Permanent Disability

[Guest guest]

Hello, I was just diagnosed with PSC for sure week ago. I also suffer from Celiac Disease and all the autoimmune situations that go with it. I am always run down, rarely feel good for an entire day, and work at at stressful job. I was thinking that I would apply for permanent disability, here in California you can still work really part time. That way no one would be depending on me to run the office or to be the only one there, on days when I am just not ok. Maybe someone has some insite on this, as I don't really know how this PSC will progress, I have already had an infection, and that was horrible, fevers were high and I was throwing up and sick, they said it was a bile duct infection. Basically since there is no cure for PSC and a transplant is a big deal, I want to live my life, happy, healthy and well taken care of, and the best way for me

to do this, is to get out of the professional world (paralegal) get on perm disability and work somewhere simple, will little to no stress.....Am I making too big a deal about this? The entire PSC disease really scares me. I would take any advice, any. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!! b-

Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.

[Guest guest]

Taking disability due to PSC is definitely an option to consider... I

took disability due to problems similar to what you've described, and it

certainly helped me to be able to live my life and enjoy it. Before I

just didn't have enough energy to do anything outside of work (and not

really enough for work either).

I would caution you to be sure that disability is what you want though.

It can be hard to get off of once you get on it, and since PSC can

progress so slowly, you could end up being on disability for quite a

long time. Also since PSC can vary so much, it may be tempting to take

disability when you've been having a rough time lately, but once you get

through this valley you may end up feeling pretty good again for several

years.

I'm not trying to discourage you from disability with this; like I said

I took it and I think it was the right thing for me to do. Just realize

that there are drawbacks to it too, and that you need to be sure that

the pros outweigh the cons. Now that I've had my transplant, and am

cleared to go back to work, I 'm finding that it's harder than one might

think trying to restart a career that's been on hold for five or six years!

athan

[Guest guest]

Dear B, please accept another opinion concerning disability and PSC--

DO IT!. I just qualified for SS disability due to PSC and a myriad

of other autoimmune disorders, getting to this point was not easy but

I can guarantee that applying for disability is the best thing that

you can do.

I too worked in a very stressful position for 25.5 years and I had a

very difficult time of letting go. I went to work sick more than

well and it all finally took its toll on me; 8 hospitalizations in a

span of 3 years all related to PSC and UC. I applied for STD through

my employer and was approved and followed up with applying for SS

disability (it took 4 months for government process). It will take

some time for you to adjust to a different schedule but your health

is what comes first.

Some people think that those of us who take the disability option are

feeling sorry for ourselves but we are not. This disease has been a

nightmare for me. I never thought that any one person could have so

many problems and still live. I thank my supreme Father for taking

care of me thus far; I know that I have many more struggles ahead.

Do what you think is best for you, you will not have any regrets.

Deb,

UC 1993, PSC 2005, colectomy 2005, one fat, happy Golden Retriever