[finz]

I'm posting this here rather than the SS forum because I'm curious to know who has gotten/gotten denied SSDI with TOS

I also have RSD, cervical radiculopathy, DDD, depression

[astern]

I won SSD and am awaiting the letter describing my payments. The SSI award should be on that letter as well. (I applied for both)

Just in case you don't have it, here's the link to SS sites' SSI FAQ's.

[DiMarie]

Hi Finz
I think so much ahs to do with filling out the application relating to how your life has changed, how you are no longer able to do the job that you had, that your unable to do productive employment.

Trick questions like do you dress your self...typically it is yes, BUT there is more explanation to give, loose fitting, no buttons, no ironing, easy wear. Some days you do not dress....What ver the truth is, paint the picture. About doing house work; you can kick the laundry to the washer and fill it, but it is tough and request someone to place it to the dryer, to carry dryed items upsteps, that rarely do folding, use to repair items, now there is a ton of needed repairs to be donw. To do the floors, you wipe up spotsbut it is extremly painful causing a flare to scrub the floor with a mop.

That pleasure time does not exsist to bowl, flea markets, shopping you can not stand in line, get a small order in a smaller store, can no longer shop for the week, someone else has to. Have not socialized, have had to cancel engagments from flared pain. (Biggest social activity last winter was trip to ER)

Can not stand, walk,carry, hold to phone more then momentarily, not blow dry hair, have cut it, someone else vacuums, use to do it several times a week, now lucky to have it done once a month if someone is available, or it take several breaks to do it...

Meals are frozen entrees, easy fix, take out No longer bake or make homestly meals.
The idea is, if they think that the picture you paint is that you are hurting but with a modified job that you can work that is what they decide.
Tell how the can of soda or dinner plate fall, (can;t do Mickey D work or hostesing)

You wnt to make it clear how the little things make flares, like using the phone then they understand you could not work for a call center type work as you can not hold the phone or use hands.

Basically any job that you need to use your hands, lift, do anything repeptatively.

Also, the medications that restrict you from driving, side effects, innatativeness, fatigue. Do not know when you could have a day that feel better, would frequently ahve to call off.
Cna not stand, push, pull, and what happens if you do.
That kind of ideas. It is not just about lifting a phone, or sitting as a cash register. IF someone needed assistance you could not give it. You would be a liability to carry a tray of water, or a glass of coffee. You would be a liabity that you could not even open the dang door to get into the work place!!!!!

Sucks they think a light duty would be Ok..
I can tell you I am not as severe as many here, but I could not do police work anymore, security was not an option as they are not watch persons anymore they are enforceable persons and stand to patrol and protect, so I had to retrain.
even with doing light duty, 2 4 hour days is exhausting for me....
I guess you can get what I am saying, paint the picture of a day in your life really specific.
Send releases for every condition, even asthma, depression, heart or any non tos medical problem. I actually got my SSDI for my knee (multiple injury/surgeries) not TOS.
tAKE CARE GOOD LUCK,
DI
PS I was awarded first time in 6 weeks, I was in school at the time retraining. My son applied and has pituatary tumors in the brain, spine annular tears, TOS bilaterial, and shoulder injuries, migraine from the pit tum...he was denied said he could do security work.
He got an attorney for a hearing.Making sure he updates all the information including the shoulder/collar bone surgery in Dec.

[finz]

I have a hearing in June. I do have an attorney, I hope that helps. We've been working on this for about 2 years. My last rejection agreed that I could no longer do nursing, but recommended I find work as a school bus monitor.....lol, How I'm supposed to do that in my pj's, never going over any bumps, and not being able to turn around is beyond me

I'm just getting really nervous. I need the income badly right now.

[tshadow]

Once you're a year disabled or should be, you can file on line. MANY people here are on Soc. Sec. early, with Medicare and a Medicare supplement insurance (free.)

Once I was denied, (and allowed an appeal), my attorney then took my case. He told me to try it myself first, to save me money on his side, and he knows I am an attorney so my fiance and I did do it. I don't think I'd recommend that to everyone, but definitely to get the claim started and go.

In the hearing room, the SS doc was insulting and stupid but I said nothing, made no faces and let my attorney do his good work. We won.

[DDayMBB]

well as Di an N Tam said most of the time you are turned down the first time, I suggest getting a lawyer to better your odds and mak sure you save ALL paperwork, anything that may not be able to be able to be able to be carried out by yourself and half to pay for that you would not be able to carry out. a little little history about myyprevious and late...cervical diseases at 5 spaces3 of which are fused, RSD, CRPSII this
caused me enough edema to pass from my feet up legs into lungs causing me to pass out in my yard with pulmunary pneumonia ambulance,ER,ICU...etc no fun at all and eac doctor there had a differerent Dx: though Pnuemonia was the only thing they they coul agree on and and may I suggest getting a med-alert brcalet for the bad side or

these are my thoughts anyway

Di Mare as always Good seeing

Tam, Please give me a E-mail or a call sure you have my number I do not ha yours, life is to short

[ocgirl]

Not every claim is denied the first time.

I applied without an attorney and my claim was approved in less than 60 days( with both my kids also getting a monthly benefit) I had to wait until I was disabled 24 months to get Medicare.

In my case the only call I got was to ask if I was seeing a psychologist, if I was taking an antidepressant and what I took it for ( situational depression not mental illness)

I didn't have to see any of their doctors. I had consultations from UCLA, Denver, Berkeley, plus my local docs. I took every bit of paperwork to my interview and gave it to them.

[finz]

That's awesome OC !

It is so frustrating to me that they can be almost random at times in who gets it quickly and who keeps getting denied. I was talking about the specific points that applied to me on SSDI's disability requirements and my lawyer said some judge's are sticklers for details and go "by the book" and others seem more random and go by how someone looks or what the home situation sounds like.

I hate waiting I hate having someone else decide my fate