I was in my mid 40's when I ended up on disability after 15 years of being a computer design engineer. Back in those days (mid 1990's) it might have been easier to get onto disability but I got it without any denial maybe that says just how messed up I was for major anxiety & major recurrent depression, in & out of the psych hospital continuously. I had a total break down in 1994 & even applied at several other engineering companies but aerospace had crashed in California. I just kept getting worse rather than better. Looking back from where I am now, I understand why, but at the time it didn't make any sense to anyone but I ended up on permanent disability so many years ago, I can't even remember the details because that period of my life is like a huge black hole.....kinda scary to look back & not remember 13 years of one's life other than little glimpses here & there.

Though during that time I ended up doing dressage horse riding & showing, & got my American Eskimo dogs & bred & trained & showed them, I honestly can't remember much of any of it...& forget functioning around the house.....so I understand exactly how you feel......how can someone who was that smart end up being so totally unable to do anything. I remember going through some testing stuff to see if they might be able to place me somewhere but all they dealt with were assembly line things & it sent my anxiety through the roof.....while they did the testing of the physics & how things worked & no one had gotten that test perfect like I did.....LOL, they had no way of dealing with someone who had brains.......they didn't push it, & my mom ended up with cancer & I ended up going through a horrible trauma with her home care person & well, forget being functional at all after that for several years after that....never figured something like that would cause PTSD.......life definitely has it's turn of events & at my age, it's close to the disability turning into social security.....& life goes on.

I am sorry to hear that you are just hoping to make it to the point where you do get your back pay........that aspect in & of itself from the medical aspect should be enough but I'm glad that your lawyers are covering ALL bases.