pain and fatigue and SSDI

[Guest guest]

I can deal with the pain most of the time, and can push

> through

> it if I need to, but the fatigue... Well. That is what determines that I

> can no longer work. I was working in a preschool when the RA started to

> come back. I only worked 6 hours a day, but found myself napping

> while my

> students napped (my aid would stay awake LOL) Then being exhausted the

> whole way home and having to take another nap until my kids got home

> from

> school. I would do my best to get through dinner and often times wasn't

> able to. Now I work from home and my business often suffers because

> of my

> fatigue. I haven't started the battle with SSI, and I hope to not

> have to-

> as long as I can make enough working from home I think I will be ok.

> I have

> no Rheumatoid Factor in my blood, so I am not sure how that battle

> would go,

> and quite honestly, not sure it is worth the stress..

I so agree with this, the fatigue is what kills me. Not that the 24/7

pain is all that fun But like you said, you can push thru that. But

the fatigue knocks you down. I'm a freelance writer and web designer and

my business is half what is was after only about 6 months. On the other

hand, at least I can set my own hours.

I agree with you, too, about SSDI. My test results are all negative and

I don't look sick, so I can't imagine they'd give it to me.

What do you all think? Have any of you gotten SSDI with negative test

results and no obvious disfiguration?

Take care

[Guest guest]

I got SSDI without obvious disfigurtion,(my rhuemmy

could feel where I had the problems but for me to look

at my fingers, wrists and ankles I couldn't see a

difference unless I was having a flare) but I had a +

Rh factor and a strong family history. Mother,

Grandmother, and Uncle..whom I have a picture of that

I will NEVER post because it is just too scary...he

had a very severe case and was an alcoholic and lets

face it was a man...and men, particularly those who

are alcoholics are in denial when it comes to their

health...which is why women live longer. He probably

waited until he was practically paralized before he

saw a DR !! BUT.......my labs weren't all that

bad...they were raised but not what I would call

alarmingly. I have a friend with RA (one of those

obnoxious I'm sicker that you types)who kept harping

that HER labs were 10x worse than mine....I think the

clincher in my case was that I also had other things

going on as well...which all exacerbated the RA...like

fibro, 3 crumbled and unfixable discs in my lumbar

spine,degenerative disc disease,severe osteoporosis

and peripheral neuropathy on the R dside (where I had

all the sciatic pain from the lumbar discs) Basically

I think it's a crap shoot. YOU MUST HAVE A LAWYER,

that is a given. And if you can get someone to refer

you to one that they have had great luck with you are

much better off. MY PCP referred me to mine (he saves

him for the really tough cases) and although it

usually takes 2 years or MORE to get SSDI....I got it

in a year. Also though...I have no family here,

couldn't work because of pain and pain meds and the

wolf was howling at the door while the roof was

falling in...and I think that all played a role. If

you could see a picture of me before and then 1 year

later...you would say holy s*it what happened to you??

My PCP was new to me because I had to go on medicade

and he couldn't believe it ...he said " gee, you really

do look like hell!! " I hope this helps.It's a crap

shooto, just be prepared to find a good attny and hang

in there and fight it every step of the way. jenna

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