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Thread: Help, Disability Question.

  1. #1
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    Default Help, Disability Question.

    Quick back story.
    I was diagnosed with WG back in october of 09. I was scared and confused but I didnt let it bring me down. So I went back to work right away. I got married and moved from LA to Omaha in 2010. Here, I found work in Omaha right away and a Dr to follow up with the WG. Everything was going fine untill January of this year. I began to feel tired and fatuige for no reason. I had shortness of breath and my legs felt like they were on fire. It had gotten so bad, thet for the month of July, I only worked for 6 days. I had filed for FMLA, so my employer was ok with me missing work. One morning I felt like a Train had hit and I could not stand on my own two feet. So I made the decision to not return to work. An old coworker asked why didn't I apply for Disability? She said that one of her relatives has a similar case and was approved for disability and got Medicare. The Medicare would really help me out since I now have no medical insurance. So I filled out the Questionaire from the Disability website and sure enough, I had an Interview the following week. I was adviced that they would gather the remaining medical info that was needed and I would have a responce by the end of August. I recived a letter August 10th from them. It explained that my condition did not qualify me for disability. Today I had my 3 month appointment with my Dr. I explained to him that I had applyed for disability. He said it would be very hard to get disability and I may not get it....I dont know, somthing about how he said it did not feel right. He later explained that the disability office had requested my medical records. He said that ever since I have been going to his office, I have shown to be ok. I told him that I was not doing ok I needed help.

    Long story short,
    Can I apply for disability if I have WG? I have an appoinment in two days with an attorney that specializes in disability law. I just dont want to waste my time and his.
    If there is any info that would help me out, let me know. Thank you.

    Chris.

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    Chris,
    I am in the process although it is a bit different from your process. Through my job we have a long term disability insurance that I will be going out on soon. I understand that they apply on my behalf for Social Security Disability and then deduct the amount Social Security pays me from what they will pay me. I will try to share any tricks i learn as the process unfolds. I do know that quite a few of the Weggies on this forum already have disability so they can weigh in with more information.

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    Lightwarrior, Thanks for the info. I hope it goes well for you.

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    Christrd..I replied to a thread before that before all this I used to work for SS and Workmans Comp attys.I have been on medicaid and collecting SS for 2 years.(Actully starting Sept. 1, I will be automatically switched to Medicare..I just got my card earlier this month.You can definately get help..its sounds like yr Dr. didn't do anything to help you...his comments are probably what got you turned down.If I were u you can file a appeal yourself but u need to do it quickly ,they only give u so much time.Then gather every medical record you can from when u were first diagnosed to now (also find another dr. if he thinks your are doing well !!!) You can call or go down to your local your local SS office or go thru the attys. (they will get a good bit of your money) but go to the appt.they can give you a free consult on your next move. Also go to job and family services ( if thats what is called there) and apply for food stamps,cash assistance,and medicare(for your medical help).If you Google what WG is,print it out and take it with you along with all the records you can get.Hope this helps.
    Life isn't about how you survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain !

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    I got disability with no problem... possibly helped by my age of 59 when I applied, plus that I was making so little money at my self-employed business that I was under the limit of income that is considered to be "working". It would seem that if you had to quit work because of Wegs, you should qualify, though maybe a certain amount of time would need to have elapsed since you stopped working. There are so many ins and outs to it that I can't even remember most of them.

    I agree with Debra that your doctor doesn't sound like he helped you much..... he said they asked for your records, but did he send them? I never even talked to my doctors about it and don't know how they feel about it, but I assume they sent the records and said at least some helpful things in my favor. I would think that under the system the doc would be required to at least send the records. If you are in too much pain and discomfort to work, I think a disability lawyer should be able to help you and it wouldn't be a waste of time. If he thought it was, he would tell you.

    I also agree with Debra that you should probably look for another doctor. Is the current one a Wegs specialist? Not all of us have specialists, but if you can get one or a doc who will consult with one, it would be a good thing. Check the Vasculitis Foundation website for specialists. It sounds like you were doing OK but then had a major flare or extreme worsening of symptoms and they haven't improved. Did your doc do anything about any of that? I can't imagine him thinking you are OK. But sometimes we see our docs for such short visits that how could they really know how we are doing?

    Good luck.
    Anne, dx'ed April 2011

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    Hi Chris,

    I'm going through the process now myself (age 56). The Virginia Retirement System already denied my application but I'm appealing. I haven't heard from SS re my application. My understanding is you have to be out of work (showing no income from work) for a certain period of time. I was told a minimum of a year, but I think it depends on your circumstances because others have have gotten it in a different time frame. I expect to be turned down by SS for now since I only stopped receiving a paycheck as of July 1 when I medically retired. I'm frustrated with Virginia, but am holding out hope. My rheumy wrote my initial application and it wasn't very thorough, so my appeal was packed with info re WG including anecdotal info and two letters from doctors (rheumy and PCP included). I used a PowerPoint of Dr. Seo of Johns Hopkins and added a lot of extra research notes including info re WG being on the SSDI List of Impairments. If it doesn't work, I'm getting a lawyer! I don't know how else to get them to understand my inability to work and the need to be safe from germs (I'm an educator surrounded by kids and others in community all the time). Best of luck!!!
    KB -- "The good life is inspired by love and guided by knowledge". Bertrand Russell

    Dx in September, 2011. Major involvement: kidneys and lungs. Medical implications: fungal pneumonia, drug-induced hepatitis, allergy to fungal meds, ear infections, sinusitis, gall bladder removal, vitreal detachment, and eye cellulitis. Medial meniscus removal (unrelated to WG). Medications: Rtx, Pred 5.0, Lisinopril, Chlorthalidone, Levothyroxin, Omeprazole.

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    Thank you for the info. I read it yesterday and right away I went the the nearest family service. There, I was able to apply for Medicare, and for the Snap program. I am gathering all the info I can get to take to the attys tomorrow. And I do have all of my past records with me so I will take them as well.. Thank you so much. I really felt bumed out yesterday untill I read your reply. Thanks again

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    You got me thinking annekat. I dont really know if my Dr sent in the info needed or if he really wants to help me. My wife said that he made a wierd face when I told him that I would no longer have insurance. Im going to check out the vasculitis foundation website so I can see if I can find a Dr here in Omaha. Thank you so much.

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    @KathyB LOL, I would always get really sick when ever the people around me at work would come in with a cold or the flu. Now working with kids....wow. I do remember reading a list of impairments for the SSD. Im going to print that out and give it to my atty tomorrow. Thank you and good luck. Keep me posted on how your doing.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Christrd View Post
    You got me thinking annekat. I dont really know if my Dr sent in the info needed or if he really wants to help me. My wife said that he made a wierd face when I told him that I would no longer have insurance. Im going to check out the vasculitis foundation website so I can see if I can find a Dr here in Omaha. Thank you so much.
    Many of us don't live anywhere near the specialists listed on the VF site. Some travel distances or have their docs consult with one on the list. There may be someone on the forum who lives fairly near you and could recommend a doctor. You might search the Wegs Map on here and the member list and see what you can find, or hopefully someone near you will see this.

    It sounds like your doc might have a bad attitude about people accepting help from the government or not having insurance, for whatever reason. But you have paid into the system with your taxes, and it's not his job to pass judgement on how you get your needs met.
    Anne, dx'ed April 2011

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