Re: SSDI Denial to

October 5, 2003

> I just happened to see your last post and I was wondering.....

How can they expect you to work if you have the " classic "

symptoms of almost constant diareah, and vomitting? I don't

know of any employer that would want an employee on the

payroll that is in the bathroom all of the time, and on pain meds.

When I applied for SSDI I stressed that fact that I needed to be in

the bathroom all of the time and I stressed the effects of the pain

meds. I also made sure that my doctor knew what I had said

and asked them to follow up with notations in my records of the

bathroom time and effects of pain meds.

My GI told me that it depends alot on what the doctors replay to

SSDI is. I geuss they take into considersation what your doctors

feels you can do. It won't hurt to make sure your doctor has tons

of notes in your chart about the malnutrition, malise, diareah,

vomiting, nausea, and so on.

Dear ,

Thanks for your comments. My doctor wrote a very detailed three

page letter that was attached to my application listing all these

problems, and he was very specific as to the fact that the

" permanent impairments that she suffers with on a daily basis

demonstrates that she is permanently disabled " , and that being

that I have a progressively degenerating disease, he felt that any

prognosis for future improvement was out of the question, etc.

etc. etc.

Part of the problem is that for most of my career and all of the

last five years + I have been employed free-lance, or had my own

business, as an architectural draftsman. I took a job for a few

years in the early 90's as an office manager, a job that was

intended to be temporary and part time, but I ended up staying

there full time for four years. I have acquired full office

managerial skills, but this is not what my training was for, nor

anything I particularly enjoyed. But we had three children in

college and bills to pay.....you know how that is! When my

daughter graduated, the stress of a job I hated and a

deteriorating relationship with the owner gave me reason

enough to quit. Even then I had begun having problems with

frequent sick days. It was before my diagnosis and then I didn't

know what was wrong with me.

So in all the years that I've had my own business, I don't have any

proof of down time, sick leave or how the meds affect my work

performance except for what I say, and the obvious decline of my

annual income, which is significant. SSDI seems to feel I'm able

to go back out into the work force and do secretarial work for

someone else again.

I just thought that maybe I should have kept a daily work diary,

listing hours I worked, reasons I stopped, days I was sick, etc.

But at the time I never knew my health was going to go downhill

so quickly and so thoroughly, or that I would ever end up this

way.

As far as the appeal goes, I don't know whether I need to come

up with more documentation, or whether the SSD is supposed to

review what's already been submitted more carefully, or what.

It's been two weeks since the appeal went in, so I plan on calling

my attorney tomorrow to find out where we go from here, or

what's going on.

Thanks for your imput. I'm still forging ahead, and if I have any

interesting news about this to share, I will when I can.

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

SC & SE Regional Rep.

PAI, Intl.

Note: All comments and advice are personal opinion only, and

should not be substituted for professional medical consultation.

October 5, 2003