Re: Disablity-how many of you are working or on SSDI?

[Guest guest]

applied in July and am still waiting. I believe you have to be off work for 5

months, but I could be wrong, for Disability itself. For SSI I was denied and am

in the appeal process. Denied due to high income at the time

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I'm new to the group.

I've been on disability from an accident in 1997. I was diagnosed with SLE in

02' and more recently diagnosed with RA earlier this year. There is no way I'd

be able to work with the ongoing pain. Despite the cocktail of meds I'm on (and

the list continues to grow) the pain is there all the time with spikes around

activity and weather changes. Right now the weather in my area is changing and

it's difficult to get through the day and night for that matter.

I wish I could tell you there's something out there to make the pain and

inflammation go away but I have yet to find it. Please feel free to share

anything amazing you come across.

I believe my autoimmune problems began back in my teenage years. I remember

joint pain back then and then was diagnosed with grave's disease in my early

twenties followed by endometriosis, stomach problems, joint problems, and breast

cancer in 07'. I was experiencing daily pain by the time I was in the accident.

I was exposed to jet fuel in the Navy and that was a question asked on all the

forms I filled out when I began chemotherapy treatments. Who knows it could also

be the area I live in (known for bad air quality).

My doc wanted me on prednisone but I'm trying my best not to take it. I've heard

so many bad things about it. have a friend who takes it on and off and her

weight fluxuates 50lbs. plus she has a host of other side effects. I've also

heard that although it may address pain today in 10-15 years you'll have to deal

with all the damage it does to your body + the illness.

I think one of the hardest things for me is how alone I feel in all of it. I

don't like to complain (it doesn't help and only serves to make people around me

uncomfortable or feel sorry for me) so I find myself not wanting to go many

places or talk to my friends and family. They don't know what to say and pretty

soon I'm spending all my time alone. Do you deal with this feeling?

Anyway, I wish I could offer more help. Don't feel bad for opting for

disability. We need it. It's there for a reason and really I don't know what I'd

do without it. There's no way I'd be able to work and certainly no way I'd be

able to afford the list of meds I take everyday.

Good luck to you,

>

> Hello Everyone,

> I am 38 years old and have been diagnosed with RA since January 09, with my

symptoms starting in July 08. I have be getting progressively worse with joint

pain, flu-like symtoms, and fatigue-especially during the last 3 months. I was

in nursing school, but could not finish my last 3 weeks due to my feet and hands

hurting so badly. I was also very sick to my stomach from my medicines (I am

taking Humira, Arava, Prednisone 10mg, Mobic, Tramodol, Tylenol with codeine,

prilosec, Zoloft, an antibiotic every day for UTI's, sythroid, and .

>

> Even this past May, I had plans to work full time after graduating with my

nursing degree. I was feeling good with little or no pain, but was having issues

with mouth sores and infections from taking methotrexate, so I was switched to

Arava. Since then, I have been in pain and having a flare up that was better

when I got on 20 mg of prednisone, but is getting worse again now that I am

weaning off the prenisone. What is worse, the disease itself or the medication

side-effects?? Either I am in pain, or can't sleep due to insomnia and getting

up every hour to pee from the prednisone! Besides increased infections (UTI,

sinus), and severe nausua from all of the meds I take.

>

> After dealing with all of these issues on a daily basis, I decided to apply

for disablity, even though I feel guilty about it. I just don't think I could

keep a job very long when I would have to take sick leave so often because my

problems. Many days, I don't even feel like getting out of the bed, much less

work 8 hour days. Do many of you work despite all of your issues? Or, have many

of you applied and gotten approved for disability? Either way, having our

disease is not easy! Take care, .

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I received my official dx in January 09 too after having my first major flare in

December 08.  I am still working full time.  I have not been prescribed as many

meds as you are taking-I am on Mobic. Prednisone, MTX and folic acid.  I battled

a nasty UTI a couple of months ago that took forever to clear up.

Today is the 2nd day this week that I have missed work because of inflammation

and pain.  I called my rheumy on Wednesday and finally got a call back today. 

He says to increase my Prednisone back to 10 mg.  I had been on 10 mg and

decreased to 7.5 for a couple of months.  If I am not feeling better by Monday,

he wants me to come into the office.Sometimes I feel ok and then I have

days/weeks like these when I am not sure how long I will be able to continue

working.

I completely understand why you decided to apply for disability and I hope that

you do not have to wait long to be approved.  I think about this issue a lot and

fortunately I have been with the company I work for a long time and have a very

caring boss.  He does not dock me for dr appts and will tell me to go home when

he sees I am suffering.  Soon I will not be reporting to him any longer as he is

taking another position in the company.  I am hoping that my new boss is half as

understanding as he is.  I will just have to wait & see what happens.

Take care .  Hope things go well.  I hope that you let us know.

~Connie

From: denisesymens <denisesymens@...>

Subject: [ ] Disablity-how many of you are working or on SSDI?

Date: Thursday, October 15, 2009, 3:15 PM

 

Hello Everyone,

I am 38 years old and have been diagnosed with RA since January 09, with my

symptoms starting in July 08. I have be getting progressively worse with joint

pain, flu-like symtoms, and fatigue-especially during the last 3 months. I was

in nursing school, but could not finish my last 3 weeks due to my feet and hands

hurting so badly. I was also very sick to my stomach from my medicines (I am

taking Humira, Arava, Prednisone 10mg, Mobic, Tramodol, Tylenol with codeine,

prilosec, Zoloft, an antibiotic every day for UTI's, sythroid, and .

Even this past May, I had plans to work full time after graduating with my

nursing degree. I was feeling good with little or no pain, but was having issues

with mouth sores and infections from taking methotrexate, so I was switched to

Arava. Since then, I have been in pain and having a flare up that was better

when I got on 20 mg of prednisone, but is getting worse again now that I am

weaning off the prenisone. What is worse, the disease itself or the medication

side-effects? ? Either I am in pain, or can't sleep due to insomnia and getting

up every hour to pee from the prednisone! Besides increased infections (UTI,

sinus), and severe nausua from all of the meds I take.

After dealing with all of these issues on a daily basis, I decided to apply for

disablity, even though I feel guilty about it. I just don't think I could keep

a job very long when I would have to take sick leave so often because my

problems. Many days, I don't even feel like getting out of the bed, much less

work 8 hour days. Do many of you work despite all of your issues? Or, have many

of you applied and gotten approved for disability? Either way, having our

disease is not easy! Take care, .

[Guest guest]

and everyone,

Thanks so much for visiting with me about all of our issues.  , I am in

the same boat as far as feeling alone.  My husband is on the road driving for 10

days at a time, and I have a six and nine year old here at home.  We live near

my husband's family, but my family is 800 miles away.  My mother in law says

that I whine too much (I hardly say anything to her anymore), and people often

just don't understand what we go through.  I have been hoping to move closer to

my family, they are much more supportive and I miss them very much. 

 

I am amazed with the amount of things you have had to go through .  You

have to be strong to go through your accident and everything else.  But, we have

this support group to help us through hard times, and you can email me anytime

you need to talk, vent, or unload.

Take care, . 

From: <cmn2art@...>

Subject: [ ] Re: Disablity-how many of you are working or on SSDI?

Date: Thursday, October 15, 2009, 8:19 PM

 

Hi ,

I'm new to the group.

I've been on disability from an accident in 1997. I was diagnosed with SLE in

02' and more recently diagnosed with RA earlier this year. There is no way I'd

be able to work with the ongoing pain. Despite the cocktail of meds I'm on (and

the list continues to grow) the pain is there all the time with spikes around

activity and weather changes. Right now the weather in my area is changing and

it's difficult to get through the day and night for that matter.

I wish I could tell you there's something out there to make the pain and

inflammation go away but I have yet to find it. Please feel free to share

anything amazing you come across.

I believe my autoimmune problems began back in my teenage years. I remember

joint pain back then and then was diagnosed with grave's disease in my early

twenties followed by endometriosis, stomach problems, joint problems, and breast

cancer in 07'. I was experiencing daily pain by the time I was in the accident.

I was exposed to jet fuel in the Navy and that was a question asked on all the

forms I filled out when I began chemotherapy treatments. Who knows it could also

be the area I live in (known for bad air quality).

My doc wanted me on prednisone but I'm trying my best not to take it. I've heard

so many bad things about it. have a friend who takes it on and off and her

weight fluxuates 50lbs. plus she has a host of other side effects. I've also

heard that although it may address pain today in 10-15 years you'll have to deal

with all the damage it does to your body + the illness.

I think one of the hardest things for me is how alone I feel in all of it. I

don't like to complain (it doesn't help and only serves to make people around me

uncomfortable or feel sorry for me) so I find myself not wanting to go many

places or talk to my friends and family. They don't know what to say and pretty

soon I'm spending all my time alone. Do you deal with this feeling?

Anyway, I wish I could offer more help. Don't feel bad for opting for

disability. We need it. It's there for a reason and really I don't know what I'd

do without it. There's no way I'd be able to work and certainly no way I'd be

able to afford the list of meds I take everyday.

Good luck to you,

-.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I understand you completely. I was DX in 1-08 with RA. I was working fulltime &

started to feel sickly daily & in pain. I have been on and off work for 2 weeks

at a time monthly or ever other month & finaly my Rhuemy & I decided I needed to

file for disability for a couple of months starting 8/24/09. I have been on

disability since then & very glad I file since I have been very fatigue, very

inflammed & in pain since I had my RITUXZAN infusion treatments. All other meds

Prednisone, Arava, Lefluenmoide have not worked for me. My fulltime job consists

of typing on the computer all day & talking to people with financial hardship,

by 11 or 12 noon I am so tired & my hands are so inflammed & stiff I can not

continue, I don;t know how long my employer will put up with me like this. So,

as much as I want to continue to work my body says no. My spouse & I have

decided that I will try & stay on disability as long as I could & if needed will

file for Social Security Disability if needed once my regular disability ends.

Yes, I am so glad we have something to fall on financialy & my husbands has me

insured under his insurance at work. So, don't feel bad we need do do what we

have do to survive this.

Mousie in Calif

>

> Hello Everyone,

> I am 38 years old and have been diagnosed with RA since January 09, with my

symptoms starting in July 08. I have be getting progressively worse with joint

pain, flu-like symtoms, and fatigue-especially during the last 3 months. I was

in nursing school, but could not finish my last 3 weeks due to my feet and hands

hurting so badly. I was also very sick to my stomach from my medicines (I am

taking Humira, Arava, Prednisone 10mg, Mobic, Tramodol, Tylenol with codeine,

prilosec, Zoloft, an antibiotic every day for UTI's, sythroid, and .

>

> Even this past May, I had plans to work full time after graduating with my

nursing degree. I was feeling good with little or no pain, but was having issues

with mouth sores and infections from taking methotrexate, so I was switched to

Arava. Since then, I have been in pain and having a flare up that was better

when I got on 20 mg of prednisone, but is getting worse again now that I am

weaning off the prenisone. What is worse, the disease itself or the medication

side-effects?? Either I am in pain, or can't sleep due to insomnia and getting

up every hour to pee from the prednisone! Besides increased infections (UTI,

sinus), and severe nausua from all of the meds I take.

>

> After dealing with all of these issues on a daily basis, I decided to apply

for disablity, even though I feel guilty about it. I just don't think I could

keep a job very long when I would have to take sick leave so often because my

problems. Many days, I don't even feel like getting out of the bed, much less

work 8 hour days. Do many of you work despite all of your issues? Or, have many

of you applied and gotten approved for disability? Either way, having our

disease is not easy! Take care, .

>