Hi Daylilly, I also live in Ohio and was scared to death when I had my hearing. I did have a lawyer who did all of the ground work except all of the forms that needed to be completed, my daughter helped me do these as she had experience since she is a social worker. When I went to the hearing it seemed like the attitude of all of the people on the panel was why I had not been there sooner! They were very nice and professional. Good luck, Lisa

Daylilly, I was obsessed and agonized about my claim every single day. It only took me 17 months to be approved. I know it is hard, but try to let God handle it...it is in His hands. You just might get approved in the initial stage!
All the very best of luck to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks everyone.

It is hard, when so much depends on it.

We hear you. If anyone can relate, it is all of us. We are right there with you.
I am looking forward to hearing about your approval letter. Prayers to you for a favorable outcome!

I know someone who works for SS D as an adjudicator in another state than where I live. I talked to her the other day. She thinks I did a great job with my case.

She says if I were applying in her state, she would give it a "good" chance on approval first time, and "very good" on appeal.

It sounds like I have a few things in my favor, and a few things not in my favor.

Woo Hoo! Stick that in your brain...when you are doubtful, call her. That is good news.

I absolutely undrstand how hard it is to wait for a decision.....much easier said than done to try not to worry, but as a fellow rsd'er I want to remind you....getting stressed out about this WILL make your pain worse.

My fingers are crossed for you !

I think RSD should be on the automatically get list. But then, there is no test saying you have it for sure.

I was reading on the "Disability Doc" site that SS will consider you able to work if you say you can get groceries, it made me mad. I don't have any relatives other than my 86 year old Mom that lives with me. So, I don't have anyone who can get groceries for us. She does almost everything in the house - cleaning, laundry, mowing. But, now she is getting where her eyesight is such that she cannot reliably drive. So I have been driving her to get the groceries. I take a cart, and start at one part of the store, she takes another cart and starts at the other end of the store. We meet in the middle somewhere, and that way we get done in half the time.

I take my service dog, have to lean on the cart, my dog picks up items that are low, I need help from other people to get stuff that is high. We buy two half gallons of milk because I can't lift a gallon without a lot of pain. Things like that.

Yet, I can work because I don't have any one to go to the grocery if I don't go? I think hobbling around a grocery for half an hour, is a heck of a lot different than holding down a full time job. Not to mention the problems I have with attention span making out the list, forgetting the list, getting the wrong things etc.

The mobility part says something about if you use two crutches, a walker etc - you will be found disabled. Well, I cannot push down - it is far to painful. So I cannot physically use crutches or a walker, or I would be. Instead, I use two AFO braces and a dog. When I broke my left foot a few years back, I had to wear a walking boot for a year and a half rather than be in crutches 6 weeks because I physically could not do it. That is why I use a service dog - she helps steady my walking, getting up and down, without me needing to push down. But no where on the SS Info does it say anything about using a dog.

This whole thing is just aggravating. Sorry for the rant. I have slept about 2 hours in the last 3 days. A few weeks ago, my PM doc upped my methadone to 10mg every 8 hours and I am upset because it is not helping. I put off using the strong meds all these years thinking they would always be there "when I really needed them" and now, it makes me very sad that they are not helping.

I'm just going to go pull myself into a hole now. Thanks for listening.

From disability doc site "If a person is capable of grocery shopping and going to the mall on their own without difficulty, the DDS will assume they have an effective gait."

The Disability Doc is not the Social Security Administration. It would the site of a person who wants your business and anything stated there would be an opinion, not a fact. I would venture to guess that there are many people who are on this site who have physical problems that do manage to grocery shop. You are getting aggravated over a decision that has not yet been made because you are projecting a denial which may or may not happen to you. I suggest saving your anger and indignation over what has happened not what might never happen.

What I hear is the pain talking. Finz suggested that the stress is making the pain worse. My suggestion is to say away from SS disability forums and stop reading other's stories until a decision is made on your claim and do your best to distract yourself from your claim for Social Security because at this point, you have done all you can do.

Lisa and daylily,

I'm also in Ohio. My hearing is TOMORROW! (finally, after 3 years!)

I'm wondering who your judges are. I have Beekman.