Re: newbie with many questions

[Guest guest]

hi, everyone,

i just found this list less than 2 weeks ago and hopefully now feel

either brave or frightened enough to ask questions. please forgive if

this post is too long....

i just turned 60 years old. have had joint problems for 30-40 years.

i have had continously weakened ankles, knees, wrists, hands. i

worked as a hairdresser 12 years, a bank teller,bookkeeper/secretary

20 years and the past 1 1/2 years checking groceries. all a constant

strain on my hands, etc. i self-diagnosed myself with carpal tunnel

syndrome about 12 years ago. being uninsured, i have never had

benefit of medical care for these problems. in the past year, i have

a gp who diagnosed RA and OA in my hands, fingers, wrists. he did a

blood test which was sero-negative for ra, but insisted anyone could

tell by looking at my hands that's what it was. my fingers are always

swollen and painful. also thumbs, wrists. i have been living on

ibuprophen and tylenol for years to continue working and functioning.

my dr. told me over a year ago to file for disability. now, 2 wks

ago, my shoulder, arm, wrist,etc. gave out and in terrible pain, i

visited dr again. he says this is ra and again told me to file for

disability. please cont. next post for questions. thank you, lane

[Guest guest]

hi, lane here again.

dr prescribed predizone for this shoulder flare-up. i am in tapering

weeks now. i have felt just awful, dizzy-headed, headache,

sleeplessness, depressed, extremely tired, and the med doesn't seem

to be doing anything for the swollen hands although shoulder is

better. could the prednisone cause so many side effects?

i can't work now and have no ins or money for med. care.

i have other questions regarding ssi and ssdi. not sure i qualify for

anything. i haven't filed yet because i am trying to learn more about

all of it. but did receive statement from ss last year that i didn't

have enough credits to qualify for disability payments.

thank you all for any helpful info.

lane

[Guest guest]

hi kathy. thanks for the reply.

the reason the ssa gave me for not qualifying for ssdi is that i

didn't have enough credits in the past 10 years. i didn't work from

1990 to 1998 because my husband had an aneurysm [stroke] and i took

care of him at home because i couldn't bring myself to place him in a

nursing home. he is and has been disabled since then.

when he started drawing ssdi, the ssa told me i could not use any of

his ssdi for my benefit. now i am concerned that HIS ssdi would

disqualify me for ssi...a catch 22. i can't use any of his money, but

they could count it against me. does that make sense??? anyway, i

have delayed applying for ssi because i didn't want to hear any more

bad news, but really must do something soon...

the symptoms i described are just a partial list of my physical

problems. it seems unbelievable that one can hurt in so many

different places and times. i also take hpb meds, anti-depressant and

synthroid. so far this prednizone hasn't helped anything...

thanks for responding to my questions.

lane

> hi lane, i'm kathy 42. i have been on 5mg prednisone since about

november.

> without it i feel like you are describing. so those are symptoms of

ra. i am

> now at the point where i have been approved for ssd, but 3 mos from

long term

> disability. i have been laid off friday. so i know about the no

insurance

> woes, nice of them to let me know i have 10 days left!!! ssi is

more like a

> welfare. i was told i make too much money to qualify. i don't

understand if

> you worked why you would not qualify? kathy in il]

[Guest guest]

thank you carol.

i'm glad to know prednizone is helpful to some. also happy to have

found this list.

hope to post more later. maybe i can be helpful to someone along the

way.

lane in texas hill country

>

> Hi Lane! Welcome to the group. I'm sorry you're feeling so crummy.

>

> Prednisone makes my joints feel much better (at least the first few

days),

> but it makes me feel very moody and depressed. It also gives me

terrible

> headaches and makes it hard to sleep. Like I've seen others

post, " It's the

> drug we love to hate, and hate to love. "

>

> There are others in the group who will be able to answer your SSDI

> questions.

>

> Have a good day,

> Carol in FL

>

>

>

> [ ] re: newbie with many questions

>

> hi, lane here again.

>

> dr prescribed predizone for this shoulder flare-up. i am in tapering

> weeks now. i have felt just awful, dizzy-headed, headache,

> sleeplessness, depressed, extremely tired, and the med doesn't seem

> to be doing anything for the swollen hands although shoulder is

> better. could the prednisone cause so many side effects?

> i can't work now and have no ins or money for med. care.

>

> i have other questions regarding ssi and ssdi. not sure i qualify

for

> anything. i haven't filed yet because i am trying to learn more

about

> all of it. but did receive statement from ss last year that i didn't

> have enough credits to qualify for disability payments.

>

> thank you all for any helpful info.

> lane

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