Re: Gail re SSD

[Guest guest]

Gail,

Thanks for the info. I will try to check it out. However, I wasn't approved

for SSD, I was approved for disability retirement with my job. I work for the

federal governement. I had to apply for SSD to even be able to able for

disability retirement with my job, but SSD automatically turned me down since I

was still currently employed. They said I had to be unemployed for six months

before SSD would even look at my case. The way it works with the federal

government, I would get 60% of my pay the first year minus 100% of anything I

got from SSD. From the second year on, I would get only 40% of my pay minus

60% of anything I got from SSD. The problem is that since I work for the

federal government, the paperwork has to go through God, OPM, and everybody

else and be blessed even before it gets to the actual office that says yay or

nay. It took over four months for it to get to the 'yay or nay' office. I got

paperwork saying it had reached that office and then a week later I had an

approval letter. They couldn't have even reviewed the 3 inch stack of

paperwork. My assumption is they approved it as soon as they saw systemic

lupus since it is on SS's list of disabling disorders.

The problem is that if I started the paperwork tomorrow, it would be at least

four months before I'd have an answer. It may come to the point that I have no

choice but for now I'm going to hang in there and try to tough it out. I am

blessed with wonderful bosses and co-workers who have never uttered a single

complaint about all the time I miss from work. I am also blessed with a

wonderful husband and family. I know that if it comes down to it and I must

quit working, they will support me and we will make do somehow. I am truly

blessed and I do believe that this will once again get better.

However, on that note, I did get some bad news from the GI. My surgeon had

said the GI told him he would be able to do the sphincterotomy through ERCP and

would do another ERCP in a week or two. The GI's nurse said she talked to the

GI and he said he has no plans to do another ERCP. The GI had told me I would

have to have surgery to have the sphincterotomy and I was very hopeful when the

surgeon told me the GI had said he could do it through ERCP. Apparently, they

have their wires crossed and it seems I will need surgery to correct my problem

permanently. The GI said the stent will last for a month or two but then the

problem will be right back with the bile duct clogging up. I sent the surgeon

a fax asking him to get the story straight for me. I want to know if surgery

will be required or not. I am a little better today but still having pain.

The surgeon did tell me that he would expect it to take me at least 3 months to

get back to normal once the bile duct is flowing correctly. I will try to be

patient.

----- Re: I forgot to knock on wood-

> - thought I would pass this along as Jim might have some ideas

> on what steps you should take...there might be a way to expedite your

> case since you had been approved. Just a thought, Gail West, Indiana

> Forum Chat With Jim - SSDCavalry

>

> Date: Thursday, September 5, 2002

> Time: 7:30PM - 8:30PM CDT (GMT-05:00)

>

> Please join us for a moderated chat with Jim - SSDCavalry, an

> attorney who specializes in SSDI cases and is licensed in all 50

> states.

>

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[Guest guest]

Gail,

When I turned down the disability they told me that I would have to start the

entire process over again if my health got worse again. At least I still have

all the paperwork so it wouldn't be quite as hard getting it together this time.

[Guest guest]

Gail,

When I turned down the disability they told me that I would have to start the

entire process over again if my health got worse again. At least I still have

all the paperwork so it wouldn't be quite as hard getting it together this time.