To Work-Or Not

Hello Everyone
Almost a year since last post.Need some feed back about working or not. ADT drugs and fatigue not so good. Yesterday fell asleep at the wheel driving home at 4pm in the afternoon. GOD has my attention. I have been tossing around disability. Wife (knows me best) go slow Lou. Thinking 1/2 days for remainder of treatments. Tired

Yup, talk to your employer about disability leave/insurance. Your health is more important.

Your name implies you might qualify for SS Disability.

If you are stage 4 and you have mets then according to SS you are eligible for disability.

"13.24 Prostate gland- carcinoma.
A. Progressive or recurrent (not including biochemical recurrence) despite initial hormonal intervention. (See 13.00K8.)
OR
B. With visceral metastases (metastases to internal organs).
OR
C. Small-cell (oat cell) carcinoma."
Prostate Cancer and SS Disability

Disability

Alephnull, What you are reading regarding social security disability is what ss uses to evaluate a claim and whether one qualifies for the Compassionate Allowance List. If you meet these conditions, your application process is streamlined and the length of time for a determination is reduced. But, you still must meet the requirements for a disability determination that you and your doctors demonstrate evidence that your condition and/or treatment prevents you from working (total and permanent disability) and/or is expected to result in death in the next 12 months.

For Stage-IV this is currently a non-starter as he is currently working. By definition you can not be working and apply for ss disability benefits. For him to apply he would first have to stop working due to his disability and then file for ss disability. If he qualifies for the Compassionate Allowance List, he would probably learn within 6 months to a year whether he would qualify for benefits. If he doesn't qualify for the Compassionate Allowance it could take 3-4 years for a determination. If during that period he went back to work, then his determination would be stopped as he has demonstrated that he is not totally and permanently disabled. Remember, we have several men on the board that have continued to work while being treated that meet the Compassionate Allowance definition, but they are able to work and enjoy the much higher income versus the ss disability benefits. Todd1963 comes to mind as an example.

For Stage-IV and any other person wanting to pursue social security disability, the first step is to consult with an expert attorney that specializes in social security disability cases. In a 20 minute interview a good one can provide a very good assessment and advise whether you have a case or not.

Even when it looks like a slam dunk social security disability can be, and usually is, very frustrating. As an example, one of my clients has suffered many heart attacks over the past 15 years and is actually on the transplant eligibility list. This was good enough for his employer's benefits so he went on disability just after he turned 62. At the time he decided he would start social security retirement benefits and we also advised him to apply for social security disability. The disability insurance company also wanted him to apply as their coverage was integrated with social security and any benefits he would receive would reduce their cost. Finally after nearly five years and numerous appeals and new assessments he was awarded with the social security disability determination. The difference between the disability benefit and the retirement benefit will be paid to him, after the insurance company adjusts the benefits and the lawyers get paid. His real benefit will be that he will now get his social security retirement benefit based in his age now rather than the reduced benefit from his age 62.

The best I have ever heard with social security disability is a friend that has been on this board in the past. He and his wife had moved to Atlanta for her work. He was feeling awful and had not found employment yet. He went to the doctor and found he was full of PCa including lung mets "too numerous to count". He was immediately started on ADT and chemo. He decided to apply for social security disability and qualified for the Compassionate Allowance and was awarded benefits after about six months. In the meantime he also suffered several intestinal blockages requiring numerous surgeries and extensive hospitalization...All this was included in the social security evaluation as not only were these situations disabling, but very life threatening as well. Unfortunately he was the textbook disability case, but fortunately he received a rapid determination and benefits. Not often that it happens that way.

For Stage-IV, first step is a good discussion with his employer and benefits specialist to see where he stands with a disability claim with his employer. If that is successful, then he would consider the social security disability claim. If he wants to keep working but needs adjustments in conditions or schedule, then a discussion with the HR department and his boss would be in order. By his statement that he needs accommodation while on treatment indicates he doesn't expect to leave work permanently. This might result in a sick leave or short term disability benefit, but would not be the basis of a social security disability claim as it is for permanent and total disability situations.

If the severity of an individual's impairment (prostate cancer), meets the severity described in 13.24 of the Listing of Impairments, and the individual is not performing substantial gainful activity, the case is paid without any additional documentation (step three of the sequential evaluation process).

If the objective medical findings do not show the severity described in 13.24 of the Listing of Impairments, any additional impairments, as well as subjective complaints, will be considered in determining whether a finding of disabled is warranted. In making this determination, the individual's age, education, vocational background, and remaining capacity for work will be considered.

Post Edited (gary3308) : 7/13/2019 3:16:53 AM (GMT-6)

Not knowing your age, family demographics, financial situation, occupation, income hit, etc... it would be impossible to even hazard a guess at what you're next move should be.

I've never been on ADT (knock on wood). But reading the testimonies of others who are or have been I know it's no fun. How could reducing a man's testosterone to near undetectable levels not have big consequences? My heart goes out to anyone who has walked down that road.

I assume going on disability would result in a diminished income. If I or my family needed the extra money to stay afloat financially I'd probably investigate ways (natural or otherwise) to fight the ADT side-effects so I could continue my work. If I didn't need the extra money and was entitled to disability I'd probably apply if I had an advanced case of Pca.

Let's hope that employers empathize with men on ADT. It would be impossible to be at the top of their game in the midst of a chemical castration.

Godspeed to anyone in this situation.

Stage IV,

I'm really happy to hear that you have been able to work something out. It's good to know that your current supervisor is willing to work with you on a reduced schedule and work from home. However, supervisors, and circumstances change. I would urge you to at least consider getting covered by FMLA to codify your current work arrangements. In addition to all the things I mentioned earlier, it also protects your job. They cannot let you go without very serious cause so it will provide you pretty serious job protection as well as peace of mind. At this point, it is literally all about you and not your employer. Like you, I have a very strong work ethic and have been doing something to generate income since I was 11. Despite all of that, I am reasonably comfortable with saying that my current employer would now be in the process of easing me out the door without the protection that FMLA brings.

Good that you have FMLA coverage. I started chemo n Lupron last year with a very understanding manager, who said, and meant ‘whatever you need.’ I took 3 days each of my 6 chemo cycles.

He has since retired, and the new manager, who also said ‘whatever you need’ has pointed me to the need for FMLA. Currently Lupron + Xtandi which are both ADT, can leave me tired. THEN I met the NP who gave me Zoloft. I’m much less fatigued. Zoloft is used to treat depression apparently, not that anyone who is Stage 4 and Castrate-Resistant has anything to be depressed by...

The FMLA discussion is very valid. I did not do that, since I had good managers and could work from home. Being the only person who did what I did, there were guarantees that I would be replaced. BUT, then things were reorganized, and my protectors / good managers were suddenly no longer in my chain of command.

Fortunately the time it took things to go down the tubes and arrival at my 18-month COBRA start date coincided, so I lucked out in that respect.