[sabby]

I'm really stressing over all this. I applied for both APTD and SSDI at the end of April of this year. The state in their infinite wisdom and inability to READ what was sent to them from my doctors offices has put me really behind in getting an answer to the APTD part. SWINES!!!

For the SSDI part, I now have 2 appointments in two weeks. One with a medical doctor to check on my physical inabilities and a psych eval with a psychiatrist. I've never had one of those and I'm a bit nerved up over it.

Any suggestions to give me an idea of the best way to approach these two appointments would be greatly appreciated!

In the mean time, I have no income still (since the end of March). I only have emergency food stamps, which of course is a big help, don't get me wrong I really appreciate them.

I worked hard all my life, sometimes 2 and 3 jobs at a time to keep myself afloat and a roof over my kids head and food in their stomachs. I never applied for any welfare when they were young, I just worked my butt off and had good friends who helped along the way. Now, I feel like I'm not pulling my weight and I'm sure I won't be approved because they will think I'm lazy and just don't want to work anymore. I keep trying to keep those feelings and thoughts at bay, but it's getting harder everyday.

I hate this hurry up and wait crap.

[thickntired]

It took me about 6 months to get my approval for SSDI. My advice for the medical eval is BE HONEST and don't leave anything out because it's embarassing. Your questions will be in regard to employment. PM me if you have any questions.

Peace & Hugs,

TnT

[Perna]

Oh, that's horrible. I bet the APTD people won't decide until the SSDI do; the states seem to follow the Feds that way (like with taxes). See if this info for the examiners give any clues?

http://www.ssa.gov/disability/profes...book/index.htm

And here's information (from a legal standpoint) for the psychological:

http://www.socialsecuritylaw.com/blo...ity-claimants/

[splitimage]

(((Sabby))) I don't know the US system, so I have no advice. I just want to say that I'm sorry you find yourself in this situation, and I hope that you get approved quickly.

splitimage

[sabby]

Thanks so much for your support and links! I surely appreciate it.

Hey Sabby I'm sorry things are so bad ...right now
Try to stop feeling guilty and stop beating yourself up over this. You know you aren't lazy or malingering.
I had a psych eval for SSDI a while back. I built it up into something scary too in the days leading up to the appt. It wasn't bad at all. The doctor (mine was a psychology Phd) was very nice and understanding. At the end he told me that in his opinion I met all the criteria for being approved and that would be in his report. Unfortunately the state disagreed with his assessment and I was denied.
I guess that happens although I can't say I understand why they hire outside consultants if they aren't going to use their opinion in their decision. Anyway just saying there's a possibility that you could be denied despite being qualified.
If that happens to you, file an appeal... immediately. Good luck my friend

[sabby]

Thanks so much everyone. It is nerve wracking for sure. I would never lie to these doctors, that would be against my make up, but I often wonder, with all the others out there who are more disabled than I am, that they will look at me and say.....get a grip woman, be happy you can still do some things.

I will be as prepared as I can be. I will bring a copy of my Adult Screening for Disability with me to refer to as my memory sucks, and that alone should prove it...LOL.

I think one thing I have going for me is my age. I have read that those over 55 seem to have somewhat of an easier time getting approved. I am completely prepared for the SSDI to be denied and having to get an attorney on the second go round. So that won't surprise me, but it would be nice to be pleasantly surprised if they don't deny it.

The state on the other hand for the APTD, considering they didn't have the common sense it takes to LOOK at the paperwork they received 2 months ago, well I don't have a lot of faith in them right now. So, we'll see what happens, and I'll keep praying and staying on top of things.

[Rose76]

SABBY - Don't talk yourself out of things prematurely. Yes, being over age 55 makes it easier to qualify. (I just got approved and that helped me, I am sure.) Don't be overly apprehensive about going for those Consultative Exams. I read horror stories on-line about those docs taking only 15 minutes with you and just looking for a reason to minimize your problems. That was NOT my experience. The pdoc I went to took about 90 minutes to interview me and gave me about the most thorough evaluation I have ever received. She even said "I will do my best [for you.]" If you don't want others to minimize your problems, then you must stop doing that yourself.

PM me, if you wish to.

[sabby]

Thank you Rose...you are so right about minimizing things. But at the same time, I think I'm trying to prepare myself for the worst, do you know what I mean?

I went to the psych eval, which really wasn't an eval in my estimation. She was very nice, asked several questions, the whole thing took about 30 minutes. She wished me luck and told me to make sure that I ask for a hearing immediately if I am denied the first go round.

I go for my physical eval tomorrow morning at 8:30am. I have no idea how i will get up early enough to get there and be somewhat coherent. Thank goodness the doc is just down the road from me, less than 5 minutes so I don't have to drive far.

My APTD through the state is now pending on the findings in the evals that SS had me go to. So still, no cash, no medical help. This is so stressful I can't begin to put it all in words.

[Rose76]

What you were told at the psych eval about asking for a hearing is something to take very seriously. I would also advise that, if you do get an initial denial and have to petition further, get either a law firm or a non-profit agency to assist you. That's what I did. (But I had the law firm help me right from the initial get go.) I got approved in 3 months and the law firm will get paid nothing because I had accrued no back benefits. There is no hard feelings (on the part of the law firm) and I think having the law firm represent me got my claim taken more seriously. They are especially good at making sure all your medical history gets sent to SSA. Without their help, I would be still kicking things around and in a disorganized state.

When you go for the physical eval, they ask you a bunch of weird questions like: how many hours per day can you stand, squat, sit, bend, carry things . . . etc. Just be patient and don't feel frustrated, if you have to concoct some arbitrary answer. The evaluator is forced to ask you a set of questions that the SSA requires to be answered. Consider the outcome that you think is fair to you, then frame your answers to support the limitations in working that you honestly believe you have. Good Luck.

[Perna]

Originally Posted by Rose76

Consider the outcome that you think is fair to you, then frame your answers to support the limitations in working that you honestly believe you have. Good Luck.

Rose, you're still thinking like there should be something you could do! A disability is a disability and there's no shame in it!

My quadriplegic coworker friend and I use to tease one another and he'd say, "Don't make me get up out of this wheel chair!" (and hurt you :-)

He couldn't get in the door of the office, which was locked due to the neighborhood, one had to ring a bell to have us see who was at the door and release the lock; there was glass next to the door and you could see who it was. Because of his wheelchair he could not grab the doorknob and get back (it opened out) and then go forward again through the door, too complicated a maneuver. When he'd ring to come in, we would sometimes wave to him, call out a greeting, instead of immediately jumping up and holding the door open for him :-)

I see those with disabilities as a blessing to me. When we are all alike it is harder to remember and pay attention to individual differences, see the other person for themselves instead of just as part of the furniture, or a number. I think those who work around any one population type; disabled, jailed, poor, unemployed, battered, mentally ill, are in danger of seeing the world only in those terms and individuals don't register anymore. I like having my environment rough and uneven, having lots of different types of people around me, people with different needs and abilities, different sizes and shapes, etc.

[Rose76]

If my post came across to Sabby in the way that it did to you, then I am very sorry. If that is the case, then I have totally mis-communicated what I intended to impart.

What I wished to convey was based on my own recent experience filling out a ton of forms and answering a bunch of questions at a orthopedic eval. that I believe the SSA has designed, in part, to make the claimant feel very intimidated. (Lots of disability attorneys have the same view.)

When first reading these questions, the answers that would have first popped out of my naiive mouth would have been detrimental to the success of my claim. I listened to audio presentations by attorneys on-line, and they cautioned against just naiively putting down the first thing that pops into your head. I went to Barnes and Noble and bought a book on how to navigate the process, and I did more on-line research. It convinced me that you have to think of the outcome that you are aiming for and tailor your responses to promote that outcome. This is called learning to think a little bit like a lawyer. And it's a good thing to do. Sometimes, I would call the law firm and ask, "How should I respond to such-and-such?" The clerk would say, "We can't really tell you what to say." I had to get my advice from research that I did for myself. I had to learn to ask myself the question, "How is the SSA going to use the feedback I give them? Am I giving them something they can use as ammunition against me?" My research into good sources told me that the SSA will do that in a heartbeat. So you have to be clear in your mind about how your condition interferes with getting through the challenges of the workday and you have to make your answers support that contention. If Sabby wants to have success with her claim, it doesn't matter what I think. It matters what the SSA thinks. And they will expect the feedback that she gives to correlate with the claim she has submitted. That is almost impossible to do, in my opinion, unless someone tips you off that you have to be very careful about what you say. Also, you don't have to volunteer everything that might pop into your head. It's like being on a witness stand where you are the defendant being examined by the prosecuting attorney.

So my point was just be careful and craft your answers to support what you believe you have a right to assert - that you need to retire based on disability. It would be nice if the SSA would let us give feedback explaining how being in the workplace undermines our health, in whatever way it does so. That's not how the questions sounded to me. Well, let me backtrack and say you can sort of put that in there, if you're good with language. But that takes some clever thinking. I wasn't that clever. My research wised me up. The way you get interrogated - in writing and orally by the evaluating physician - almost forces you to state that you are capable of doing all kinds of productive things. It really is a trap. That's why people end up getting lawyers.

Sabby honestly believes that she has limitations interfering with her remaining employed. I would never think that anyone here at PC, especially a mature person, as Sabby is, comes to that conclusion on some willie-nillie basis. I support her in her endeavor to get SSDI. I sought to share what I gleaned from my research to possibly be helpful.

By the way, when you impose your own boldface on what you claim is a transposed quote, you are changing the tone of another person's words, which can impose a meaning that you have extracted, which may not have been there.

It is good, however, for me to get feedback on the meaning that others construe when they read my post. It helps me to consider how I might better write, so as not to mis-communicate.

I forget, Perna, have you ever been through the process of applying for disability? You're very informed and knowledgeable about resources. But do you realize how the worthiness of the person's claim can have less to do with getting approved, than the "smarts" with which that claim is substantiated? I'm not talking about intelligence. I'm talking about being savvy to the system. Again, that's what keeps lawyers in business.

[No Fuse No Flame]

Social security secrets.com has articles on appeals and meetings with case workeers and judges. It lays down the rules that dictate weather you are qualified.
Also get a disability lawyer to take your case.

[Perna]

Rose, I was complimenting you, not criticizing you or speaking of your excellent responses to Sabby. I have great admiration for you but feel you still do not have enough for yourself. You do not have to prove your worth, to anyone! You do not have to believe you are disabled, believe you are worthy of help, convince yourself (as I know you have posted you struggled with) that you are worthy enough to receive disability.

[Rose76]

Thanks, Perna. I am gradually coming around to that.

[sabby]

Thank you everyone for your input. It's very welcome and appreciated.

My doc appt did not go well I suspect. There were no questions as to how long I could sit, stand, bend, etc. like what was on the form I had to fill out for SS. The doctor commented that the issues I had possibly except for the fibro would not win me disability. Duh...no kidding. I was not able to discuss things with him that I thought were important. I have a feeling he will give a negative report to SS stating that I can and should be working. *sigh*

I am thinking that I should get myself an attorney now, even though I have filed on my own I do believe there are some out there that will take the case before a determination has been made. I will make some calls.

I am however pleased with how the psych appt. went. So I guess I'm batting 500 then eh?

[Perna]

Originally Posted by sabby

possibly except for the fibro

Here's an SSDI guide for fibro I found, maybe contact these guys?:

http://www.allsup.com/about-ssdi/ssd...romyalgia.aspx

[a_thousandmiles]

Hi George, Are you in the states? I read your post twice to try and make sure i did not miss something. Here in the south everyone gets denied the first time even with a lawyer and the second time usually gets it. I do not know why but 2 yrs and thats what i have always seen.

[newtus]

Idk about many of you but i live in tx and i got approved in 2 1/2 months first time

[sabby]

Originally Posted by Perna

Here's an SSDI guide for fibro I found, maybe contact these guys?:

http://www.allsup.com/about-ssdi/ssd...romyalgia.aspx

Thanks Perna. That site was helpful to me to understand what SS will look for in my disability. It actually made me feel a bit better knowing what I can and cannot do because of the fibro.

[Skully]

I applied in February of 2010, was approved finally in February 2011 and received my first check in April 2011. For most people it can take up to 2 years. If you are initially denied you appeal and wait for a hearing which can take over a year to get. I sure hope you don't have to go through that. It is horrible I had no income for all that time...my prayers will be with you!

If you request a hearing what you can do is write a letter of hardship to the judge that will preside over your case. They will get you in for a hearing a lot faster that way.

[sabby]

Just thought I would let ya'll know, I've been approved for SSDI!!!!

I'm in total shock. I'm still waiting for the official letter, but they sent me a temporary password to get into my account online and when I did that, it showed how much I would be receiving and when to expect my monthly payment. I'm really blown away that I got it on my first try and from what I have read here and on other sites, the horror stories of what some folks have to go through just breaks my heart. And here I sit, just 5 months into it and I'm approved.

Hopefully this will now make me eligible for Medicaid, at least for the next 2 years until I'm able to get Medicare.

I feel like I don't know which way to turn now. More questions than ever LOL. It is a weight off my shoulders now to know that I will be able to support myself and pay my bills and not have to depend on my friends for monetary support. They have all been so wonderful to me and I can't wait to pay them back!

Thanks to all of you for your support and well wishes. I just feel so blessed!


sabby

[darkpurplesecrets]

((((sabby))))

Congratulations. I am so happy for you. I am sure it is a weight off your shoulders, one in which I can so understand. The waiting, emotions, and thoughts take their toll. I validate all those feelings. Thank you for sharing and letting us know. You are blessed, not only that but you are a blessing to so many. The questions will be answered. Take time to breathe, let it sink in, and know everything will be okay. I am sure that you will hear about medicare soon. I hope that it also gets approved.

Again, congratulations. It has been a long five months for you but I am glad that you were able to reach out during that time. Know that we still care and are still keeping you in our thoughts and prayers. Sending many gentle hugs and loving thoughts. Always...................

dps

[Perna]

That's really wonderful, sabby, and a relief, I know. My social security got approved last week; I had to call them first but that was only because they wanted to give me more money (I felt like I was playing Monopoly; it was Community Chest size more rather than lottery winning :-) I accepted

[sabby]

Thank you (((((((((( dps )))))))))) I know you have gotten the brunt of my stress over all of this for the past 5 months. I'm so sorry hon, but I do thank you and appreciate you and your patience and your positive take on the whole thing.

YAY!!! (((((((( Perna ))))))) Congrats to you as well! And thank you for your support and links. They were very helpful.