Social Security Disability

patches · Post by **patches** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 11:51 am

Hello from New Hampshire. I was a member several years ago and got so busy that I hadn't logged in for quite some time. I am at the end of a month long flare (or at least I hope I am) :poopbanana:

I am going to the doctor tomorrow after spending 5 days in the hospital (including Christmas). I am thinking of applying for Social Security disability as I don't think I can work anymore. The fear of another flare up lasting this long is the deciding factor. Has anyone applied for disability? Were you approved the first time or did you have to go to appeal? Any suggestions???????

I was diagnosed in 1997 with a hospitalization in 1997 and another in 2001. I've been "managing" my LC pretty good since 2001.

Thanks for any advice.

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 12:01 pm

back. Sorry about your long flare. Sorry, I do not know the answer to your questions.

I found after doing really well for a few months "just" being GF and DF, that soy was the culprit. I suspected it (and confirmed it with EnteroLab) because of the experiences of the PP.

Good luck.

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 12:32 pm

A hairdresser at the shop where I go has legally changed her name to Patches!

Post by **tex** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 12:48 pm

Hi Patches,

Welcome back,

IMO, (and this is just my opinion - I am nether a doctor nor an attorney), if you have one or more related medical issues , (such as RA, Firomyalgia, Lupus, etc.,), you have a much greater chance of winning an SSDI claim, than if you have MC alone. The reason is that most doctors still seem to consider MC to be "just a little diarrhea", and the administrators of the SSDI system do not tend to view the disease as sufficiently debilitating, to justify a disability award. I can recall two or three members here who have had SSDI claims approved, but most of them had other severe issues, as well. I believe there was one member, however, who, with the aid of a good attorney who specializes in SSDI claims, did win a case where MC was the basic medical issue. If MC is the sole reason for the application, or the primary reason, I have a hunch that a good attorney, (an experienced specialist), will be pretty much essential to winning a case, unless you have a sufficiently good working knowledge of the applicable laws and procedures, to be able to properly represent yourself in court, (pro se).

If you haven't already seen this site, here's some good, practical information on filing and appealing SSDI claims:

http://www.disabilitysecrets.com/

Good luck if you try this, and please let us know how it goes. It can be done, and it has been done, it just isn't easy.

Tex

annie oakley · Post by **annie oakley** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 11:07 pm

Hi Patches, everyone that I ever talked to about disability had a hard time. Tex is right tho....the more things wrong the easier it will be. But even so It isn't easy. I can understand the inability to work, it can be tough. There are days that I wish I could retire bur we have an apartment we are buliding and we both need to work until we at least get it finished. I wish you well if you do go for disbility. Make sure you study up and have all your ducks in a row. Love Oma

angy · Post by **angy** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 7:00 pm

I have actually thought about disability living allowance in uk...However they are now changing the benefit system over here and making it pretty tough for claimants...

Considering i work within the mental health field, im always filling in claim forms for mental health clients specifically on a mh level of disability...It should be considered in both us and uk for claimants suffering from mc to be able to apply because mc is very disabling let alone embarrasing when present among work colleages...The stress of worrying about having D is enough let alone everything else...Im not sure about us criteria but here in uk when it boils down to a claim based on physical disability (and mc imo is!!) usually there is a medical required. So im guessing what are these docs expecting to see? "a load of D!! How can you prove to them what symptoms you experience? because it is not necessarily visually evident to them...they could think that your pulling a fast one?? well thats how i see it...and at the same time its frustrating because like tex said in another post..."docs just assume that mc is mild D....I guess the only way really is to have good docs who will provide letters of support for your condition...and appy this to the claim form..

I think you should go for it...what have you got to lose???

good luck with that and please let us know if you suceed...

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 7:12 pm

Angy, put it in a container for them............

angy · Post by **angy** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 7:18 pm

great idea thatll teach em a lesson...cos over here the dss docs are like the gestapo

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 7:54 pm

A trash can full............

angy · Post by **angy** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 1:32 pm

lol!! god id luv to see their smug faces when

they opened it hehe!!!

patches · Post by **patches** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 3:58 am

Wanted to follow-up with everyone on my SS disability application. I was totally shocked - my application was approved the first go around. It's a double edge sword for me. On one hand, the Social Security Administration approved my application without going to appeal .. meaning I do have a disabilitating disease, yet, on the other hand, I'm now consider disabled, if you know what I mean.

now if only I can get some sleep

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 7:38 am

Congrats, Patches. Thanks for letting us know. It might help someone else.

Post by **tex** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:15 am

Patches,

Congratulations. It's good to hear that it went so smoothly.

On January 1, of this year, some significant changes to the Americans With Disabilities Act went into effect. One of the important changes concerned proof of disability. Before the changes, actual proof of disability was usually pretty difficult to establish, since a claimant had to prove that they were personally disabled. After the changes went into effect, a claimant no longer has to prove personal, (individual), disability. All that matters is whether the disease itself is considered to be disabling, and the IBDs do qualify. Therefore, I was hoping that with the new regulations, a diagnosis would be sufficient for providing proof of disability. Evidently, that is indeed the case, as verified by the ruling in your claim.

Actually, the legislature may have gone overboard a bit, with the changes, because now, remedies, (treatments), are not even considered to be relevant to any ruling. IOW, it no longer matters that a claimant might be able to completely control their symptoms by diet, or a drug, or whatever. Now, a diagnosis is all that is required, to establish proof of disability. That's a critical distinction. Previously, if a claimant was being treated, with some degree of success, then they usually did not qualify for disability.

You shouldn't feel badly about the "disabled" label, because you were actually disabled before. The only difference is that now it's official.

Thank you for the update. We really appreciate this information, because many other members may find it to be very beneficial.

Tex

angy · Post by **angy** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 1:07 pm

That's great new patches......congrats....it proves that this condition is a disability and not just a temporary off and on condition. I hope that in the uk the govt here will see it that way...i'm going to research the criteria here in uk....you have inspired me to do that now...

Post by **tex** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 5:21 pm

Angy,

See if you have legislation similar to our "American's With Disabilities Act". This was originally passed 15 or 20 years ago, I believe, and it's the reason why we have all the special parking spaces for disabled persons, special bathroom facilities to accommodate people in wheel chairs, etc., but proof of disability was still the responsibility of the disabled individual. Last year, our legislature added some new provisions, that spell out the conditions defining "disabilities", and these new provisions make it much easier to win a disability claim. Your country may have similar legislation, or they may be working on it now, because quite often, when one of the so-called developed countries, updates their legislation on social issues such as this, the others follow suit.

Check question number 15 on this site:

http://www.ibdclub.org.uk/ibd_q&a_13-24.html

It sounds as though the law has not yet been revised, and if that's the case, then your doctors testimony would probably be critical for obtaining a disability ruling. This is probably the law that regulates your situation, and it doesn't sound particularly favorable:

http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/eop/disab/Inf ... isease.pdf

Maybe they'll soon revise it.

I didn't have time to check out this one, but you might be able to find the latest news about disability regulations in the UK here:

http://www.disabled-world.com/news/uk/

Tex