To : Re: medical records for SSD

[Guest guest]

Dear : I wish I could offer some " sage " advice to you on this

one but I have just won what was initially denied to me for the two

avenues I had available to me. I was a government employee for

almost 18 yrs and although that was supposed to be easier to get

than SSDI they initially denied me but I have since been approved on

appeal. It wasn't until I got an attorney who deals with Federal

Employee's Disability Retirement all the time that I won that case.

Now I initially lost the SSDI and I have again lost that one on

appeal as well. They have VERY stringent rules as to what qualifies

people for SSDI. Unfortunately, chronic or recurrent acute

pancreatitis is not on their " list " of " approvable " diseases and

thus has to be " proved " beyond a shadow of a doubt to them. I also

have the wonderful luck (NOT!) of having suspected chronic

pancreatitis and SOD and never once (well once in the beginning of

this nightmare in February of 2004) did my enzyme levels ever go up

or at least go up so that medical/ER personnel could see this as

irrecoverable " proof " that I had problems with my pancreas. The

SOD wasn't found until I took the advice of numerous members of this

group and went to Indiana too see Dr. Glen Lehman at the

Indianapolis Medical Center/Hospital who performed an ERCP and found

elevated pressure at the SOD and also at the common bile duct. He

performed a dual sphincterotomy but unfortunately that was not a

success either and I have been about 60% worse since having the ERCP

even though it did give me a diagnosis of sorts. He made a sort of

tentative diagnosis in his notes of possible cp and

then put in that I had/have SOD.

At any rate, almost two yrs later I'm still looking for a good GI

doctor in my area as the one that Dr Lehman recommended turned out

to be a real loser. Told me he didn't know where my pain was coming

from, etc., etc, but was perfectly willing to schedule monthly

visits to tell me basically nothing in order (my opinion only!) to

collect on my insurance. I can't seem to find any other reason that

he saw me as each time I saw him it was the same old story and I

ended up leaving in tears.

So, yes, I'm quite longwinded I know...sorry! I guess what I'm

trying to tell you is this: SSDI basically needs to be given every

stitch of information that you can give them in reference to your

illness....the more information the better. It was once explained

to me this way... " While the Federal Employee's Disability Retirement

only wants to know can do her OLD job or one LIKE it? " - SSDI

wants to know can do ANY job in the whole wide world up to and

including counting marbles from her bedside? "

I plan on going to the next step with SSDI myself though which I

believe now will mean a possible court appearance in front of a

judge. I have recently found out (although my personnel office

didn't explain it to me correctly) that I would still get more money

each month (and REMEMBER it is YOUR money that you've been putting

into the system all of these years that you've worked. That thought

always makes me just livid...it is OUR money and yet they act like

we're looking for a handout or something!!) because I have a minor

child still at home and also medicare for my health. While it will

mean that I keep my health insurance for life from the Federal

Employee's Disability Retirement which I need for the family plan

for husband and son...I would be entitled to Medicare that would be

pay 100% for co-pays for meds and doctor visits that we pay out of

pocket for now.

So, my advice: hire an attorney (and by law I believe (At least

here in RI) my attorney told me they can't charge you a fee unless

successful (which they would take out of the back pay that is

probably due to you anyway.) AND kill them with paperwork...the

more the better. Take care and if you ever need or want to email me

privately, I have a bunch of stuff I could send to you including a

form that someone once sent to me when my PCP refused to " do a

narrative " (his words)..it's basically a form where the doc only

needs to check the appropriate boxes and mine was willing to do

that. I think the form is one that SSDI uses themselves but I had

to change it around a bit (the wording was basically for people with

I think back problems or something. Another grrrrr there, the guy

that has moved in with the woman that lives next door to us is on

SSDI for a supposed back problem and almost every day he is out in

the yard chopping wood with an axe, working in the garden and/or

doing construction type work on her house. Just makes my blood

boil...that he can get it and yet someone who is so obviously ill as

compared to him anyway gets denied!!! Grrrrrrr......

Take care and good luck

>

> ,

>

> Certainly, you should include those records from the late '90's,

and

> then anything else from further back that you can get your hands

on.

> The more documentation that you can provide that substantiates your

> ongoing abdominal pain and nausea, etc., the more solid your claim

> will be. Load them up with paperwork!!

>

> I don't know how long doctors keep their records, you'd have to

get

> in contact with one of the older doctors you saw, and ask them. If

> they do save all the old records, get as many of them as you can.

>

> I don't remember, but did you say you had a disability attorney

> representing you, or not? The reason I ask is that if you do, he

> should have been working with you to see that all those records

were

> collected - calling the doctors, etc. My attorney did all of that

> follow up when my case was up for review by the judge, and made

sure

> that all the records were there when the hearing date was finally

> announced.

>

> I also don't remember what state you're in? From the length of

time

> that they say you have to wait for a hearing, it sounds as though

> your SSDI offices are as behind in their cases as South Carolina

was.

> It seemed to take forever to get a hearing date when I was

waiting,

> but it actually took only 4 months.

>

> With love, hope and prayers,

> Heidi

>

> Heidi H. Griffeth

> South Carolina

> SC and SE Regional Rep.

> PAI

>

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

> opinion, and should not be substituted for professional medical

> consultation.