My mind is horrible about imagining all kinds of things, usually the worst, so what you said is very relevant to me. Staying positive is very difficult for me. Trying. Rarely succeeding.

Thanks for the words of support.

iknow "Chaddi"no one know what im going thru.i told no one(friends and family).just you folks here.maybe "MissLegalMania"can set up a "ChatNight" for us here....but i still got your back friend as well as everyone else here to

That sounds like a great idea don, they have a social chat on here maybe we can line up a time where we can all get together. PM me and let me know.

hi, I feel for you to. I have my hearing on monday and im scared. I seem to have a pretty good lawer though. i first applied for fybromyalgia but when my lawer found out im seeing a psychiatrist for bipolar he very quickly gave me papers to have my dr fill out for bipolar. I didnt know after appling for fybro that he could change it but he said this isnt like going in for child support or something. this is totally different and you can go in with other things to your hearing so im glad cause i didnt have very much info on fybro. but as far as your situation im not there either and dont know much but I do know I was told seeing a psychiatrist is very important in a disability case for mental issues. I would suggest you find one of these drs. I wish you all the luck and my prayers are with you. it does sound like you need to be on disability so dont give up and start seeing a dr soon!

When filing for SSI/SSDI, it is very important to list every medical issue you have, even if that is not your primary problem. The Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) will examine your total medical situation. For example, if you just have fibromyalgia, the ALJ may think you can work if properly medicated; however, because you also have bipolar disorder, that makes your situation more complicated. Each medical problem you have is like a piece to a jig saw puzzle. Until the ALJ has all the pieces (medical problems) and puts them together, he is not able to see your picture clearly. Another thing to keep in mind is that Fibromyalgia is a fairly recent medical diagnosis and many ALJ's aren't that familiar with it; however, bipolar disorder is something that many ALJs know more about. I also know that people who are bipolar also have other mental diagnoses such as depression and anxiety which adds to the bigger picture. I'm not assuming this, but you probably are somewhat depressed and anxious due to being in constant pain from Fibromyalgia.

I do hope your hearing went well and that your lawyer briefed you before-hand on what to expect. Having a good lawyer for the disability process is just as important as having a good doctor help you with your medical problems. In this case, the two need to work hand-in-hand to get you approved for SSI/SSDI. If you receive that, not only will you gain some financial support but also qualify for Medicare which will help with the cost of your medical care. Once you get approved, be patient because it does take a couple of months for Social Security to process your back pay. Also, your lawyer fee will be taken out of your back pay and sent directly to your attorney provided you signed a document allowing the Social Security Administration to do that. However, do not be surprised if you receive a bill from your attorney for out-of-pocket expenses such as copies, postage, medical records costs, etc. If you do receive a bill from the attorney, make sure it is itemized and does not include costs for the attorney doing any work on your behalf. The attorney may and can bill you for his paralegal's time and you should have been informed of the hourly cost up front for that.

I was wondering if you have heard from the Appeals Court of your attorney regarding the status of your case? Sometimes these decisions are made fairly quickly and sometimes they take several months to reach a decision. Has your attorney discussed with you what should be done should your appeal be denied? Also, hopefully she has explained what will happen if the appeal is granted. Basically, your case with be sent back to the Administrative Law Judge and a new hearing will be held. Your attorney will be able to submit new medical evidence from any and all of your doctors. Therefore, it is important that you continue with your medical care as much as possible. I know that is hard to do when you have no income, but it is important for your case. I am keeping you in my thoughts that all goes well. I know it may not sound reassuring; however, if your appeal is denied, you can refile for disability. I have seen a person's case get denied at the Appeals Court level so they refiled and received disability once they start the whole process over. Hopefully that won't happen to you because, if you are like me, you probably really need the back pay.

Just try to stay focused on doing what you need to do so you can win your case!

Hello folks, I am new to the boards and look forward to reading your posts and also sharing my posts.
I have fibro and applied back in 2007, took it all the way to the federal level. The fed judge remanded it back to the ALJ because I filed a Motion for summary judgment citing case law that basically the ALJ did not take my treating physician's reports into account. I subsequently filed a 2nd case for SSDI and it was denied at the initial stage. Surprise! Then last wk I received a letter from the appeals council stating they are MERGING my two cases together and sending it back to the ALJ. I have an atty representing me, but I have no idea if this is good news, bad news, or if I'm simply swimming upstream.