when day after day it passed our house to turn around at the dead end and head out again. Could it be more obvious?

My husband was on WC for a back injury and recovering from back surgery. So all the van ever saw was us sitting on the porch feeding the birds. After several weeks, we started waving as it drove past both coming and going.

Echoes, good post and I agree! It seems that so many think the definition of disability is being bedridden; no offense intended to anyone. I wish that some would look up what the true definition is. In any case, and speaking of vacations. I just don't take them. But the reason is because my job with the feds required traveling for a few years. So, I have no desire to go anywhere but my own back yard LOL! Traveling so much got very,very old. And I have no doubt in my mind that it didn't help my spine much either. On the other hand, if my husband suggested Hawaii, he wouldn't have to twist my arm. Just saying...I don't really see a problem with taking a vacation if as Janke says, it is just for relaxation and you are not trying to the things you said you couldn't.

Plus going on vacation is a little different than working an 8 hour day. Or at least it is different than the type of work I used to do. Standing all day lifting heavy parts .etc. I just wish I could afford to go on a vacation.

Reading all of this sort of makes me cringe. I have one of those disorders with good days and bad days. On good days I am able to ride the lawn mower for a couple of hours as long as I stay hydrated and take stretching breaks (this "normality" is the "best medicine" for my psyche). On bad days I go from my bed to the recliner and back. Everytime I go to my neuro, he INSISTS that I exercise as MUCH as possible -- he prefers that I WALK -- a mile or two a day would please him mightily. Of course, MOST days, this simply isn't possible. But, to think that people are SPYING on me!!!

I told SS the TRUTH -- that I have good days and bad days -- the BAD far outweigh the good. I could NEVER work 8 hours -- I can't even go 8 hours without resting SEVERAL times on GOOD days. I am NEVER left alone -- one step away from choking/breathing crisis and the ER. My friends and neighbors KNOW this, but still -- just thinking that people are spying on me -- that just adds to the stress that I do NOT need -- and stress makes my condition MUCH worse!!!

The only thing I worry about for you is if you get hurt or sick while out of town. If you have to go to the hospital they may not cover you. I would call my case worker and make sure if you get sick or hurt your covered. By the way while I worked for the Attorney General our county saved over 1.4 million. We didn't use any white vans without windows. I sat in a regular car with a video camera, I got the finger a lot. I wanted them to know I was there watching and they were blowing their benefits. In court, it was a lot of crying and I'm sorrys.

very sad people would screw it up for those who deserve or at least make it harder for them to get.. but people should not get free money. i wish o could work again i really loved my job and the people i made friends with over the 20 plus yrs i was there. and i felt productive and useful and needed.

Jana.....Just live your life the best you can. To the best of my knowledge, it's just WC who 'spies', not SSA. Even if 'caught' on video tape, there are chances to explain. As you said yourself, just because you push yourself to walk (on your doctors advice) some days, does not mean you are able to work 8 hours on any day.

I think the cheaters who are really caught are obvious.....like a peron with a 'bad back' who can't climb stairs or raise their hands......then there are pics of them on a ladder painting their house.

I'm from Boston. Big case in the news last year about a firefighter who was declared permananently disabled and collecting a pension at a higher rate than normal because he was subbing for his boss who had the day off. He wasn't even still doing 'traditional' tough fireman's work.....he investigated arsons after the fact. He was 'caught' after video of him showed up on the internet......video of him placing 7th in a national body building contest.

Der !