disability due to fatigue?

June 5, 2008

Has anyone out there qualified for disability due to extreme fatigue? I applied

for disability

(through the insurance company which I had coverage with) due to fatigue,

general malaise,

low grade fevers, etc. due to RA. It was impossible for me to continue my 60

hour work

weeks along with the stress that came from my profession. I have been diagnosed

with

seronegative RA and did not have the most cooperative doctor through this

process. Her

position is to state that she cannot judge whether or not a patient is unable to

work due to

RA symptoms (other than obvious cases where one cannot walk, use their hands,

etc.)

because that judgement is too subjective. I am beyond frustrated. I now have to

decide

whether or not to appeal this decision again. Is it useless and a waste of my

time and energy?

I could use some advice.

Thanks,

Pat

June 5, 2008

Just curious, but what kind of work do you do? Have your medications been

helpful? Have you cut down your hours?, etc.?

Abby

In a message dated 6/5/2008 6:43:05 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,

pmandell@... writes:

I have been diagnosed with

seronegative RA and did not have the most cooperative doctor through this

process. Her

position is to state that she cannot judge whether or not a patient is

unable to work due to

RA symptoms (other than obvious cases where one cannot walk, use their

hands, etc.)

because that judgement is too subjective. I am beyond frustrated. I now have

to decide

whether or not to appeal this decision again.

**************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch " Cooking with

Tyler Florence " on AOL Food.

(http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4? & NCID=aolfod00030000000002)

June 6, 2008

> Hi in response to your question on disability.

Yes I have qualified on my extreme fatigue before I was diagnosed

with RA. I am on a disability pension for it.

Over here where I live in Australia the system is probably different

to you. But they are finally excepting Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME

and with a doctors report I was excepted.

I have known in the past that some people have struggled to get a

disability pension and have had to get legal assistance, which is time

consuming and takes it toll on a person when they are already sick.

I pushed myself so much at my work, thinking I could overcome my

symptoms until I ended up bedwridden for a long time. It has been

4years since I have been able to work and it is not by choice as

finacially you are ruined.

Sadly if we don't listen to our bodies and take care and rest we pay a

high price for it later.

I wish you all the best of luck. .

> Has anyone out there qualified for disability due to extreme

fatigue? I applied for disability

> (through the insurance company which I had coverage with) due to

fatigue, general malaise,

> low grade fevers, etc. due to RA. It was impossible for me to

continue my 60 hour work

> weeks along with the stress that came from my profession. I have

been diagnosed with

> seronegative RA and did not have the most cooperative doctor through

this process. Her

> position is to state that she cannot judge whether or not a patient

is unable to work due to

> RA symptoms (other than obvious cases where one cannot walk, use

their hands, etc.)

> because that judgement is too subjective. I am beyond frustrated. I

now have to decide

> whether or not to appeal this decision again. Is it useless and a

waste of my time and energy?

> I could use some advice.

> Thanks,

> Pat

>

June 6, 2008

,

Thanks so much for responding! Sometimes I feel like I am going crazy!!! Your

message

was very helpful!

Pat

> > Hi in response to your question on disability.

>

> Yes I have qualified on my extreme fatigue before I was diagnosed

> with RA. I am on a disability pension for it.

> Over here where I live in Australia the system is probably different

> to you. But they are finally excepting Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME

> and with a doctors report I was excepted.

>

> I have known in the past that some people have struggled to get a

> disability pension and have had to get legal assistance, which is time

> consuming and takes it toll on a person when they are already sick.

>

> I pushed myself so much at my work, thinking I could overcome my

> symptoms until I ended up bedwridden for a long time. It has been

> 4years since I have been able to work and it is not by choice as

> finacially you are ruined.

>

> Sadly if we don't listen to our bodies and take care and rest we pay a

> high price for it later.

>

> I wish you all the best of luck. .

>

> > Has anyone out there qualified for disability due to extreme

> fatigue? I applied for disability

> > (through the insurance company which I had coverage with) due to

> fatigue, general malaise,

> > low grade fevers, etc. due to RA. It was impossible for me to

> continue my 60 hour work

> > weeks along with the stress that came from my profession. I have

> been diagnosed with

> > seronegative RA and did not have the most cooperative doctor through

> this process. Her

> > position is to state that she cannot judge whether or not a patient

> is unable to work due to

> > RA symptoms (other than obvious cases where one cannot walk, use

> their hands, etc.)

> > because that judgement is too subjective. I am beyond frustrated. I

> now have to decide

> > whether or not to appeal this decision again. Is it useless and a

> waste of my time and energy?

> > I could use some advice.

> > Thanks,

> > Pat

> >

>

June 6, 2008

I was the headmaster of a private school. That means that I did all of the

duties of a

school principal-kids, parents, teachers, curriculum, supervision of staff, etc.

plus all the

duties of someone who is the executive director of a nonprofit-board meetings,

committee meetings, budgets, fundraising, building maintenance, etc. I had done

this type

of work for 24 years. It means being at work before 7:30 AM and staying past 6

PM and

having several night and weekend meetings and events to attend. I quit working

last

August. I asked the board of directors to allow me to work 50% of the time and

my

request was denied. They immediately started a national search for my

replacement.

I am on Methotrexate, folic acid, Plaquenil, Celebrex, and Enbrel. I started

Enbrel in

October and it has made a tremendous difference for me. I have had hand surgery,

finger

surgery and am scheduled for knee surgery in August. All of these joints have

shown

osteoarthritis.

I also admit that I am depressed by all of this and am under the care of a

psychiatrist

whom I see every 4 months. He has prescribed Lamictal and Wellbutrin.

I try to stay upbeat about all of this but I cannot shake the feeling that my

life is in

constant turmoil (or maybe it is just my head!). I have gone from being a

competent

professional to a woman who doesn't even know if I can fix a meal today. I miss

my old

hectic and chaotic life. (Who would have thought I would ever say that?!)

I have been told that insurance companies are less likely to pay on a claim if

you made

more than a certain amount per year. I was paid as a professional and I think

that is

working against me. It is additionally difficult as my family's income is now

minus what I

made.

It all feels like sinking into quick sand.

Thanks for asking the question and thanks for listening.

Pat

>

> Just curious, but what kind of work do you do? Have your medications been

> helpful? Have you cut down your hours?, etc.?

>

> Abby

>

> In a message dated 6/5/2008 6:43:05 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,

> pmandell@... writes:

>

> I have been diagnosed with

> seronegative RA and did not have the most cooperative doctor through this

> process. Her

> position is to state that she cannot judge whether or not a patient is

> unable to work due to

> RA symptoms (other than obvious cases where one cannot walk, use their

> hands, etc.)

> because that judgement is too subjective. I am beyond frustrated. I now have

> to decide

> whether or not to appeal this decision again.

>

> **************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch " Cooking with

> Tyler Florence " on AOL Food.

> (http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4? & NCID=aolfod00030000000002)

>

June 6, 2008

hi pat, SORRY to hear about your situation. i have severe ra, osteo, &

depression! i have had 2 total hip, 2 total knees, 1 left ankle fusion, 1 right

ankle straightened. it is very scarry & DEPRESSING when you go through things

like this in your life. i don't work due to the severity of my ra, so i know its