In 2003, I applied for SSDI after months of spotty employment after a bad MS exacerbation. I was "lucky" enough that my mother, who had a stroke that summer, qualified for in-home care that I could provide ten minutes here, an hour there, etc. I'm sarcastic because the lawyer I contacted after my inital rejection said that if I had an income, I very probably had no chance (I know he was right, but I didn't know how long this process takes!!). So I didn't appeal. Well, I no longer live with my mother and therefore no longer provide care for her, I got "fired" for the one part time job I finally got in my new town (I say fired, but it was a matter of my hours being so drastically reduced that I was basically forced to quit). And I haven't worked since.

SO. I reapplied last year after another six months had passed... Social Security told me I had to give a new date of disability since I had not appealed before and the 60 days had passed. So I chose a date from the week my hours were so reduced. Was this the best thing to do? Or should I have fought to re-open the old case?