It took me 5 months, no lawyer, filed on my own, first pass through.

I don't think that my short time for approval is usual in the grand scheme of things. I think, the fact that I'm older and had worked all my life was a help in the determination.

The other thing that helped me get through it so quickly was making sure that I filled out all the forms correctly, explained my issues explicitly and stayed on top of them to make sure the paperwork was received from my doctors in a timely manner.

I found a thread from our sister site, Neuro Talk to be of great help and importance in filing on my own. Here it is - Don't start your claim unprepared!!! - NeuroTalk Support Groups

There are a couple of other threads that you may find helpful as well.

Wishing you all good outcomes with your cases!