After waiting for 2 years now, I finally have a date for my appeal. It in May 16th. My doctor is with me. i am kind of scared right now. wish me good luck. any advise for me. i can use any help from you guys.

hey ohio1968, i am so happy for you. i also have one scheduled for april 13th.
i applied 2yrs ago too. it can't get here soon enough. i know for now that i have a post hearing phone appt with my atty off on the 6th to let me know what to expect. i can let you know what happens as it all unfolds if you would like.
i am so anxious since it seems like i have been waiting for so long.

robin :)

Good Luck to you. i am going to pray for you & Thank you. yes sure could you please let me know. :bouncing: :bouncing:

Dear Ohio and Girl,

Good luck with your hearings. I was really scared when I went to mine. It turned out fine and I was nervous for nothing. I do have some advice..

I had 3 or 4 friends/relatives write letters for me describing how I had changed over the last 2 years due to my pain. I also had my former boss write a letter describing how I had to stop work. The judge had my work record so he knew I had always worked. He said he read the letters before he came into the hearing and he was very impressed with them.

I also had copies of any of the doctors office notes (the last 1-2 months) so he could see the latest reports.

He did have a occupational therapist (MD) there but it ended up that he testified in my favor..

I will keep you both in my prayers. Good luck to you both.

Kay

Girl75, Robin...

Please make a new post after your hearing to let us know what happened. I am nearing the time when I should receive my hearing date and I'm curious about what goes on. I have a variety of conditions that are being included along with fibro. I have been waiting over 2 years. Hope things go well. Prayers will be coming from Utah for you and your success...Tammy

hello Ohio, Kay and Tammy,
okay here is what happened at the hearing.
my hearing was at 2:30 and i was told to get there 30mins early to go over my case with my atty, whom i had never met before. when i got there i was told that the judge was running late. i finally met my atty who was just sitting there and i asked him if he was martin a harry, the name of my atty, and he said yes.
i was like okay. anyway he said that there were 2 ahead of me and that i was the last one. the first one wasn't even seen till 2:30. i was so nervous sitting there and trying to imagine what the hearing room looked like, was the judge nice. i even felt my heart beating so fast at one point from anxiety. i did some relaxation breathing tecniques while sitting there and some stretching because i was so uncomfortable from sitting there.. finally the next one went in and i could kind of hear the questions that were being asked through the door.
over all i sat there for about 2hrs before i was seen. i was in so much pain and had the worst h/a i could barely focus. when i walked in room i was so nervous.
i just sat down and waited while it was really quiet for like 5 mins until they got the paperwork put away from the last hearing. the judge did apologize for making me wait and said he did not like to make a habit of making people wait. that kind of made me feel good that at least he realized i waited. finally the judge starting asking me questions about my daily life like about my grooming, if i cook, drive, grocery shop and they went over my work history and my medical history. i answered each question to the best of my ability and truthfully and looked at the judge straight in the eye. i told him that i do not drive because of pain and dizziness, i basically wear pajama bottems and t-shirts all day and he asked how often i change and shower and i said every 2 days. i told him i don't go to the store anymore because it is to overwhelming and i feel like everyone is staring at me and i also told him i do not cook only microwave stuff. my mom thank goodness helps with the rest. he also asked me how much i could carry, how long i could sit and stand.
these are just some of the questions and answers i remember, but that was basically what he asked. oh and he asked about my depresion and anxiety and what do i feel and when do i feel when i have anxiety.
they had a vocational expert but not a medical expert which my atty said they usually have both so i don't know what that meant.
with the medical problems i have the vocational expert said that someone in my case could still do a job as a sewing machine operator or a mail clerk. they go by some guide lines or something and use jobs that are actually on the market.
the atty then asked would someone that would not be able to grab, grasp, pull, push, climb, and some other things , be able to do that job and the expert said no. i guess that was good for my case. also in those jobs a worker would not be able to call in or miss much work which was also good for my case because i could imagine that happening in real life. also they see what medications you are on because some meds might have side effects including drowsiness which would make it hard to work. he asked if i took naps and how often and i said that i do and i take 2 naps. he asked how i did that being that i have a 2 and 5yr old. i told him that we get up in the am and i get my son ready for school after he goes my daughter an i have breakfast and watch some tv and then we go down for a 3 hr nap. in the afternoon when my husband gets home i take another nap by myself at 4-6pm usually. i told him i get so grougy through out the day.

also i had great earnings for the past 8yrs i worked and the atty said that looked great in my file because unless a person has a health problem, they would not want to stop working especially if they made a decent living.
it personally was a hard decision to make because i knew that i would have to sacrifice alot and so would my family.
after the judge was finished the atty crossed examined me.
after that it was over. we just got up and that was it. i did however thank the judge and thanked him for his time.
the atty said that he could not tell what he was thinking and that it looked 50/50. i was thinking "what?"!!!!
so i don't know. i mean i feel confident that i did my best to answer all the questions and the judge had my file with all my medical records in it. oh yah they let me look at my file while i waited and man was it huge. it freaked me out. it was good to look at it and see what has been said about me from the docs. lol.
you know right now waiting is the hardest part. i would just like to know wether it is +or- so i know what i need to do next. if i am denied i am gonna keep fighting. my family and i have been through to much because of my health for me to just give up, especially my babies.
they said it could take anywhere from 3-6 wks before i hear anything, so i just try to not think about it and keep my mind busy.
well i hope this helps and i hope yall can uderstand what i wrote. sometimes its hard for me to type what i am thinking. i have to go back and read it like 50 times. Lol!!!!
i hope i get to talk to yall soon so please keep in touch and i'll let yall know what i find out when the verdit comes in.
your friend,
robin

WoW, thank you! im not one of the names you mentioned, but it was really nice of you to wright that for us who are still waiting. This whole waiting thing is awful. you were very clear to me btw. I know just how you feel about making yourself clear sometimes. Im up and down, and times i just have no idea if i've made sense.

Wow, thank you so much. it was really nice of you to let us know everything. i am going to pray for you. :bouncing:

hi phobic no problem. what step are you at?
robin.
:wave:

hi :) , i got denied 2ce and now have an attorney. It's been about a year since first denial i'd say and it's getting harder and harderfor me. Im scarred to death of going in for a hearing and could almost give it all up im that scarred. I've always had a hard time with things like that, but since break down, i've lost so much guts its pathetic. But,,,,i keep praying for strength, and hoping they'll just approve me this time withought anything :rolleyes: yea right huh :) Im sooooo glad you got that part overwith, it was so very helpful to hear. Thanks again, phob

ps,,sounds like your attorney isnt someone you have much to do with?? like he just took your case?? Mine has talked to me a lot, and thanked me profusly for comming in to his office to speak so he has a better understanding of who *I* am. He told me he knows how hard it was for me, but was so incouraging that i think i'll feel better with him with me. Kind of like he understands agoraphobics, and other multiple phobies :eek:

hey phobic, you know your right about my atty. while i was tossing and turning last night i got to thinking, if i do get paid i don't think that he is worth the money he might get. his staff was very helpful when i had questions and of course got all my records together (their job) but my atty really has not done much. maybe i will feel different if i do get approved.
i use to think about giving up but now i feel like i am at the point of no return. i have already sacrificed and lost alot to give up. my children are not starving and have clothes on their back but i wish that i could do more for them. my son has gotten so understanding about not having money, but i guess that is good because he has learned to appriciate things. i guess as a parent i wish i could do more.
its funny though because the night of my hearing he asked me when we were going to get the money from my disability. i smiled and told him that i wasn't approved yet and he said thats okay mom. gosh 5 yrs old and he is so smart it kills me. maybe i'll have good news for him soon.
take care phobic,
your friend robin

Arent kids somethin :angel: Nothen better in my opnion :) . Ya know, we lived very simple while my kids were growing, and im grateful for it. Seems odd, but it kept us real close. Now kids are grown, and have had more money flowing for a few years here, got all easy with life, then i got hurt at work, and subsiquently, had lots of other problems come out during my recovery period from that. :confused: So, back to the simple live we go. Not a huge problem, but without disability, i'll have no insurance, and then simple will go to desasterious...So, , along with everyone else here, hopen for the best. And anxiously waiting to here how your doing with yours ;)

girl75,

i was wondering how was your appt. go withThe judge. what he/she ask you. could you please let me know.
Thanks

hello ohio, he went through my work history and read pretty much everything i wrote on my application, what i did at each job and how long i was there.
then he asked me about my grooming, how often i shower and change my clothes, if i have any problems with grooming. i told him that i shower every other day and change every other day. i also told him that i basically wear pajama bottoms and a t-shirt which for me is easiest to put on and take off.
he also ask if i drove and i said no and then he asked me how i get to my docs appts and i told him that i make arrangements with my mom and brother to take me. he also wanted to know if i go out much like to the grocery store and i said that i don't because of my anxiety. feel like everyone is looking at me.
what else, um, oh yeah i have 2 young children and he asked me how i managed that during the day with cooking and other daily things like playing and stuff. i told him that i don't cook that we usually do anything easy smeazy stuff and get help from my mom and there father. i really don't do any cleaning around the house i told him because it causes flares.
the sad thing i told him was that i don't get to really play with my kids, not the way i would like to.
sorry this is so long i am trying to dig inside my brain to remember everything.
he wanted to know why i decieded to quit my job i told him because my pain got worse after returning to work after a w/c injury i had 2yrs prior to that.
i had to increase my meds and my depression and anxiety got worse as well as my memory. i would get groggy due to my meds during the day and that also would make it hard to concentrate.
thats all i can really remember. it was pretty straight to the point and i answered the best i could and truthfully. looked him straight in the eyes and that was about it for that part.
i am about to hit my 30day mark from when i had my hearing and thats when the atty office will call and see if they can find out if anything has happened.
when is your hearing again? let me know if you have anymore questions.
your friend,
robin

Thanks for the inf. i am praying for you too. My Hearing is on comming Monday. i am kind of scared right now. i am going to let you know what happen after Monday.

Wish me Luck. For you my prayers are with you.

ohio goodluck to you too. can't wait to hear from you after your hearing.
you are in my prayers as well
your friend,
robin

hello ohio and everyone, well i got my letter in the mail and the judge denied me.
reading through the letter that i was sent on how he came to the decision he states that , the claimant's fibromyalgia, anxiety and depression are considered "severe" based on the requirements. it also says that i said that i quit work when she decided that she should be at home with her kids and that i stopped all physical therapy recommended for symtom management to spend time with her children. i never even said that. when he asked me why i quit working i specifically remember telling him that i stopped working when the pain had gotten worse as well as my anxiety. i also wasn't presently doing pt because my pain was really bad.
so i don't understand. i got the letter friday so i won't be able to call my atty till monday. i am going to appeal it again to the appeals council.
goodluck to you ohio. i will keep you posted.