Has anyone received disability with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia? I also "MIGHT" have Multiple Sclerosis. I applied in November, 01 with various severe symptoms which causes my inability to work. I appealed and still waiting for answer. Thanks.

DebbieZ

Our youngest daughter is at the same phase of this process as you are and applied about the same time. Our eldest daughter was accepted and is now undergoing the 2 year automatic application check with their forms, physicial and mental testing again. (Makes no sense. She is absolutely no more able to work than the first time through.) It's a long process to torture a person with to get it in the beginning and the same a few years later to keep it.

I hear so many horror stories about the process - but my mom's friend got hers approved in 4 days - can't remember what her condition was (brainfog). It seems that the system is unfair and, typically bureaucratic.

This was on the news today. I know, lets put everyone that is on welfare and send them all to college. I went to college on my on money, now I can't work as a nurse. I wonder what they could send me to college for. I think I would love to be a councelor and help us.I wonder if they will help me find a change at all. What do I do. I am not joking. I have not worked in 11 months. Everything is getting worse. Is this it for us? I can't even hold a needle in my left and and my right is coming right behind it because of cervical spine. Any suggestions. I don't want to keep feeling sorry for myself. That is getting me nowhere. Please help. Oma

hello, i am also a nurse. i have had to leave my job last sept/01 due to fibro aking over my life.. i filed for disabillity right away and was approved in under 6 months.. i did a lot of research for my report to the disability people and include tons of copys of things like symptoms etc. i think i overwhelmed them with reams of paper so they gave it to me LOL.. but seriously i also have degenerative arthritis so that played a role too in approval. now i am losing ground every day since i do not work. i have lost all my desire to even get up and do anything. it is a very depressing thing to give up your identity with your job. good luck with the process. it is all in what you write up and present to them i think ..

I am receiving SS disability now. It took about 5 months. I was lucky the doctors who did my reports knew me. I am also a nurse who can not do my job any longer due to all the problems with fibro. You name it I've got it, all the symptoms. You may contact me with your questions if you would like. Good Luck!

I receive disability based strictly on a fibromyalgia diagnosis. I was initially turned down, but got it at the reconsideration stage. The thing I emphasized was the unpredictability of the symptoms. I told the examiner that I honestly had some very good days, but there was no consistency, so I couldn't even work a reduced schedule because who would hire someone who has no idea when she's going to be okay and when she's not? I also asked them to send me to a rheumatologist who understands fibro, as the doctors they sent me to had no experience and no clue when it came to FM. In her final report, she wrote that the initial turndown had "failed to place enough emphasis on the applicant's own doctor's reports and placed too much emphasis on the reports from the disability doctor who had reviewed my file but had never seen me."

I also brought a friend with me who could describe what I was like before FM and what I've been like since.

Ruth

Hi Jeannelee,
I am 30 years old and I have FM as well as a lot of other ailments and like you I have all of the symptoms and signs of FM. I applied for SSA/Disability last year and was denied. I was not educated enough on what I needed to submit. This year I have gone the extra mile trying to get my history built up and I have my doctor behind me. Can you give me some pointers on what I can do to speed up the SSA process. I am scared to quit my job and scared to get fired due to the uncertainty of SSA. I will definitely be put in the poor house if the process takes forever. I have 3 children and it is very stressful going to a job you hate and aren't physically able to do it anymore.
Any information will be greatly appreciated.