Posted by: Renee ®
01/22/2005, 21:00:32
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This is unbelievable. I don't know WHAT you have to do to qualify for SSDI. It SURE sounds like you are disabled to me. Sometimes I think that we have a very screwy system in the US...Renee ADSD/ Austin, TEXAS
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Posted by: snowie ®
01/23/2005, 05:53:25
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Dear Kitty,
I am really sorry to hear this, I don't know anything about the american system of disability, but keep calm, put forward your case as detailed and as objectively as you can ... and don't give up.Life is hard some times but you just gotta keep at it,
Take it one day at a time, With regards,
Snowie
Ab Sd, London, UK
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Posted by: Sherry ®
01/25/2005, 00:32:15
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Kitty,
Don't give up,get a lawyer,and you will win, I'm sure of it. I did. And I don't have near the problems you have. You just have to persist, and make sure you get a lawyer. They only get paid if you do in SSDI cases. And they are only allowed to get 25% of your lump sum payment. It took me over 2 years to finally begin getting monthly checks. I was on welfare by then. I still am for medical. Just hang in there Kitty, the system is designed to keep as many people off as possible. You have to be persistent. Just don't give up.
Sherry AD/SD 8 years
Bellingham,WA
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Posted by: kelly ®
01/24/2005, 21:35:33
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kitty , i was turned down in 2000 and then i filed again in nov. 2002 and was denied and went to a hearing and won. i heard they always turn you down twice or until you go to a hearing. now they are going to give me my earnings from when i became disabled wich is a check in the amount of my monthly income starting the month in which i stopped working which was nov.2000. so they are issuing a check for my monthly earnings times from nov.2000 to now. thats what you will get. when you win ..and you will.. youll be glad..the disability isnt worth any amount of money but dont give up. i gave up and my therapist talked me into filing again. apeal as soon as posible. they give what your monthly earnings are times all the monthes you wait. one lump sum. and make sure you get a good lawyer because terrible ones can really discourage you. dont hesitate to change lawers if you feel they dont believe you. and a lady told me you dont have to pay for medical reports if you get a lawyer given to you by the social security. other lawyers can make you pay for med records. i found that out the hard way. and the first lawyer i had was a nightmare. be carefull what you read. your gonna go through a night mare but to save you from some of it... some lawyers dont call you until the last minute..and dont even look at your paperwork until the last minute. my first lawyer wasnt even sending any of my info into ss. call your local ss once in a while to make sure they are sending in your med records. most lawyers obviously pick the most visible disabled. Then after you win you can file for ssi. call your local ss office to put a request in. the guy i was talking to from the ss disability said the request was supose to automaticly put in but it wasnt. i dont know how thats going to work out but i have a phone appt. this week. i do believe you go through the same motions so make sure you have a copy of every med record you have. o..one question..were you diagnosed from a dystonia nourologist? Even my second lawyer was terrible and didnt tell me anything about filing for ssi. infact he really didnt seem to know what he was doing and i felt i really didnt even need him. only a couple of questions were asked and the lawyer could tell i had a problem right away. and i think they watch you when you leave. i was crying in the elevator and the lawyer didnt say a word eccept he had a wierd smile on his face. i had to relax in my car because i was so tensed up and felt i was hit in the back of the head with a baseball bat. when i got up from my reclined seat with my hand on my head, the judge was not more then a hundred feet away and saw me. i have another question...when my arms are in motion like when i do the dishes or handing things or dusting off a friends nicknacks my head wants to turn to the right. not just from stress. then i wrote to torticolis.org from wemove.org and one of the board members wrote back and said that a woman wrote her and said that happened when she was peeling potatos. if you think about it...our arms were in the same motion. does this sound formiliar? hang in there and dont stress yourself out too much Aye!!! take care kelly
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Posted by: Kitty ®
01/24/2005, 22:06:28
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Thanks for writing. I am confused wheter I need a lawyer or not. I used to me the Vice President of my office Union and did a few arbitrations. It seemed I put their case together for them. Our attorney saw what I had ready for our first meeting and all the evidence was already copied and I even predicted what the company position and questins would be. He told the President of the union this is great, she has saved me a lot of time. My predictions came true and we won our arbitration easily. After the first hour of testimony the company was ready to make a deal. We held out and got everything we asked for. I wish I could do that for myself. I have written very detailed letters to Social Security and given them lots of information on SD. They had asked for my next appointment date at my ENT but made thier decision before my appointment or getting the last records. It was at that appointment that he told me he would write a better letter to help my case. Now I have to go before the ALJ and I heard that can take 6 to 9 months to get a hearing date. I can't decide if a lawyer would help that much. I hate to give up 1/4 of the back pay but 3/4 would be better than nothing. If I don't win this case I may loose everything I've worked for all these years because no one will hire me with all my medical problems.
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Posted by: kelly ®
01/25/2005, 08:32:03
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YES... get a lawyer..do nothing for yourself. you are suppose to be showing social security dis. that you are totally disabled!!! If you do things on your own shows them you can work and you will be going through programs that will help you find a job for what you can do....or tolorate as i should put it. I know what your feeling deep down inside. Yes, It's hard to grasp at such an early age YOU/I (st for 5 yrs. now 35) have to file for ssd. I't will be hard to swallow for a long time. The very thought is what made me put off filing again. Believe me when I say you'll be glad you did. Think of I't as something you owe to yourself for working so hard most of your life and feeling the way you did and pushing yourself to work in pain. You dont't feel well and you have that right take a break and not feel guilty for resting and taking care of yourself. possibly to get enough rest and relaxation therepy to try and possibly work again which you can still collect at the same time. I know it can take up to a year but please be patient. Time flys. I had lost a lot of money on paying through my pocket to doctor after doctor; determined not to give up through depressions and all, then had no money for years and it was agony because none of the doctors could pin point my problem untill finally my (next to wellfare ins.) was taken by a dystonia specialist in kingston ny. Not only did I feel the need to get diagnosed for something I new I had for peace of mind( but the docs didn't believe me...not to mention I think everyone in my family, including my own boyfriend whom I left in june 2004;all eccept a sister that actually discovered my prob. on the internet and my niece inlaw) I felt I possibly needed it for my case. My doc would not declare me as disabled no matter how she saw me only because of her own disbelief and not giving up...determined she could find the problem ...test after test(same thing w/my spychiatrist;which whom I switched) my only hope was to see a specialist.In one respect I kept my doctor for being that concerned and possibly could have found the problem through all testing but unfortunately she didn't. You know what's wierd? When I got a blood test for my thyroid and the kingston doc checked my results and found a positive problem; when for yrs I've been tested in my home town and all the docs I saw tested neg. Now my doc says I have a fluctuating thyroid prob..which It does run in my family like crazy...Now I have to be tested every so often to see which way it turns. She says she doesn't want to give me any med for it because if I really dont have a thyroid prob..It could kill me. I'm just waiting to get my money so I can either go back to kingston to get tested in there area or plan a trip to the chicago dystonia institue itself with a short period of great insurance...just enough to get me seen there and end this once and for all. So Yes Yes Yes!!!get a lawyer to prove your disabled. Don't bring anyone with you unless it will help your case like a psychiatrist(if they will) or a therepist. If you don't see one, It may be wise to do so. Not only to better your case....My therepist really helped me alot. The first week made me feel worse and almost gave up but after a while he became addictive. I finally stopped seeing him but I think It's time to make an appt. to tell him I won and get a few more things off my chest. There is one other thing your not going to like ....after you win it does take a bit for your check to come. Ask your lawyer questions. I couldn't think right at the time when I was talking to my lawyer because when my stress level goes up and a bit of unintentional anger came out of me , I couldn't think. My lawyer told me nothing. I't seemed like he was just going through the motions. I didn't want to confuse you about lawyers. Mine was terrible and I had to learn other procedures I can go through and how long It takes to get your check through other people and the ss office. But that....Is always my luck. But I hung in there. Get a lawyer and hand over the in charge badge and try not to get to stressed. I'ts a waiting process. It is what It is. take care kelly.
you can call on me anytime for anything.
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Posted by: Kitty ®
01/26/2005, 18:26:14
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I am going to contact an attorney here in Galesburg who was referred to me. He is supposed to be good and very nice. He is also one of only two who do SSDI cases. I don't want to travel as it is difficult for me. I was surprized when I looked at their web site that one of my friends an ex-coworkers is his secretary. She is very nice and that would help me feel at ease as well. Even my counselor from the Illinois Office of Rehabilitative Services wrote me an email today suggesting I get an attorney and she works for the same agency that decides social security disability cases (the Illinois Department of Human Services) who work with people of disability in trying to find employment. I have been working with her for months and the only job she could come up with was production data input at at Bridgeway in a program for the disabled. Neither one of my doctors would let me try it due to my arthritis in my hands and the pain and muscle tension in my neck. Social Security's own agency can't find me a job, but still insist I can perform other work. They didn't mention anything about "Substantial Gainful employment or $810.00 per month). I can't even work part time so there is no way I can earn more than $810.00 per month. I just resigned my part time job and should be done in February. I told my boss I would attempt to stay long enough to get the books ready for the CPA and taxes. I have most of it done and only have a little to do. I think my attempts to continue working hurt my case, even though they said I could earn money during my appeal. I was kind of stuck because the part time job pays for groceries. I have decided to use my IRA to pay off my house, while I continue my SSDI claim. I agree I have a better chance with an attorney and 3/4 of the back pay is better than nothing. Otherwise I may loose everything I've worked for all these years.
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Posted by: kelly ®
01/26/2005, 18:58:06
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Good luck kitty..the longer your not working the better it looks. If you can get your doc to say your disabled and that he told you to stop working written on paper that would really say something for your case to maybe move it along a little faster. I had nothing really. But I developed a deep relationship with god our lord jesus..and I'm pretty sure he was on my side with this. He's always there for me and always answers my prayer. I included you in my prayer lastnight. god bless
take care
Modified by Moderator-WB at Thu, Jan 27, 2005, 19:43:31
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Posted by: Kitty ®
01/28/2005, 09:47:26
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My doctor did send a letter to social security that I could do no job. Two other ENT's and my speech therapist said I had great difficulty in my job and they still turned me down twice. I went to see an attorney yesterday gave him everything I gave social security and all the medical records and info I had and I have an appointment for next Friday February 4th to see if he will accept my case. Many told me it is routine to be turned down, but to win in the hearing, but there is too much at stake for me to loose. I have already quit my part time job as I am too exhausted. I am going to withdraw my IRA to pay off my house while I work on my appeal. Even though I have done arbitrations as Vice President of my union we still had a lawyer and I know how the cases work. It is even more difficult to argue a case when you can't speak.
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Posted by: kelly ®
01/28/2005, 19:25:10
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all i did was answer questions my lawyer asked me and then a couple questions the judge asked me. it wasnt in front of a jury. explain to me more about your job...what kind of union?
everytime i post something someone erases it?????? oh, i also like to play guitar and sing a little just for myself and music runs through my family so i know how it feel to never be able to persue a certain dream. its been a dream i had for years but was so ocupied by what the heck was going on with me for years. it started out mildly at age22 but seemed a really big problem then but compared to now. it really sucks. i so want to sing in my churches quire but between st and my voice being screwed up every now and then, it will never happen. im sad about that. oh well, k say ra say ra.......im trying to smile. its a good thing i have a great sense of humor. kel
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Posted by: Kitty ®
01/29/2005, 15:14:24
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Thanks for the info. I used to work for Maytag and was Vice President for OPEIU (Office and Professional Internatinational Union). I was a Sr. Cost Accounting Clerk. I just resigned a part time Bookkeepig job for a small store due to extreme fatigue. By boss was constantly adding to my stress because I lost my voice. I was supposed to answer two phone lines, help customers with satellite sales, and collections calls, etc. I realize I could not do many of my reguired duties but was hoping my social security disability claim would have been settled a long time ago. I appiled 07-01-04 after I totally lost my voice 09-01-03. I thought she would be thrilled when I gave her my resignation letter, but she begged me not to quit, at least until the books are ready for the CPA to do the taxes. I though I would finish them next by next week. I see an attorney on Tuesday and I hope he takes my case. I fianlly got a decent letter out of my doctor, who kept promising to help me after he asked me to quit last October. He constantly sent records at or beyond the deadlines, even though I checked every few days, and his first letter took 2 months to write 2 sentences that were very unconvincing and didn't even state what was wrong with me. I feel like I have been all alone on this even though everyone keeps saying I have a good case. I can't take the chance on loosing this time so I think it is time for someone to speak for me, especially since I can't speak for myself.
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Posted by: kelly ®
01/29/2005, 18:24:12
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thanx for replying. you really should go to a dystonia clinic unless you already have. they dont exactley say you cant work but you need that diagnosis. everybody is different though. you can ask.
talk later..
kel
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Posted by: Kitty ®
01/30/2005, 15:39:23
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I did go to a dystonia clinic, at least to an ENT who specialized in treating Spasmodic Dysphonia. She was the one who finally made the correct diagnosis. After attempts with Botox the only thing she could offer was Thryoplasty which she was not sure would help in my case and had many risk. Because I had a bad reaction to Botox, and Botox is still required after surgery, she didn't offer me much hope. She said the gap in my vocal chords was rather significant. She did note in her records that I had a great deal of difficulty in my job. My ENT in town has written a second, more detailed letter that I am unable to work, due to my lack of voice and other medical conditions. I see an attorney on Tuesday to see if he will take my case for the hearing.
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Posted by: Lynne Martinez ®
01/30/2005, 21:47:45
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Kitty,I don't want to be judgmental. But, I have suggestions: Make sure your documentation to SSA is readable, focused, descriptive and understandable. I submitted 107 pages (medical records; answers to all the SSA questions/paperwork; and, copies of "stuff" on SD off the Internet) and got approved on the first application. Like I said, I don't want to be judgmental on your case, since it's a good one, medically; but, your posts to the BB are virtually unreadable. Very long stories with no paragraphing. My eyes start crossing, in order to read it. I also have mild blepharospasms. Maybe if you had a proof-reader re-do/prepare your SSDI paperwork, to focus it and paragraph it, your case might go through (??). It's possible that the SSA people reading your SSDI paperwork also cannot understand you, with no paragraphing and no focus? They are people too, and "rambling" on SSA paperwork doesn't work too well. They need CLEAR details and descriptions of what you can and cannot do (and how you are disabled), that they can read. It's obvious that you are disabled and deserve SSDI. Try a proof-reader also though, in addition to a lawyer. SSA is NOT going to approve even the best of cases, if the reps can't understand what you are describing. Good luck. --Lynne (AD-SD; RLN; PVFM; Northern California)
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Posted by: Kitty ®
02/03/2005, 17:01:24
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I have kept the emails you sent to me and you said I was a "skilled writer" and to not be afraid to put it into excrutiating detail. You also suggested I keep my job as long as possible, which I did until January 31, 2005 because I needed the money for groceries.Because of extreme exhaustion I had to quit. My doctor had been trying to get me to quit since October. My attorney said that regardless of what social security told me, (that I could work as long as I earned less than $810.00 per month), working probably hurt my case. It didn't help that my doctor was putting me up against the deadlines all the time. He offered to write a letter in October but it took 2 months to get it and he had to fax it before I got to see it because it was due the day before. It was 2 brief and unconvincing sentences. He finally wrote a more detailed letter which I received 2 days AFTER my second rejection letter. He had promised me he would have it the Monday after my appointment but it took a couple of weeks. His office agreed with me that he was a procrastinator and they had been trying to get him to do it. Social Security knew I had a follow up appointment January 13, 2005 but made their decicision before that appointment and before he wrote the second letter. Now that I have an attorney we are in the process of getting a hearing, which I filed papers on today. I supplied all the information I had on dysphonia with my first application and they agree I have a speech disability which prevents me from doing my previous work, but their position is I can do other less vocally demanding work. Because of many other medical problems I am unable to work at all, Social security has the medical documentation on all my other problems. In the state of Illinois it is quite common to be turned down twice and be sent to hearing. Everyone I know on SSDI were turned down twice except for one who was told she would die in 6 months from her cancer, except she beat it and is still alive.
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