Sky,
It sounds like you have truly been to hell and back and you are still there. I can't imagine what you have gone through. I'm sorry that your family and friends dropped out of your life, that is what I am facing now with a couple of friends. unless you have walked in the shoes of depression, becoming disabled, PTSD, whatever the situation, it is sad when people give up on you. Sounds like you have certainly had your share of the lawyer nightmares. I really sympathize with you. I was about a year waiting for disability and to get in front of the judge when my appeal was denied. I don't know how I pulled through that year. I dismissed one lawyer that was working on the appeal and hired a local SS lawyer and within 3 months he had me in front of the judge and we won the appeal. We filed bankruptcy at the end of 2009, and life has been a real uphill battle since the medical error. I worked for a law firm for 7 years so I'm not shocked at the antics of lawyers and what they do and how they lie. My T. tells me to just let them do their job and to focus on healing and coping with my condition. But I am too nosy to keep from checking up on things. I'm probably a very annoying client to my lawyers. but heck, that's what they are getting their cut for, to deal with me. I hope you can gather all the strenght you need to persevere too with your case and settlement. No matter how much you come away with in the end, it can never be enough for living with a disability. I say god bless you and hang in there.