Disability

[Wachi]

I'm going for #3 try for SSDI or SSI or something..
I'm disable.. hernaited discs from lower lumbar to tip of my tail bone.. w/times of paralayzation from waist down that can last a few min to several hours...
I'm Panic-disorder-Agrophobia severe...

I have tried to work in 2000,and lasted a week before my back went ka-poot on me, it took alittle over a month to heal...
2nd time... i tried to work.. 4 days and bam, a parayalizing time..and then the dire pain you wanna cry cause nothing works..... took 2 months... and it all began as far as hernaited discs since i was 13.. i'm 41 now.. Has had panic-disorder as far back as i can remember.. but worse is the paralyaing part where my legs simply go out from under me...leaving me with no feeling... looses the bladder...............ect..

they told me the first try is i havne't worked enuff.. i lack 5 yrs.. reasons i haven't worked *Points to the above* kind of hard to work when you never know if you're gonna end up paraligic rest of your life or for a few hours ...due to way hernaited dics are hitting the nerves... and since its done it while working..............its frustrating. My husband is the only one working, we get ssdi on him due to he's legally blind...

I feel so useless.. i should be aiding in bill paying and here i sit..racking up medical bills I am beginning to think will never be paid...i go every month to dr as i'm also diabetic type II....
and he checks blood sugar , while i'm there for my meds for panic-anxiety.

Wachi

[cardinal]

Wachi hang in there! I too suffered for 20 yrs or more with falling down episodes, couldn't walk, pain etc. I tried everything, chiropractors, pills. When I finally had an mri and showed herniated discs, degen disc and narrowing bulging diss L3-S1, I had surgery. I had l5-s1 removed and made a big difference! I don't fall down anymore! but I still have pain,lower back and the degen is still there and bulging. I did not have fusion on L5/s1. I am afraid the other degen bulging ones will herniate. I had another surgery 3/18 for cervical fusion c 5-6-7. I didn't do anything to herniate those discs! Just sit in a sedantary job! so who knows what more will happen? My n/s I don't need any more surgeries, great! but now I am faced with return to the job that seems to be killing me! My disability provider is fighting me to return to work! I am so scared that if I do I will hurt more and then not have a job or benefits! I wish you the best, get another mri and think about surgery. There are new types of surgery, read the other posts, some great advice!!!! Keep us posted! cj

If you lack the necessary amount of previous work credits (and paying into social security) it would be SSI that you should be trying to get; which is totally different from SSD (social security disability). To qualify for SSD you have to have paid into the system for a certain amount of time.

It took me three times (denied the first two) to get my disability benefits. (I had worked for 27 years paying into social security) And I finally hired an attorney for my third attempt and the hearing process. I'm not sure of attorneys are of any help when you are trying to get SSI or not. But it might be worth calling a few up and asking. For SSD the attorneys work on a contingency basis so you don't have to pay anything up front. Then they only get paid if they win benefits and they take a % of your retroactive disability payment. But, since I don't know if SSI pays you anything retroactively, I'm not sure if it would work the same.

love and prayers,

aj in Oregon



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~ 48 year old female; currently self-employed as an artist/designer/woodcrafter.
~ Previously worked in the restaurant biz for 27 years (not so good for someone with a bad back!)
~ Hereditary and congenital scoliosis, but it never caused any problems until I was 40+ years old.
~ 76 degree curvature had increased 2 degrees in two years 1999-2001; indicating surgery was necessary.
~ Surgery in March of 2001.
~ Fusion and insturmentation of C7 - T9.
~ Fourth rib removed; 5th and 6th rib cut back halfway; removed ribs were morselized and used for the grafting, plus additional bone harvested from hip.
~ After tthe hardware was attached, spine was straigntened 20+ degrees.
~ 2 weeks in the hospital.
~ Brace worn for five months. Bone growth stimulator device also worn several hours per day.
~ PT 5 mos. after surgery caused increased pain.
~ Follow-up surgery to remove hardware scheduled for Feb. 2002.
~ Round 2 of PT 2 mos. after hardware removal.
~ Medically released to return to full activity in July 2002.
~ Increased pain upon returning to regular work schedule.
~ Round 3 of PT in April/May 2003; continually increasing pain.

[Kim24]

Wachi,

I work for a medical office and see many patients in your situation. I too have a husband that is legally blind. He is only 28 and disabled. He can't work, can't do anything. My life has changed a lot at such a young age. I understand how it pays a toll on you mentally and physically. Have you tried to have your psychiatrist help you get Medicaid and file for disability? Medicaid (Not Medicare) helps a lot with prescription coverage. You can also get psychiatric care to help to talk about what you are going through.

[itskt2u]

I am awaiting hearing stage at this time in my claim for SSI disability. Here in NC it is very slow and they turn down the majority of first and second stage claimants; it takes at least 2 years for most people, during which time often claimants lose their homes, vehicles and sink into poverty. One rep from NC was trying to come up with a plan to reform SS disability claims so that it would be faster. The rep from my own region here says no, we shouldn't do that because speeding up claims will encourage fraud! So I suppose the way to weed out those who truly are disabled, is to starve them first, and the truly disabled ones are the ones who lose their vehicles, homes, (and children sometimes, due to homelessness/poverty) as they sink into poverty and debt over several years' time! What kind of thinking is THAT?
-K