starting the SSD game...please HELP!

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone! Hope all is well with everyone.

Been awhile since I posted a note here, but I (we) do read them. We have

decided after 2 years of Joe not working, and not getting any better, we NEED to

file for some help. We have since chose Allsup Inc. to represent us. They have

been nothing but 'awesome' since Joe made contact with them. They told him to

let them handle everything...he has his health to worry about. He has an

interview with them tomorrow that will go over his medical doctors, who he was

treated by, surgerys..etc. I guess they need these answered to know who to get

records from etc.

Background info....Joe has been diagnosed with RA, OA for the past 10 years.

Starting on ENbrel, Humira, Arava, Methotrexate, and going all the way up the

ladder to the big guns...Remicade and Rituxin, none of which put his RA into

remission or slowed the progression. On his recent paperwork for our life

insurance he wrote 'regressed'. Joe hasnt been doing well at all. Swelling,

pain...you all know the deal. he is on his 2nd anti-organ rejection medication

called Prograf and to be frank--that scares the hell out of me! This weekend he

slept for 3 days..waking to use the bathroom and eat applesauce. None of the

traditional meds seem to be grabbing this bull by the horns and halting the

progression, or at least alieviating the symptoms. He basically doesnt do

anything anymore..going from an active lifestyle to a halt. A once active man.

He is 39...40 in August.

Now I ask.....can I get some advice, info, tips on how to get through this SSD

process with my/our sanity. We NEED to do this as I cant manage on my income

alone. Its something we have put off a long time, but the time has come that we

need to. I hear the horror stories, and admit, its scary. We have no idea what

to expect. If they only knew...and talked to friends who see me doing things by

myself when he once did those same things. If they lived the pain he lives. If

they walked a mile in his/ ALL of you shoes. If they really knew.

Hopefully you can all offer me/us words of wisdom as we start this process. Has

anyone hired an outside source to fight for them? I figured like everyone says,

we will get turned down to at first and they can do the appeals thing. Ive been

reading how meticulous all the timing is. The govt really knows how to screw

with people. Joe has been working since he was 12 on a horse farm...and every

year up until Jan of 2007. Of course the pain meds he has are some heavy stuff

and make him sleep....thats quality huh. If they only knew. Joe was also in a

drug study which he got out of because he had to be getting NO drug in that

study....he was actually worse off. Cutting meat, turning soda lids, tying

shoes....you all know. Shed some light for me please!!! I am looking for any

tips, advice, guidance I can get!!! Thanks in advance.

(and Joe) in Pennsylvania

[Guest guest]

,

WOW...I hope you get approved for SSDI. I hired a lawyer from the moment I

finished the paperwork. He put in a request for a hearing right away since the

wait to hear an appeal is about a year. I was lucky, I got approved on the 1st

try in 6 months. I think getting a lawyer from the get go helped me. I have

heard it all depends on the state you live in. Best of luck to you & Joe.

(in Colorado)

>

> Hello everyone! Hope all is well with everyone.

>

> Been awhile since I posted a note here, but I (we) do read them. We have

decided after 2 years of Joe not working, and not getting any better, we NEED to

file for some help. We have since chose Allsup Inc. to represent us. They have

been nothing but 'awesome' since Joe made contact with them. They told him to

let them handle everything...he has his health to worry about. He has an

interview with them tomorrow that will go over his medical doctors, who he was

treated by, surgerys..etc. I guess they need these answered to know who to get

records from etc.

>

> Background info....Joe has been diagnosed with RA, OA for the past 10 years.

Starting on ENbrel, Humira, Arava, Methotrexate, and going all the way up the

ladder to the big guns...Remicade and Rituxin, none of which put his RA into

remission or slowed the progression. On his recent paperwork for our life

insurance he wrote 'regressed'. Joe hasnt been doing well at all. Swelling,

pain...you all know the deal. he is on his 2nd anti-organ rejection medication

called Prograf and to be frank--that scares the hell out of me! This weekend he

slept for 3 days..waking to use the bathroom and eat applesauce. None of the

traditional meds seem to be grabbing this bull by the horns and halting the

progression, or at least alieviating the symptoms. He basically doesnt do

anything anymore..going from an active lifestyle to a halt. A once active man.

He is 39...40 in August.

>

> Now I ask.....can I get some advice, info, tips on how to get through this SSD

process with my/our sanity. We NEED to do this as I cant manage on my income

alone. Its something we have put off a long time, but the time has come that we

need to. I hear the horror stories, and admit, its scary. We have no idea what

to expect. If they only knew...and talked to friends who see me doing things by

myself when he once did those same things. If they lived the pain he lives. If

they walked a mile in his/ ALL of you shoes. If they really knew.

>

> Hopefully you can all offer me/us words of wisdom as we start this process.

Has anyone hired an outside source to fight for them? I figured like everyone

says, we will get turned down to at first and they can do the appeals thing.

Ive been reading how meticulous all the timing is. The govt really knows how to

screw with people. Joe has been working since he was 12 on a horse farm...and

every year up until Jan of 2007. Of course the pain meds he has are some heavy

stuff and make him sleep....thats quality huh. If they only knew. Joe was also

in a drug study which he got out of because he had to be getting NO drug in that

study....he was actually worse off. Cutting meat, turning soda lids, tying

shoes....you all know. Shed some light for me please!!! I am looking for any

tips, advice, guidance I can get!!! Thanks in advance.

> (and Joe) in Pennsylvania

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

With Joe's health, you are doing the right thing. I applied for SSA, I

live in OK, and it took about a year. I was not denied, so I was lucky.

I know some people are not so lucky, and they have to fight, when they

don't even have the strength to get out of bed on their own.

>

> Hello everyone! Hope all is well with everyone.

>

> Been awhile since I posted a note here, but I (we) do read them. We

have decided after 2 years of Joe not working, and not getting any

better, we NEED to file for some help. We have since chose Allsup Inc.

to represent us. They have been nothing but 'awesome' since Joe made

contact with them. They told him to let them handle everything...he has

his health to worry about. He has an interview with them tomorrow that

will go over his medical doctors, who he was treated by, surgerys..etc.

I guess they need these answered to know who to get records from etc.

>

> Background info....Joe has been diagnosed with RA, OA for the past 10

years. Starting on ENbrel, Humira, Arava, Methotrexate, and going all

the way up the ladder to the big guns...Remicade and Rituxin, none of

which put his RA into remission or slowed the progression. On his recent

paperwork for our life insurance he wrote 'regressed'. Joe hasnt been

doing well at all. Swelling, pain...you all know the deal. he is on his

2nd anti-organ rejection medication called Prograf and to be frank--that

scares the hell out of me! This weekend he slept for 3 days..waking to

use the bathroom and eat applesauce. None of the traditional meds seem

to be grabbing this bull by the horns and halting the progression, or at

least alieviating the symptoms. He basically doesnt do anything

anymore..going from an active lifestyle to a halt. A once active man. He

is 39...40 in August.

>

> Now I ask.....can I get some advice, info, tips on how to get through

this SSD process with my/our sanity. We NEED to do this as I cant manage

on my income alone. Its something we have put off a long time, but the

time has come that we need to. I hear the horror stories, and admit, its

scary. We have no idea what to expect. If they only knew...and talked to

friends who see me doing things by myself when he once did those same

things. If they lived the pain he lives. If they walked a mile in his/

ALL of you shoes. If they really knew.

>

> Hopefully you can all offer me/us words of wisdom as we start this

process. Has anyone hired an outside source to fight for them? I figured

like everyone says, we will get turned down to at first and they can do

the appeals thing. Ive been reading how meticulous all the timing is.

The govt really knows how to screw with people. Joe has been working

since he was 12 on a horse farm...and every year up until Jan of 2007.

Of course the pain meds he has are some heavy stuff and make him

sleep....thats quality huh. If they only knew. Joe was also in a drug

study which he got out of because he had to be getting NO drug in that

study....he was actually worse off. Cutting meat, turning soda lids,

tying shoes....you all know. Shed some light for me please!!! I am

looking for any tips, advice, guidance I can get!!! Thanks in advance.

> (and Joe) in Pennsylvania

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

That's wonderful news, !! I live in Florida and its been over three years

since I applied initially and I STILL do not have a hearing date! My attorney

says that the ville office of disability adjudication is backed up worse

than she's ever seen it. The Orlando jurisdiction is backed up, too, but not

nearly as bad. Go figure, right? So I'm still waiting and waiting and waiting.

, I hope your claim goes through much faster than mine is. Best of luck to

you.....Doreen

,

WOW...I hope you get approved for SSDI. I hired a lawyer from the moment I

finished the paperwork. He put in a request for a hearing right away since the

wait to hear an appeal is about a year. I was lucky, I got approved on the 1st

try in 6 months. I think getting a lawyer from the get go helped me. I have

heard it all depends on the state you live in. Best of luck to you & Joe.

(in Colorado)