Social Security Disabilty hearing

 Finally, after one denial and 13 months since originally filing my paperwork, I was awarded my SS disability today at my hearing. Luckily I had a judge that carefully reviewed my medical history and was able to quote my medical problems better that I could myself! After  he listened to my testimony, he recited my medical history by heart and then made a bench decision in my favor that put my date back to when I was too sick to work which was before my actual application date so I am now immediately eligible for Medicare.

I am extremely grateful I had an understanding judge and Dr.'s that documented my case well since my intial diagnosis.

To those still going through the long and frustrating process, the hearing is not as bad as you may imagine. My judge was very conscious of the sensitive nature of the disease and treated me accordingly.

Take care!

 

Thanks Habs!! I had no idea insurers may have covered that! That is great information to get out there!

Thanks so much gumby44!

Hi pmedic Congrats Congrats on getting approval for your SSD.

Thanks Teddybearweiser and Bane!

Scifigal-Thanks! I was wondering the same thing.  I had heard such horror stories about hearings I was expecting someone to bite my head off and call me lazy for not being able to work. They didnt make me feel that way at all, thank goodness. .

Post Edited (pmedic) : 1/12/2013 7:42:45 PM (GMT-7)

Thanks NCOT!

I hate this invisible font.

COngrats!!!!!!!! What exactly happens at the hearing if i may ask? Thanks!

scifigal2k said...
Yay!!!! That is so great! I wonder (just a thought) if the judge knows someone personally with a chronic condition, even like MS, that allows him to empathize better? Either way, though, I'm very excited for you!

From what I saw with the Judge I got, I don't think it would influence their decision in either direction. They see hundreds of people a week, almost all with severe problems. They're there to do their jobs, and they have to do them right, even if they wish they didn't.

My lawyer had just recovered from some complications from a colonoscopy, and the judge and he were joking about how he should have gone to Mayo, since the Judge has a long history there and has been really pleased. I piped up and said something along the lines of "Yeah I can personally attest to the quality of their scopes" which led the judge to ask exactly how many I've had. I think my estimate of ~20 impressed both him and my lawyer, lol. So yeah, I think I made a good impression on the judge, but I don't think he let that influence his decision for one second.

My doctor never wrote any of those phrases, either. What she did write was that, in order to work, I would need 15-20 bathroom breaks roughly every 15 minutes, and a place to lay down and rest for an hour out of every 4 or so.

So what your doctor says is indeed very important, but it's not quite so regimented as "it must be X!" If your history shows that you're seriously sick, and your doctor says it's unrealistic for you to work, no matter how he/she phrases it, you should be okay.

Edit: It also probably helped my case a bit (though honestly, not that much- my history is well documented, and spoke for itself just fine) that the hearing was Friday... and I had just had an emergency scope on Wednesday to see how serious my guts were, a consult with a surgeon on Thursday, and had scheduled surgery for Monday to remove part of my small intestine, since the scope couldn't fit inside it to see anything.

That was quite an exciting month.

Post Edited (Bane) : 1/13/2013 3:55:07 PM (GMT-7)

Big hugs right back to you pmedic. Have to be careful with the wording or others may get ideas about us.

pmedic said...
Datawraith- Wink, wink ;) LOL

Haha

Illfunkt, sorry for your diagnosis of avn. It is torture. Have you had core decompression and bone grafts? I had it done in both knees but recently it came back in the right knee. This time it ate through the cartilage so I am facing another big surgery but it has to wait until I recover from upcoming double mastectomy...

I suggest you consider finding a more sedate job or possibly apply for disability if you can't work any longer. The disability pay is horrible but it is better than nothing...

Take care!