I just received a letter in the mail from the Social Security Disability Administration where they had sent me notification that my case had been reconsidered and that they had found that I meet the medical requirements for disability benefits BUT that they had not yet made a decision about whether I meet the non-medical requirements but that they would be making a decision soon. Okay here is where I need a translator...If I meet medical requirements and I have paid into SS since I was 14 what other requirements must I meet? It seems to me that before they wasted all their time and money that they would have determined that I qualified for non-medical reasons first off...don't you think. Does anyone know what they mean by non-medical reasons? I am who I am, I am 59, I have had the same SS number forever and I have paid in since 1966 so what else could there be to deciding non-medical reasons. I am hoping that it is something simple and all someone has to do is look in the computer and see when I paid in and when it stopped and that will be it. Knowing the government I may qualify for SS before I get this disability started.
Instead of bitching I probably should be thanking my lucky stars that they decided that health wise I am not blowing smoke at them and that I do qualify medically for the benefits. I haven't been able to work since October of last year and going that long without my added income hasn't been the easiest thing to do. I know that you don't get paid for the first 6 months you haven't been able to work but I have been off for 10 months so I assume they will pay me for the other four months once they decide I qualify on non-medical grounds. What really caused me some concern though was before they even made a decision on the non-medical requirements they tell me that I will have 60 days to appeal the determination they have made. Whats up with that??????
It has been a totally messed up couple of weeks for me due to health issues and other problems. I got a call from my new Dr. Malik to tell me about the hepatitis screen being positive for Hep A and Hep B. Not a biggie since I was pos for Hep A 50 years ago when a group at school all got it and then I have had vaccinations for Hep B the last 20 years at work. A second call from Dr. Malik was to let me know that I had a Vitamin D deficiency that she is putting me on Vitamin D to correct. I did some investigating and evidently 40% of people with FM have a Vitamin D deficiency. Another issue is I don't think I am handling the heat very well this year at all. I have been trying to get out in the pool every evening for an hour or so alternating between floating on a mat and treading water trying to get a little bit of non-impact gentle exercise in. And what is it with the headaches? I have had a headache just about everyday resulting in me self medicating with hydrocodone tabs and going to bed. I have had friends without other health issues complain to me that they are having headaches the past couple weeks too. Maybe it is just the heat causing everyone to be a little on the dehydrated side and maybe it is the environment cooking in the high heat to the point that it is releasing toxins, allergens etc that everyone is reacting to!
My temper has been on edge all this time. I feel like I am a time bomb waiting to explode on any given day. Poor Chuck he is at ground zero and catches a lot of the fall out from it. Yesterday my dear daughter-in-law posted something on her Facebook page and a friend of hers responded in a way I thought was wrong attacking my son and I exploded at that. My DIL has only been in the family about 3 years and I have never had a meltdown that she has witnessed so my son ended up calling me last night to find out if I was okay or not. I felt so bad after I blew up but I was also very convinced that I was right in what I said that I refused to take my comments off the page. Chad told me he appreciated me taking up for him and that he didn't want me to take the comment down. SO the world now knows I can be a bitch too!
The SS decision was one piece of good news I had this week and a second one was that the insurance company was going to reroof our house due to the hail damage we received last month. So life is looking up in some ways in Doswellville. Hope it keeps going now that it is on a roll...hopefully a monetary roll. I am tired of being broke!
3 comments:
I've been in Norman not quite four months. I saw you were a nurse. I have a soft spot for nurses. My daughter is a nurse in Austin. I'm still trying to get a drivers license. Take care. Cheers. bill.
It's very hard getting disability benefits, isn't it, Vickie. On both sides of the Atlantic! I had some struggles to start with - it's very, very hard to get benefits when you've got M.E. and they usually only give it to you temporarily so you have to keep on going through the horrendous stress involved in reapplying, being turned down, having to appeal... Fortunately my doctor has been very supportive, as well as my OT and physio, and last time I asked my dr. to support my application for benefit to be awarded on a permanent basis as I've now been ill over 4 years and it's showing no sign of improving - and I was successful! Hope you get all yours sorted out properly, and they award you what you need!
Ugh. Well, I'm definitely not encouraged. I haven't worked (therefore not an income) for over 2 1/2 years, waiting for SSD. I live in Oregon, I don't know if that has anything to do with it, and I'm very happy that you were finally approved, and at the same time sad that I have gone 32 months so far with no help. They denied my first claim (of course), and said recently that they'll set a hearing -within a year-! Seems very unfair, but I know I'm preaching to the choir here for sure. This is my first time seeing your blog, and I've been wondering how long other people have had to wait for approval, or after denial... for a hearing.
Thank you,
Sheila in Oregon
email: bnshe at q dot com
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