New member

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I keep a file folder for medical expensives and when ever I visit the

doctor, get meds, also mileage to and from doctor I keep record of all

that info. I even keep that info on my wifes medical since we file

jointly. Also the monthly amount paid for you insurance payment can

also be included. I keep all reciepts for proof. If you don't have

someone do your taxes you might want to this year and get the most out

of what you spent. If you just bought a home that is also tax

deductible. I am not a tax person so you might want to contact someone

in your area.

I went to H & R

Block for answers about tax deductions and here is some info they

had.

If you can get money back from your medical expensives take advantage

of it.

Bill

Damron wrote:

I don't mean to sound like a dummy, but my husband and I never

do the "itemized" thing on our taxes. What exactly is it you can claim

on your taxes. Because I know with all the tests that I've had done and

have scheduled in the coming weeks (2 MRI's; Cystometrogram (sp?)

cystoscopy, 2 CT scans, evoked potentials, probably more) and my Avonex

($200 per month) plus I'm on 5 other daily meds, the expenses are

becoming mountainous! It certainly would be nice if we could get some

sort of tax break on all this. It's funny, too, because my daughter is

scheduled to have oral surgery and will probably have to have braces

still after that for a deformity of her jaw and some of her teeth.

She's 15, and thankfully their all back teeth, so it isn't noticeable,

but it causes her a lot of pain. We're in the process of buying a new

home, and we have closing costs coming in the next few weeks and have

spent $3,000 the last two months on land preparation for the new home

(it's a double-wide, no white trash jokes please! ) So needless to

say we haven't had the money to get her teeth fixed. I feel horrible

for that, but we plan on it as soon as the mess with the home is over

with, it sure would be nice to get some back pay for her to help with

that!

~

-----

Original Message -----

From:

MS-Bill

To:

MSersLife

Sent:

Saturday, June 03, 2006 8:53 AM

Subject:

Re: New member

When I got my first check and also the kids they all were

nice checks because of the back pay. We made good use of the money. My

oldest around that time started on his braces and I was able to pay for

all of his dental fee's from that money.

I keep good records on how the kids money is spent.

I also keep good info on our yearly medical expensive's and with what

both my wife and myself spend each year we have always got more money

back on our taxes because of it. My first year with my MS was when we

spent the most. I am glad we could claim that on our taxes.

Bill

Jooly's

Sharon Marsden wrote:

I was also

approved for SSDI the first time I applied. I had a phone interview

and was told then how much I would be getting and on what date each

month. I was surprised and ask if I was approved then? The

interviewer said I would get a formal approval letter but there

shouldn't be any problems. And she was right. I followed that video

tape the group here has to loan out by the former SSDI judge.

I also get long

term disability from my employer as well as SSDI. Thank goodness for

that job! Having that money has certainly made all of this so much

easier.

Sharon

MS-Bill

wrote:

Hi

I was wondering did your insurance question you a lot when your

doc had you go on Avonex? Avonex is expensive and it surprises me with

you not having a diagnosis.

When my MS hit me in Aug of 99 I had no idea what MS was either and I

did like you are now trying to learn as much as I could. Since getting

my MS I NO longer have any balance so I use a walker all the time. I

also have bladder trouble with my MS.

I was employed by Lockheed- and I used their short term and long

term disability. I am still on their long term. I am also on Social

Security. I was told by the people paying for my long term that I

needed to apply for Social Security.

I was accepted my first time which really surprised me. When you have

kids like you do if you are accepted not only you get Social Security

pay but also your kids will also. They know you have to your kids to

support so you get that to help out. They get Social Security pay until

they are 18.

I had gone to a local MS group for a while and one thing I learned was

that as soon as you become ill you need to go ahead and apply for

Social Security. In fact I think you should do it now. because when you

apply for Social Security their is a waiting period before you will be

looked at by them. The good thing about applying as soon as you become

ill is that if they can determine you could were ill enough when you

applied to receive funs at that time and you are accepted you will

probably get back pay to that point when you applied. Your kids will

also get back pay.

This MS is very unpredictable because you may feel good for a while and

then have your MS troubles hit you out of the blue one day. I often

have day's when I feel why am I still just sitting around home? and

then I get those bad spells and then I am very happy at that point to

have it. I am sure with my MS I would probably have to go from job to

job not knowing if my health would hold out long enough to make it

worth my while.

I have always enjoyed working so the Social Security and also getting

disability funds from Lockheed has been a big help to my family.

I hope all this makes since

Bill

Damron wrote:

I already love this group! Thank you for responding. As

to your first question, no I don't really like my neurologist. I was

referred to her by my opthamologist. (sp?) I have applied for my SSDI,

but obviously that takes time. I can extend my short term, but my

salary will drop to 60%. I asked her about doing this, and she said I

needed to return to work, that it was the best thing I could do. Now,

let me explain something here. I work at a level 6 SUPER maximum

security prison, dealing one on one with inmates who have shown to be

problematic at lower level maximum security prisons. It is a very

stressful job to say the least. And as you said, I was having some not

so clear thinking days myself, and my vision was severely impaired

after my episode with optic neuritis. The vision has not returned

completely yet. I had deadlines that I was missing at work, was not

able to think clearly, see clearly, remember things clearly, was

consistently fatigued, and I felt it was dangerous for me to work. I

tried to explain this to her, but she just kind of brushed it off, and

said I needed to go back to work, and talk to my supervisors about

"modifications" that could be made to accommodate me. I personally do

not think that any accommodations could be made to enhance my safety

and the safety of those around me, given my line of work. I'm

embarrassed by this, because I honestly did love my job prior to

becoming "ill" for lack of a better term. I noticed gradual changes at

first, but chalked them up to stress, getting older, being scatter

brained, etc. Then when the ON set in, I went to my local

ophthalmologist, who explained to me the relation between ON and MS. I

live in an extremely rural area, and our health care locally, well just

sucks, basically. So he referred my to another

ophthalmologist/neurologist (6 hours away at UVA) Who AGAIN explained

the probability that MS was the likely cause. He did several tests of

my eyes, and ordered an MRI and referred me to a neurologist that was

also at UVA (6 hours away from home). So I went to see her, she looked

at the MRI, did a neurological exam, started me on Avonex and told me

to come back in 3 months that she wanted to do another MRI of the

spinal cord area. So a few weeks before my appt. I called to see if I

could come early and have the MRI so I could see her after that and

save me another trip. Her office staff said no. So, I went up there

again about 2 weeks ago, she did another neurological exam, and

scheduled the MRI and evoked potential tests for next month. which

means ANOTHER trip to UVA. She asked me if I was having any other

"neurological symptoms"....now I'm not a neurologist, and I was

dumbfounded. I thought she should have asked me more specifically, but

anyway I don't do good in Doctors appointments, I get nervous and

emotional, and feel like very ignorant. I did manage to get across to

her about the leg pain, and she prescribed baclofen. I am considering

switching neurologists, and have looked into going to Wake Forest in

NC. But I hate to switch up in the middle of everything, but I also

realize how important it is to have a good relationship with your

doctor. And she really does not impress me. I have looked at a few of

the links on the home page, and I like your idea of the journal. I will

start that immediately. Thank you so much for responding.

~

-----

Original Message -----

From:

Sharon Marsden

To:

MSersLife

Sent:

Thursday, June 01, 2006 7:46 PM

Subject:

Re: New member

Hi :

You have a lot of questions

and I'll try to answer some of them for you. But I'll ask you

some, too First let me ask you if you like your neurologist? It

sounds as if your neuro is very cautious. That's not a bad thing but

right now it sounds like you are in need of something more concrete,

especially in light of your short term disability running out soon. Do

you plan to apply for Social Security Disability (SSDI)? If so, have

you asked your doc if she will fill out forms for SSDI?

Yes, call your neuro every

time your leg goes numb. Call every time something happens. The

doctor needs to know when things happen so she can document. You need

to help her by letting her know what's going on. You should keep a

journal of symptoms, when they happen and how long it lasts. For

example, if your left leg goes numb and your right arm tingles you

should log it in your journal. My neuro said he wanted to know if

symptoms happened on opposite sides. I can't remember why right now

though. But it means something to a good neuro. You said you have

"bouts of debilitating fatigue, leg pain, leg cramps, numbness,

tingling, memory loss...". So if it's coming in "bouts" you may be

experiencing short exacerbation. Or do you mean it comes and goes

within the day? Document what is happening and call the doctor so she

can document it too. Let the doc know when things happen. It may

help you get a diagnosis sooner.

My evoked potentials

didn't show anything. And my lumbar puncture was positive on only

band. My neuro based my diagnosis on my brain MRI, the LP results,

and the documentation. I'm sorry I'm having a hard time explaining

myself today (it's not a clear thinking day).

If you haven't already

already looked through the "files" and "links" on the group homepage

then I would encourage you to do so. There's some great info there.

I'm glad you found us!

Sharon

pebbles1175

wrote:

Hello,

everyone! My name is and I just signed up to this group.

I was "unofficially" diagnosed with MS in December of '05. I

presented with an episode of optic neuritis, and was sent by my

opthamologist to a neurologist where an MRI was done. Seven brain

lesions were found, and I was started on Avonex in January. I am 32

years old with 2 children and a step child. I used to work full

time, but since February, I have been off on "short term"

disability. I have until July to return to work before this benefit

offered through my work place expires. I hope to find support here

from others going through the same thing. I get so frustrated

because my neurologist won't come right out and say that I have MS,

just that I have "presented with one episode and have MRI consistent

with MS and I am at high risk for developing MS within 5 years" She

has ordered another MRI next month, along with a test called "evoked

potentials" and she said possibly after that she will do a lumbar

puncture. I have gorged myself on information, and I do believe that

I have MS, and am frustrated because noone will give me

an "official" diagnosis until I have another "exacerbation" or the

MRI and evoked potentials show something. But what exactly IS

an "exacerbation" or an "episode"? I have bouts of debilitating

fatigue, leg pain, leg cramps, numbness, tingling, memory loss, you

name it. But this is everyday. Are these exacerbations or what? Do I

call my doctor everytime my leg goes numb? She prescribed my

something alled baclofen, which according to the information, is a

medication used for MS. I'm on Avonex, which is for MS, so why won't

she just tell me I have MS??? I have suffered severe depression and

was placed on medication and am seeing a therapist. I have periods

where I get so dag gone angry and frustrated. I didn't mean to

ramble, just wanted to brief everyone on myself and my situation. I

hope this group will be a place where I can find some one who

understands, because, as much as my family tries, I get frustrated

because they just don't understand. Thank you for listening.

~

Sharon (MSersLife creator/owner)

Bloom

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[Guest guest]

Hello,  I'm new to the group and have had chronic Lyme for about 10 years.  I was diagnosed in December 2011 and have been on IV abx since January 2012.

I really want to get a rife machine but am having great difficulty deciding which one since I don't really understand the differences of all the various types even though Ive read up on them.  It's just too complicated!

I need something that will be easy to use and understand! That treats lyme and bartonella and other possible  co-infections.

Any help is much appreciated!

Ricci