[When medicated, to the untrained eye I don't appear to have pd, medication works well. Unmedicated I have major pd symptoms, freezing so I take baby steps and halt, fatique, stuttering, disabled to the point that I just lay or sit down. ]

This part wasn't touched on and I am curious about it, medicated vs unmedicated and gainful employment - does it matter for SSDI?

Would it be similar to those in pain & on pain meds, if the pain meds work for them and if they are able to do gainful work or not?


If this is a sticking point the attys should have brought it up I would think anyway?

Is it one of the companies that only get paid if you succeed?
Or one that gets paid by the hour?

The way my lawyer explained it to me was that medical evidence is what counts and until you produce the medical evidence your personal testimony doesn't mean too much. When you go before the ALJ he will weigh your medical evidence against what ever medical evidence the State has, if the State sends you to a Doctor for a medical examination. If the State does not send you to a doctor and your medical evidence is compelling then you win. If the state sends you to a doctor and the states doctor agrees with your doctor then you win. If the state sends you to a doctor and that doctor disagrees with your doctor then the judge will have to decide which version is more believable. That is when your personal testimony will make a difference, in that case your testimony can act as the tie breaker, If you personal testimony (and/or that of friends and family) is compelling, you win because your testimony breaks the tie, so to speak.

this company only gets paid if I get SSDI.

Medicated vs not medicated isn't an issue regarding SSDI/SSI.

If only non medicated was acceptable for a worker, no one with diabetes, high blood pressure, or any other condition that required medication to control symptoms could ever work.

The use of pain meds for those of us with pain issues can be a bit trickier, in terms of some specific jobs, say a bus driver, might preclude you from being able to take certain medications while doing THAT job, but even that wouldn't preclude one from being able to do ANY job.

A factor in working while on pain meds, or ANY meds, is that the side effects might then limit the ability to do the needed work. Many on adequate doses of pain meds might then be able to manage their pain, but might have such issues with dizziness, nausea, or fatigue that they would be unable to work because of those symptoms.

*****************************


Soccertese,

I'm sorry to hear of your health issues and inability to work.

I'm glad that Janke saw your post and addressed the obvious concerns about your date last insured. If the medical evidence that is documented doesn't support total disability before 12/31/12, it sounds like it's SSI or getting the IRS to communicate that you did work more to convince the SSA to adjust your last date of insurability.

Best wishes getting through this difficult process.

Just to clarify, attorneys as well as non-attorney reps are regulated by law on SSDI/SSI claims payment and are limited to a percentage of backpay and a max dollar amount.