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Next step trying to get disability-pos vibes please!

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Lupus
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Darla
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2018
Posts : 508
Posted 11/16/2018 5:27 AM (GMT -6)
I am going back to the Rheum I have been working with for 4.5 yrs. I think they are behind the times and not all that good really but I need them to be on board for my disability paperwork since they have been treating me. Aggressively. For 4.5 yrs. For conditions SS accepts as impairments that qualify. I meet all the criteria and need this. I have a few things to work around...I suspect this group is not going to want to put the effort in for the disability paperwork. And, the only bloodwork that shows the auto-immune problems is the initial stuff. I think being on high doses of all the meds has the labs show nothing perhaps. Who knows. I went to another rheum who diagnosed the same stuff but at first mtg wasn't ready to do the paperwork.

Please send some pos vibes my way. I need my body not pushed beyond what I can do anymore. Thanks!!
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Melissa D.
Regular Member
Joined : Aug 2008
Posts : 473
Posted 11/16/2018 9:35 AM (GMT -6)
Darla,

Doctors must conform and submit whatever paperwork is requested from them by Social Security in regards to a patient. Are you applying for SS on your own or using a disability company or attorney to assist you? Reason I ask is a disability company will do deal with gathering all the paperwork for you, deal directly with your doctors offices in getting all your records and they also deal directly with Social Security, taking that burden off of you.
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Darla
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2018
Posts : 508
Posted 11/16/2018 11:40 AM (GMT -6)
Thank you, Melissa! To be honest I did not leave my job yet. I teach online and have done my best to keep going but my hands etc will not allow. The current session ends mid December and that's when I plan to stop. But I am really concerned about getting approved for disability. It's jumping off a bridge with no net...same as all of you have done I'm sure. The companies I have contacted won't talk to me until I am not working. That's why I am trying to see what the Drs will say. At today's appointment the Dr said she does fill out the paperwork when she gets it. I'm diagnosed with qualifying conditions but these autoimmune issues seem hard to 'prove' to me especially since I have been having negative blood work, possibly due to years of treatment. I'm going to try another company. Thanks so much for your time and help!
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Lynnwood
Veteran Member
Joined : May 2005
Posts : 8049
Posted 11/16/2018 1:08 PM (GMT -6)
As I recall (it's been quite a while), there really wasn't a huge amount of "work" for my Drs to do.

Just ask if they think you are capable of continuing to work, immediately after telling them how your current symptoms impede your work. When they agree that you can't work, that tells you all you need to know, ie. that they support you in not working. The rest of it is in the form of record requests directly to the Dr from SSD, which they cannot refuse to co-operate with. There really is NOT a huge burden put on them that would influence their opinion in a way that would keep them from supporting your disability.

I didn't use a company and I didn't find it particularly burdensome to fill out the required paperwork for SSD. (To be fair, I owned my own company and had for many years, so anything about my work experience and earnings I filled out from the standpoint of both employer and employee.)

I feel like you are making it a lot more difficult than it really is, it really isn't that bad, I promise!
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Darla
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2018
Posts : 508
Posted 11/16/2018 2:03 PM (GMT -6)
I know, I am a mess. Can you believe my blood pressure has been high? I greatly appreciate your post. I am really concerned that I will leave the job (there would be no going back) and not get approved because of my lackluster rheums. But I do not think I can continue to do this job without really losing more function in my hands etc. Now I will document the ways the problems are not compatible with working and see what the Dr says. Thanks for the most welcome reality check.
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Melissa D.
Regular Member
Joined : Aug 2008
Posts : 473
Posted 11/17/2018 9:58 AM (GMT -6)
Darla,

Does your company offer long term disability? I went out on FMLA and then filed long term disability once my doctor told me it was in my best interest to stop working because of the toll it was taking on my body and disease. That was 10 years ago this month. After that I filed for SS. I continue to collect long term disability (until I’m 65) and now SS, so I’ve been blessed to have never been without a paycheck.

Before quitting out right you might checking to see if your company offers LTD, even if you have to pay for the premium. Once you file your premium is paid in full. Just a thought.

One last thing, I would agree with Lynnwood, you are over thinking the process really. I literally had no stress in the process. I think we hear so many bad stories they over shadow the good ones.
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Darla
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2018
Posts : 508
Posted 11/17/2018 10:14 AM (GMT -6)
That is good it worked out so well! I don't work for a company I do contract work for a college. so it is contract to contract (4 months) and based on enrollment that is what I get paid. No benefits. I worked for a school board and left (retired) about 5 yrs ago and get a very small amount from that. I won't be homeless but it will be very hard without my check. If my Dr gave me the affirmation yours did I would not worry. I see the Dr next month, I have been seeing the PA who said she fills out paperwork but some people get denied, some don't, some take a very long time and she has no idea why. I got no feedback other than we agreed on my diagnoses. She did not have a problem with the paperwork just did not hear anything really reassuring. And, my lab work generally is normal other than anemic, white blood, stuff like that. Not the auto-immune results that would make this simpler. It is a big gamble so I have to decide if I want my hands or a paycheck perhaps!
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Darla
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2018
Posts : 508
Posted 12/15/2018 1:05 PM (GMT -6)
Today is my last day of work. Bittersweet to say the least. I hate that I was put in the position of leaving my job by these nasty diseases but I think it will be for the best. After wrapping some stuff up in the morning I will be not working for the first time in my adult life.
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Lynnwood
Veteran Member
Joined : May 2005
Posts : 8049
Posted 12/15/2018 9:54 PM (GMT -6)
Sorry to hear that you've had to make this agonizing decision. I hope it isn't as traumatic for you as it was for me -- my entire identity was wrapped up in my business & my career -- trying to figure out who I was when all that was stripped away has been an interesting journey, to say the least.

However, health wise, it was the best thing I could have done for myself and I don't doubt that for a minute!!

Best wishes that your disability is approved quickly and effortlessly!
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Melissa D.
Regular Member
Joined : Aug 2008
Posts : 473
Posted 12/15/2018 11:22 PM (GMT -6)
I too am sorry you had to make the decision to stop working Darla. Like Lynnwood and many others I’m sure, no longer working was one of the most devasting things I faced. I truly enjoyed my job and the people I worked with, so losing my career was like losing a loved one really. I wish you the very best in your fight for your disability approval, may it go through quickly!
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Darla
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2018
Posts : 508
Posted 12/16/2018 8:49 AM (GMT -6)
Thanks so much for your replies and good wishes, Lynnwood and Melissa. Both of you felt the loss I am feeling. But it sounds like you did not curl up and die and I am not going to either. I think I am stunned right now...When I started this job I had to restart my life due to my partner opting out and life changing financial hurdles. I had to leave my practice and home and friends in another state and start all over with 3 very young boys...one of whom is severely autistic.

Life changes are hard! And leaving due to disability sucks. But at least I went out on a high note and it was my choice not theirs, right? I am going to be busy gathering the things for disability now. I think I will use a company because I am not up to doing it myself (or I might have continued working).

This last job (I worked 2 jobs most of my adult life) was teaching online and it was 24/7. Literally. I never missed a deadline even if on a trip or in the hospital. Nights, weekends, holidays...and not for a fortune either. Hey, maybe I won't be sad. Lol. Thanks again! I appreciate the support so much. I am a loner these days and this support means everything.
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soppendeuff
Regular Member
Joined : Jun 2008
Posts : 31
Posted 4/15/2021 4:13 PM (GMT -6)
I realize that this is a LATE post, but I
thought I’d share the experiences I had and decisions I made as I applied for disability.
I went through process 7 years ago. I was lucky enough to still be working when it became clear I couldn’t work anymore, so I had private disability insurance through my employer. Even with the disability insurance, I had no income for 6 months (I live alone). The stress of that period in my life was BRUTAL. It took years for me to get back to my shaky version of even footing financially. I almost wiped out my retirement savings during and after the process.
I have one recommendation. Find a good attorney who specializes in applying for disability benefits. I would check to see if the rules have changed, but I had a set amount I had to pay the lawyer ($6000).
The Social Security Disability process took 1.5 years for me, but once I was declared “fully disabled,” Social Security paid my monthly benefits retroactive to the date that I left my job. That was a nice size check. The lawyer was paid out of the back disability payment check.
There are laws that govern the attorney to disabled person’s financial relationship during the application process so that there’re no surprise bills at the end of the process. They can charge you for expenses. I recall that number being quite reasonable.
You need to be sure that you’ll get declared disabled, though. If you don’t get the benefits, you’ll still have to pay the lawyer the $6k fee.
Having a lawyer represent me is the only reason that I didn’t loose my mind during the wait. From the beginning, my lawyer went through my illnesses with me carefully to be sure that I had a case before agreeing to represent me. I think that process was critical. If the lawyer says you have no chance it’s a good idea to believe him or her. You can always go back to your doctor to make sure your illness(s) are properly documented and try again with the lawyer because you don’t want to wait 1.5 years, get denied and then start all over again.
I read that the chances of success with a disability being approved go up substantially when a lawyer is hired to represent the patient. I believe that’s true.
During my disability hearing, I was asked questions by the judge and the other folks working for SSD. None of them wanted to hear the lawyer speak. But that varies GREATLY, depending on what judge you get.
Truthfully, I don’t believe that I truly needed the lawyer - my illnesses spoke for themselves. But the stakes can be so high for a positive outcome in the hearings. If I had it all over to do again, I would still have the lawyer there, sitting by my side. I think it’s a worthwhile expense for the peace of mind.
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straydog
Forum Moderator
Joined : Feb 2003
Posts : 18921
Posted 4/16/2021 10:06 AM (GMT -6)
No one should ever pay a lawyer out of pocket to handle their SSD claim! A good lawyer takes these cases on a Contingency Fee basis, meaning if benefits are awarded he gets paid out of the past due benefits owed to the claimant. If benefits are not awarded the claimant would owe the lawyer nothing.

Having an attorney is not a guarantee a person will get awarded benefits, I've known too many people that had a lawyer & still got denied benefits, so it's a toss up. SSD looks at the diagnosis, what is in a person's medical records, including future treatment, education & whether that person can work in any job in the work force. While a person may not be able to do their normal type of work, they look at other fields of work a person can work in.
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soppendeuff
Regular Member
Joined : Jun 2008
Posts : 31
Posted 4/16/2021 12:29 PM (GMT -6)
Hi “straydog.”
I believe you’re correct about the no fee from a disability attorney if you lose your case. I remembered it wrong. Sorry about that.
I didn’t pay my lawyer out of pocket. I paid my attorney out of the retroactive benefits I received after being awarded disability, just as you wrote.
People go into the disability application process with many different illnesses and coming from wildly different personal and financial situations.
My recommendation was based on my personal situation and decisions. I started researching the disability process a few years before it became necessary to apply.
If I didn’t win SSD approval within 2 years, my private disability insurance would drop me. I would be facing zero income as a single person without a roommate to help with expenses.
I would’ve lost everything I’d worked so hard for in my 30 year career. My house, etc. would all be gone. I would’ve also lost one of the things I valued most besides the job that I loved - my independence.
Hiring a lawyer doesn’t guarantee Social Security Disability approval - that’s a fact. SSD only approves 30% of the applications it receives every year. Personally, I wanted to do everything possible to eliminate any chance of being in the 70% of denials that I could.
Hiring a disability lawyer was a personal decision that worked for me. I shared my story with an eye towards helping others make their own choice. I wrote in my previous post that ultimately, after the hearing, I didn’t believe that I needed a lawyer. But I couldn’t have known that when I started the disability process.
It’s not for me to tell others what decision to make, as I can’t know how sick they are or if they are in a situation where they have financial support from a spouse or family if they are denied benefits.
There is no “one size fits all,” with illness or disability.
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