SSD and working

September 15, 2005

Hi all,

I have been posting more than usual because I am really trying to get

Disability. I have many diagnoses and all of my docs are behind me as far as

being " disabled. " However, I am a medical transcriptionist and work from home.

By working from home, I feel that I will not ever get approved. I have 4

doctors who have said that I cannot sit for so many minutes/hours, stand, etc.,

etc. I now have pitting edema and take 2 diuretics. I have cut back to only

one account from previously having 9!!!! I know that continuing to work is NOT

a GOOD THING, but there are some people (we all know this!) that just HAVE TO

WORK. I am 35 years old and have a wonderful husband and two boys, 6 and 8, and

I have to work!!!!!!!! I feel that this is a very controversial thing as far as

the rules by Social Security. For example, in order to file, you have to not be

working OR working and making less than a certain amount of money for more than

5 months. What sense does that make??? The " new " amount that you can make a

month is now $820.00, up from $780.00. Every so often they increase the amount

of money you can make per month. Why would they allow this, but then deny you

because you are still working. Excuse me, but what the HELL!!!!!!!! If they

allow people to continue to work and make $820.00 per month, then how can they

" turn you down " when a lot of people HAVE TO WORK!!! I think this is such a

bunch of crap!!!

I got my first denial last October when I was placed on a feeding tube, J-tube,

and had to be put on a continuous feeding pump because I could not tolerate the

bolus feedings. My insurance does not cover any " nutritional supplements. "

Therefore, I had to purchase the IV pole and machine, bags, syringes, Glucerna,

etc., etc. I appealed (with help from an attorney) and was denied again!!!! I

had 4 doctors who wrote letters ALL saying the SAME THING, that I was disabled.

The " doctor " who denied my appeal said that I DID NOT NEED A FEEDING TUBE

BECAUSE I WAS NOT LOSING WEIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am one of those people who

don't lose weight. I was on the feeding tube for 6 months and only lost 3

pounds!!!!!!!!! I am sorry, I did not mean to go on and on like this, but I

needed to vent!!

I am stopping now. I hope some of you will take the time to read this even

though it is so long.

Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thoughts and prayers to all!!

T.

September 15, 2005

,

There's no need to apologize at all, truly. Any of us that have gone

through the rigors of applying for disability and then being denied,

not just once, but more, surely sympathize with the frustration that

you're going through. I personally found the entire two year process

horribly frustrating and stressful, and there were times when I cried

with the unfairness of it all. So vent all you need to, if there was

ever something that was justifyably worth venting about, it would be

the whole humiliating process of applying for SSDI!

There is one thing that you mentioned your concern about that I

wanted to comment on. You seemed worried that one reason you would

not get approved was because you worked from home. That shouldn't

make any difference, as long as your doctors back you up like you

said they do. I received my SSDI last January, after being

self-employed as an architectural draftsman and working from my home

for the last ten years. So this shouldn't be a stumbling block for

you. My doctor's both fully documented my disabilities and how they

affected my working capabilities, and even the judge admitted that

their letters were most influential in helping him reach his decision.

Fortunately for us, (I guess....lol!), I'm nearly twenty years older

than you, with four adult children whom we've already paid to have

college educated, etc., so the need for my income is not as severely

critical as it would have been if I were your age with the same

disabilities. I understand where you're coming from when you say you

HAVE TO WORK. Twenty years ago I did, too, in fact 20 years ago my

husband was on probation as a first year hire with the airlines and

only made $1,000 a month, so believe me, I HAD to work! Lordy, his

child support alone at that time was $600 a month!! So I do

understand how important your contribution to the household income

can be.

I just wanted to offer this word of assurance about your working from

the home. I know that Kaye was (is), also a medical transcriptionist

and worked from her home, too. I don't know if she was working from

home when she received her SSDI, (the first time around, too!), but I

think she may have been. So don't give up hope, and good luck!!

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.

September 15, 2005

Nacny,

I understand what you are saying about being denied and have

to work a certain amount of hours. When I started for disablity I

was 22 and going to college to be a elem edu teacher. I just so

happened to work for a month but was fired cause I kept having to

miss days cause of the pain meds and pain. I was lucky...cause my

mom (who is an RN) made me start the paperwork for disablity. I was

turned down three times over 2 yrs and I ended up having to go

before a judge hearing. I hate to say but since I have lived with

this for over 19 yrs it helped the judge understand that I wasn't

going to get better and I would probbaly die on disablity and

couldn't work at any rate to be able to take care of myself.

Things here in tennessee are going from bad to worse. The governor

kicked many ppl off of tenncare and the few that stayed on

(including me) had there prescrptions pushed back to only five

months. Lucky for me I stocked up on a lot of meds including

insulin and muscle relaxers.

I have talked to a few ppl that were denied and came to find out

that if you are married...and your spouse can work then the disablty

thinks that the spouse should be able to pick up the slack when the

other is not working. That includes the spouse or other having to

provide insurance and anything else that would help out. The

problem I think you are going to have is going to be trying to make

the judge and who ever looks over your case that you can not work

even though you work at home. More then likely if you worked out of

the house then that would might help your case. I will look around

and see if I can find my transcripts about my disablity hearing. If

you have any questions please feel free to email me at

kebajackson@... Hope that you are feeling okay and talk to

you soon...

KebaJ.

> Hi all,

>

> I have been posting more than usual because I am really trying to

get Disability. I have many diagnoses and all of my docs are behind

me as far as being " disabled. " However, I am a medical

transcriptionist and work from home. By working from home, I feel

that I will not ever get approved. I have 4 doctors who have said

that I cannot sit for so many minutes/hours, stand, etc., etc. I

now have pitting edema and take 2 diuretics. I have cut back to

only one account from previously having 9!!!! I know that

continuing to work is NOT a GOOD THING, but there are some people

(we all know this!) that just HAVE TO WORK. I am 35 years old and

have a wonderful husband and two boys, 6 and 8, and I have to

work!!!!!!!! I feel that this is a very controversial thing as far

as the rules by Social Security. For example, in order to file, you

have to not be working OR working and making less than a certain

amount of money for more than 5 months. What sense does that

make??? The " new " amount that you can make a month is now $820.00,

up from $780.00. Every so often they increase the amount of money

you can make per month. Why would they allow this, but then deny

you because you are still working. Excuse me, but what the

HELL!!!!!!!! If they allow people to continue to work and make

$820.00 per month, then how can they " turn you down " when a lot of

people HAVE TO WORK!!! I think this is such a bunch of crap!!!

>

> I got my first denial last October when I was placed on a feeding

tube, J-tube, and had to be put on a continuous feeding pump because

I could not tolerate the bolus feedings. My insurance does not

cover any " nutritional supplements. " Therefore, I had to purchase

the IV pole and machine, bags, syringes, Glucerna, etc., etc. I

appealed (with help from an attorney) and was denied again!!!! I

had 4 doctors who wrote letters ALL saying the SAME THING, that I

was disabled. The " doctor " who denied my appeal said that I DID NOT

NEED A FEEDING TUBE BECAUSE I WAS NOT LOSING WEIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am one of those people who don't lose weight. I was on the

feeding tube for 6 months and only lost 3 pounds!!!!!!!!! I am

sorry, I did not mean to go on and on like this, but I needed to

vent!!

>

> I am stopping now. I hope some of you will take the time to read

this even though it is so long.

>

> Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated!!!

>

> Thoughts and prayers to all!!

>

> T.

>

September 16, 2005

:

I am so sorry you are feeling so bad. I believe we spoke in the

past. I too am a medical transcriptionist working from home. I

work for MEdquist. Who do you work for?

Does SS give you a reason why you are denied?

I have a little idea that might be hurting you and others who are

still working. While the limit on what you can earn is 820 a month,

there is another number which is $500 dollars plus, I can't remember

how much. Anyway, if you make less than that number, they really

don't even look at the earnings. But, when you are close to that 820

they will.

What I am about to tell you pertains to AFTER you receive your

benefits. If you are working after receivng benefits and make under

that $500 dollars plus mark, they don't look at that month but if it

is over that amount they start looking to make sure it isn't over

820. That makes me believe that if you are now working and making

close to that 820 that may be what is hurting you. I don't know

that for a fact but I am having a hunch. You will eventually get

your benefits, but what a hassle.

Liek you I cannot sit for more than two hours. Ten hours a week

puts me at the limit of what I can make. I haven't had any problems

so far although I would like to go back full time and have been

trying. But realistically for me now I am thinking it may not work

because though controlled pretty well most of the time, there are

those hospitalizations that take a month out of your life everytime

you go in.

I have searched the SS site for that exact number and right now

cannot find it, but I know its there. You might want to call SS and

ask them. Although I know its a financial MESS to do it, it might

be worthwhile to get under that $500 plus number. I think its like

567 per month or something.

When I applied in 1998, they took so many months back and added them

up and averaged them. I don't know what that was all about but I

only averaged 179 bucks a month at that time. But at that time the

figure they were looking for was in the $250 dollar amonth range.

Can you believe that?

I know what you are feeling. I gave up a bunch of accounts too and

I love medical transcription.

Let me know if you have any questions and I would love to know who

you work for too.

Take care

Kaye

In pancreatitis , nancy@a... wrote: