SSD

[Guest guest]

Hi Fransea

You are right, our disability lawyer here in MIchigan said that Lyme is not

on their list, so they use all the related symptoms and problems to get ssd

for our patients.

Good to see you.

Connie

[Guest guest]

Hi Connie,

I got approved for SSDI with a diagnosis of Lyme disease, Fibromyalgia

and CFS, plus it mentioned Disc Herniation too, in my award letter. Now the

strange part of this is because NJ was so backed up with claims and

hearings, they imported a judge from NY to hear my case. I hope I am

setting some kind of precedent, Reid, and others what dx were you approved

with.

Feel good,

Marta

> From: Cslyme@...

>

> Hi Fransea

> You are right, our disability lawyer here in MIchigan said that Lyme is

not

> on their list, so they use all the related symptoms and problems to get

ssd

> for our patients.

> Good to see you.

> Connie

>

>

[Guest guest]

mine was for " lyme and related symptoms " and sever depreesion due to

lyme......hey we are getting closer at least they use the " L " word

now........lol

Reid

[Guest guest]

Actually, I am happy to hear that they did!

Mine said for depression and " a disease " . I was grateful they recognize it

as " a disease " !

By the way, I am really sorry about your friend. At least he is in a better

place for him now!

Hugs,

Alison

RMcmur3194@... wrote:

> From: RMcmur3194@...

>

> mine was for " lyme and related symptoms " and sever depreesion due to

> lyme......hey we are getting closer at least they use the " L " word

> now........lol

> Reid

>

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[Guest guest]

Hi,

It took me 6 years to get SSD - judge kept denying even though he was

overturned twice by Appeals Council! Then to get approved I had to give up

most of my back benefits. What is left is change! - nothing I can live on.

They look very specifically for HOW you are disabled. For instance, do

you have to sit down after 5 min of doing dishes, how long, etc. Really

picky things. If you can cook a meal and clean your house even minimunly,

you are not considered disabled. I also made the mistake of teaching one

class, for which I had to stay in bed all day in order to teach! But that

made me inelegible - as if I could support myself that way! BUT, SSD is

even less money! Please make sure you have a lawyer who knows the judges

and will fight for you - mine could have been better!

Good luck!

Christie

>

> From: June <CADDEPT@...>

>Subject: my SSDI

>

> I just received copies of evrything the SSDI used in their evaluation.

>For the life of me I don't see how they could say I was not disabled, but

>below is the entirety of response my LLMD (or maybe not so----or maybe just

>scared) sent to them:

>

> " I last saw June ----- on August 12, 1994. At that time she still had her

>intermittent headaches, disorientation, right upper quadrant pain, and

>joint pain which were symptoms that the patient had had for a very long

>time. The diagnoses at that time included mitral valve prolapse, left

>ovarian cyst, asthma, Lyme disease, and fibromyalgia.

>

>I hope this information will help with your evaluation. "

>

> Notice how LD is just casually thrown in there with the rest....I thought

>all of the rest were part of, not separate, from Lyme!! Since she hasn't

>yet returned my phone call, I can't tell whether she felt that numerous dxs

>were her way of helping, because of the propensity of casting out a LD dx

>period. Have to wait & see. That abusive wacko neuro that I told you

>about? He copied almost everything word for word from the referral letter

>that my PCP sent him...he didn't even examine me beyond reflexes and

>looking in my eyes, ears, etc.!! The nerve!

> It's all with the lawyers now.....another waiting game....

>

>

>

>___________________________________________________________________________

____

>___________________________________________________________________

> From: " J & M McCoy " <mlmccoy@...>

>Subject: Re: my SSDI

>

>Hi June,

> Sorry about your denial, but wanted to let you know most of us go through

>two denials and usually win when we get before the judge with a lawyer. As

>for what your doctor wrote, the key to SSDI, is not the diagnosis, it is the

>symptoms of any disease or illness that prevent you from working at all.

>You need to get your doctor to fill out the forms saying why you cannot

>work. I was finally approved and on my letter of determination, it listed,

>dx's of chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, Lyme, and Herniated discs that

>prevented me from working. Hang in there, I know how devastating these

>denials can be, but there is light at the end of the tunnel, don't give up.

>Hugs,

>Marta NJ

>Subject: Re: my SSDI

>

>was this the first rejection from ssd? appeal....appeal...appeal....that is

>what us lymies are forced to do....too me over 2 years but i finnally got

>it...

>Reid

[Guest guest]

or state disability which in NJ is only 6 months thaen u must return to work

and can get another 6 months up to 12 minths total.....been there done that

Reid

[Guest guest]

or state disability which in NJ is only 6 months thaen u must return to work

and can get another 6 months up to 12 minths total.....been there done that

Reid

[Guest guest]

Hi June,

Guess you are home, welcome back, I believe Vicki is referring to her

employer disability plan, or a temporary disability plan she has on her own.

I am receiving a small amount from my employee disability plan each month,

along with my SSDI, they have to pay me till I am 65 or recovered and return

to work. Vicki probably has a plan where they only pay so many months, and

then she has to apply for SSDI.

Hugs,

Marta

>From: June <CADDEPT@...>

>

> Date: Wed, 15 Mar 2000 22:21:08 -0500

> From: " Vicki Ferraro " <ferraroa@...>

>Subject: Re: Re: Social Security Disability

>

>> had to stifle a laugh when she said it was a good thing I'm

>applying now (Med. Disability due to end in Dec),<

>

>?????? Med. Disability due to end in Dec???? What is this all about???

>

>June

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Marta,

Yes June, my disability is through work. Or was. I know longer have that

job. My contract ended and if I wasn't off due to disability they would have

found me another job within the organization, but that's the way it goes.

I'm not waiting for my Disability company to tell me to apply for SSDI, I

started the process last week. But I'm afraid my LLMD won't back me up. So

next week I have an appt to see a psychoneurologist for cognitive testing.

I'm hoping something shows up good (well, really I mean bad) to help my

case. I know I'm not ready for work and I'm only applying for SSDI, hoping

its temporary. Thanks for your concern. Vicki, Md

>From: " Marta McCoy " <mlmccoy@...>

>

>Hi June,

> Guess you are home, welcome back, I believe Vicki is referring to her

>employer disability plan, or a temporary disability plan she has on her

own.

>I am receiving a small amount from my employee disability plan each month,

>along with my SSDI, they have to pay me till I am 65 or recovered and

return

>to work. Vicki probably has a plan where they only pay so many months, and

>then she has to apply for SSDI.

>Hugs,

>Marta

>

[Guest guest]

how do you find out about their list of illnesses and conditions and whats on

it?

[Guest guest]

> how do you find out about their list of illnesses and conditions

and whats on

> it?

Hi!

There is an excellent discussion group on disability procedures and

resources that is NOT run by government. It is a list called

Disinissues-L. It is very informative, but non-personal - i.e. don't

include your personal history, just ask specific questions. You will

find a lot of people with CFS, Lupus, etc. - some with insurance

fighting for long term disability and some without fighting for SSI

and SSDI, like me.

I was just rejected by both SSI and SSDI a few days ago. Yea! Record

time, actually. My application was dated December 11. Now, I have

to use an attorney on a contingency basis to go to court and fight

for this. It's a pain, but I don't anticipate any problems once the

attorney is involved.

Funny, how when we become ill, we have to fight not only the illness,

but, often, the medical system, the government, even friends and

family - simply to get the necessary help we need to recover. I find

it an amazingly callous system. I'll tell you without hesitation

that I am so dismayed at the way the USA treats people with medical

needs. Aside from the social stigma, it is truly a battle to get the

care we all deserve. And it's self defeating because we end up

costing society more as illnesses and all their ramifications

progress. Personally, I think it is barbaric. But Canada is so

cold! (I live in Florida.) Is there a warm country out there that

takes care of its citizens??? End of sermon. =)

You should be able to find the Social Security Website easily enough,

and you will find a listing. If not, the Lyme Disease Foundation has

direct links for Social Security.

SSI is state wide and needs based. SSDI is federal, based on your

work history and what has been put into SS for you. I qualify for

both. In other words, because I am ill and cannot work (having no

income) the SSI would fill in for the requisite waiting period for

SSDI. That waiting period is 5 months from onset of illness. The SSI,

in most states, comes along with Medicaid. SSDI does not. SSDI

comes with Medicare, but there is a - get this one - 24 MONTH

waiting period before you can receive Medicare. The sooner you

apply the better, but I would definately get on the above mentioned

list and watch the kinds of questions that get asked. Then, ask

yours and you will find the answers to everything you want to know.

And I believe that this new bill that was just passed will educate

the SSA about Lyme Disease. If you need a lawyer, try and find one

who via word of mouth that has a good reputation for these more

obscure illnesses. Most first applications are rejected. They, I

assume, try to weed out the false cases or wear us down or whatever.

But the second applications, especially made with an attorney are

normally successful. Attorney fees are reasonable. Do not pay more

than 25%.

I hope I haven't gone off on a tangent here, but I have been dealing

with this for several months now and have learned a few things. So,

I am passing them on.

Living in Faith,

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

That newsgroup was started several years ago by Schweitzer and I was

one of the initial members. This was before groups, egroups or

onegroups was even available! I was also referred to a lawyer by someone in

OK and he was in Tampa FL. I am not sure what he is doing now, I know he is

busy, he may only be doing SSI/SSDI claims for all I know and he is very

familiar with CFS/FMS and probably Lyme by now. His name is Proto and

should be on the good lawyers list that is hosted by the newsgroup. I don't

know who is running the group but their site is very informative. Good

Luck,

Hugs, Michele

----- Original Message -----

From: " jennifer_sloane " Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2002 8:52 AM

> There is an excellent discussion group on disability procedures and

> resources that is NOT run by government. It is a list called

> Disinissues-L. It is very informative, but non-personal - i.e. don't

> include your personal history, just ask specific questions. You will

> find a lot of people with CFS, Lupus, etc. - some with insurance

> fighting for long term disability and some without fighting for SSI

> and SSDI, like me.

[Guest guest]

Welcome. There are certain guidelines of conditions that render you

eligible for social security. Hepatitis C is not one of them. That

doesn't mean you can't get it. It just means that having hepatitis is

not, in itself, a reason to get it. You will have to prove inability to

work, and they will fight you. My belief is that they automatically

refuse your first request, then you can appeal , and they seem to reject

that out of hand also. Then you get legal representation and they will

help you get it. I know a little about paper mills (Green Bay is a big

paper mill city), they will probably admit you can no longer do the work

you are accustomed to, but could find alternative employment. They figure

and hope that most people will give up and go back to work before they

can win their social security case. Once you go back to work (more than

$500/monthly) you are ineligible for any period of time up to that point.

You have to be willing and able to tough it out at least a year to win

your case. I am no legal expert, this is just my experience, and

opinion. You probably have some recourse to your being fired also,

you could sue your company for backpay, your job back, (if you can't

perform it, take it back for a short while and then quit, if you are

unable to perform your job, you lend credence to their right to fire you)

Good luck to you. Try these links.

http://www.battlinghepc.com/ssdi.html

http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/living_w_hepatitis_C.asp

http://www.hepcbc.ca/Advocacy.pdf

At 07:56 PM 12/30/2004, you wrote:

Hello,

I am new member.

I would like to file for Disability.

Has any one alse goten Disability?

How common is Disability?

Ive had HCV for 25 years.

I am very week and lazy.

I worked at a paperMill ffor 29 years and

had hand pain for 20 years.

On the day my boss found out I had HCV,

they fired me for hand pain.

Are there Advocates to help one go

about geting Social Security Disability?

Thanks much, Ed

[Guest guest]

It's is not your lawyer holding things up. This is normal. Going through all the goverment red tape. Susy won her apeal one year ago. She was denied in 2002, then hired her lawyer. I know the waiting is a pain. Just hang in there. Terrysielick817@... wrote: hi everyone -just a poll ..i was told a lawyer holds things up..anyone here fight a dinail themselves?? i just called my lawyer yesterday i filed dec 2004..nothing yet...a denial then i hired a lawyer in april?? i believe...still NOTHING

Find Great Deals on Holiday Gifts at

[Guest guest]

I have been fighting for 5 years..I have documents stating that I have Hep..fybromalysia(spelling??)..arthritis in hoints..bipolar and disc degenerative disease..HUmmm!! So what's the problem?? I"m going in slippers.loose clothes NO MAKEUP(that's scarry) and I'm gonna keep getting out of my chair and sitting down..I knew one guy that when he went before the judge he jumped up and asked who ate his sandwich.He got his..Here I am on the up and up and still fighting..I think my madness is gonna pop out this time!! I use to work a full time job and support my kids now I can't..How does one measure pain?? Someone's pain may be a 6 where another's pain is a 12..Go figure!!sielick817@... wrote: hi everyone -just a poll ..i

was told a lawyer holds things up..anyone here fight a dinail themselves?? i just called my lawyer yesterday i filed dec 2004..nothing yet...a denial then i hired a lawyer in april?? i believe...still NOTHINGJan

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[Guest guest]

I just got taken out of work because I could no longer do the job. I

have 4 weeks of pay coming and hope to get signed up for SSD. Any

suggestions about applying?? I have letters from my employees about

the pain I was in and the fact that they had to pick up the slack on

the things I could not do. I'm going to the drugstore to get print

out of the meds I have been taking and am putting together a list of

the dr's i see and their addys. anything else that might be of

help? I also have a written job description.

" shirley_s_2002 " <shirley_s_2002@...>

[Guest guest]

Make sure your doctor puts everything down why you had to stop, also you have to

file too, unless your doctor does the filing, that will help a lot more than

doing it yourself. I had to medically retire and filed for SSD did get reject

twice, they thought since I could still breath I was able to go to work even so

my fingers look like sausages and I could hardly move them, They check my lung

because I also acquired interstitial pulmonary fibrosis from PA. they didn't

check anything else. Since I was over 64 years old I just went on SS. been there

every since.

Good luck, keep fighting because you need the money and help, if they reject

you go back and refile.

Eva

[Guest guest]

I am going through the process also. I would talk to your rheumatologist

and see if s/he is going to support the claim with evidence such as blood

work and what your prognosis is. For me the doctor had no problem writing

the records for me as it was well documented.

Best of luck!!!

Barb

[Guest guest]

If you are talking about SSDI you are going to need medical evidence that you

are no longer able to work. Get the paper work started with social security it

will take 5 to 6 months to get any type of result from them and don't be

surprised if they turn you down. Well over 75% of the people who apply have to

do so multiple times.

Celeste

[Guest guest]

And to add one clarification, you are not eligible to receive

benefits until you have been disabled for at least 6 full months.

So, I became disabled in April 2006 but my eligibility date is

October 2006. So there is an automatic 6 month delay from your onset

no matter what!

" S. Zorzi " <szorzi_1999@...>