SSD and diagnoses

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

I have been turned down twice for SSD and am now waiting to go before a law

judge. I have noticed that a lot of you have said that you did not get awarded

disability based on the diagnosis of CP. Do you think it is more likely to get

approved by focusing more on some of our other diagnoses? I have CP, SOD, high

cholesterol, high triglycerides (which are uncontrolled on medication and I know

that high triglycerides can cause pancreatitic attacks), hypothyroidism, severe

reflux, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, degenerative arthritis of my knees,

feet, and back, a protruding disc in my back, pitting edema, and am starting to

have problems with my blood sugars. Should I concentrate more on some of these

things?

I would truly appreciate any and all advice from those of you who have been

" approved " and those of you who are where I am in waiting for a trial.

My thoughts and prayers are with you all!

Thanks,

T.

[Guest guest]

Hello nancy. Here in Tennessee....when you send in your info.

There is a board of doctors that look at your case. I was turned

down three times because they thought that within a year I would be

better and able to work. I hate to say but if you finished college

or have worked a lot in the past then you might not be able to get

it. I say this because one of my mom's friends was an RN and she

had a very bad heart, was on the heart transplant list, and her doc

had ordered her to take 3-5 one hour naps a day. When she went

before the disablity judge she was denied because she had a degree

and the judge thought that she could at least answer phones or lite

work. It made the hospital staff so mad cause she was so sick and

had to continue working till she got a new heart. The disablity

board is put into place to make you feel that you getting disablity

will NEVER happen. After I was turned down three times I did almost

give up....but I told myself maybe it would be better to go before a

judge since he could look at me, listen to me while I explained a

typical day in my life and the thing's I put my wonderful guy

through everyday.

When I went before the Judge for my hearing the judge kept asking

where my lawyer was. Cause to him I looked healthy as a horse and

didn't look sick. What I ended up doing was putting all the pills I

take during the day let's say the table was full. I also had my ex

with me as a witness. Now in here in tennessee they also bring in a

outside person from a technial college that looks at your background

and then they make a decison on whether you could work.

At the time I was going to college to be a teacher and the social

worker told the judge there was no way I could teach kids while on

pain pills. The judge looked at my file and asked me if I ever

thought I would get better and I told him the truth " More then

likely I would die on disablity and never be able to hold a job. "

After a few mins of thought he agreed with me...and I have been on

disablity since.

I would say to make sure you have a letter from your doctor saying "

In my opinon this patient will never be able to be a productive

person in society due to all the pain he/she has went through "

I have found that it is hard for ppl to understand what we go threw

unless they have someone in the family with it. Now when I went up

for my first review of disablity to see if I still qualified they

wanted me to change from pancreatitis to brittle type 1 diabetes.

At first I was like okay but after talking to my mom (which is an

RN) and a few of my docs we decided that if I had changed it I

wouldn't have been able to keep it long afterwards. Cause everyone

is starting to develop diabetes in some way. In the end though you

can work with it. So if they ask you to change your medical reason

for getting disablity DON'T....if you try to get disablity under one

of the other medical conditions you might get disablity but you will

be back under review within 6-12 months. With the pancreatitis

diganosis you won't be reviewed until 3-6 yrs from now. This is in

Tennessee though....if you have any questions or need someone to

talk to...post here or email me....hope things go well for

you...take care....

> Hi all,

>

> I have been turned down twice for SSD and am now waiting to go

before a law judge. I have noticed that a lot of you have said that

you did not get awarded disability based on the diagnosis of CP. Do

you think it is more likely to get approved by focusing more on some

of our other diagnoses? I have CP, SOD, high cholesterol, high

triglycerides (which are uncontrolled on medication and I know that

high triglycerides can cause pancreatitic attacks), hypothyroidism,

severe reflux, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, degenerative

arthritis of my knees, feet, and back, a protruding disc in my back,

pitting edema, and am starting to have problems with my blood

sugars. Should I concentrate more on some of these things?

>

> I would truly appreciate any and all advice from those of you who

have been " approved " and those of you who are where I am in waiting

for a trial.

>

> My thoughts and prayers are with you all!

>

> Thanks,

>

> T.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

I was one of those that obtained disability on depression and

diabetes, instead of pancreatitis. The next time I come up for a

review I plan on making sure that pancreatitis is added to the

initial two.

The psych eval done during the application process actually focuses

on depression. Depression can be stagnating and seriously interfere

with work, particularly when it makes it almost impossible to get out

of bed.

I think chronic pain should be a good diagnosis, especially if the

person is taking narcotics. We have already thoroughly discussed this

thread. If they require you to make an effort to find a job, I would

think you could easily have a good list of job application

rejections. Of course, if you even had the energy to apply for them

at all.

Karyn E. , RN

Executive Director, PAI

Indianapolis, Indiana

[Guest guest]

,

After reading the decision letter from the judge who found my

disability claim " Fully Favorable " , I read that the " severe "

impairments acknowledged were: chronic pancreatitis, diabetes

mellitus, COPD, carpal tunnel syndrome, and depression.

The letter did state that I " did not have an impairment that meets

or equals the criteria of any listed impairment. " That means that

whatever criteria they have in their official list of impairments

doesn't exactly match what I have wrong with me.

So the evidence in my records had to support the finding that I did

not retain the residual functional capacity to perform sustained work

activity at any exertional level.

The judge told me that the documents that had the most influence on

the his ruling were the two letters furnished by my Gastroenterologist

and Pain Management Doctor. I know what my GI submitted, but haven't

seen what my PM doctor wrote, but apparently their two letters both

substained that I was so disabled that I was unable to perform the

requirements of any past work, and that my condition would never

improve. My disability is such that I am also unable to perform any

" other " work that Social Security may find for me.

The extensive amount of doctors records, lab reports, hospital records

and radiology reports that I furnished were also very influencial, as

they supported the claims made by my doctors.

In light of all of this, I would think it may be a mistake to try to

change your claim now to a different imparity. I would certainly

include a listing of all those other conditions, especially if any of

them can tie in to your chronic pancreatitis in a way that shows that

they have an effect on your chronic pancreatitis. Yet, I'd still

focus on the chronic pancreatitis and SOD, and then explain how the

other impairments effect those conditions.

Depression is always a concern with SSDI, also. THey look very closly

at that. I was reviewed by a SSDI appointed psychiatrist, and the

result of that interview maintained that I did have a major depressive

disorder, and I got a 40 on the GAF, indicating that there was some

impairment. Did you see one of these doctors prior to your hearing?

Don't give up, whatever you do. When is your hearing, do you know,

have they assigned a Judge to you, yet? Do you have an attorney, or

are you fighting this thing all on your own?

With love, hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

hhessgriffeth@...

SC and SE Regional Rep

Pancreatitis Association, Intl.

Note: All comments or advice are based on personal experience or

opinions only, and should not be substituted for consultation with

your medical professional.