The first time I filed I lost. Then I got a lawyer. I feel like I won my case because I had great doctors who wrote pages of information on my disabilities and because I had a great lawyer. I ended up with both ssi and social security disability. I was very blessed. I will pray you win your case I know it can be stressful.
My Doctors blame all of my pain on Fibro even though I havea curved spine a no covering on my tailbone plus arthritis. They give me Lyrica and a few other meds thatare not even for pain: Valium, soma andso on...I am on disability, but these doctors do not want anyone on the real meds that work for everything but fibro, like opiates. If you need opiates, then you must be an addict, and if you refuse opiates, then you must not want help. I have been through to different doctors at the same pain clinic because the first one who had my pain levels down to a 6 or so, left. Then this hot shot new foreign doc came in a pulled me from opiates and put me through severe pain with spinal shots and other meds, and I am beside myself because his "first do no harm" went out the window the first five minutes we met. How can this have happened? I had my life managable, and now I have no life-but, I still have lyrica...which is a strange drug...takes away some pain, but makes me feel so sad and confused and lost.
Wow that is a great idea, I would have never thought of having more than one statement for the judge. We are now trying to have a judge come in person and since the bad judge won't travel, we might have a chance for a decent judge. I thank-you very much for your advice. Hurtin Sharon
I'm sorry you're having such a hard time with everything. So that you don't have to worry about reading your statement for the judge, I would suggest writing more than one version of your statement, varying the lengths. I would make one VERY short in case the judge says you have 30 words or less (this happened to my friend at an emergency child custody hearing - think bullet points), one that's 300-400 words, and then one that's a little bit longer. You can then submit the longest one into evidence if you're not allowed to speak. :) Remember that the judge wants "the gist of it." You'd be surprised how much you can say in a short amount of space.
I know it's a time-consuming and frustrating process, especially when you don't feel well. I wish you the best of luck!
It took 4 years to get my SSDI approved. The judge lost my file for a whole year. I had to complain to the senator to get things resolved. The court hearing was a disaster. The state disability consultant present ruled that I was unable to work; everything that was presented said that; yet the judge went out on another tangent that ended up with me not getting approval until I jumped through more medical exams and more mental exams. When it came down to the approval, the judge had messed up so bad that he was in the process of being on review and the ruling came down to the first document filed in my case 4 years earlier that said I should never work again. I have multiple conditions (including fibromyalgia) and any of them could have been acceptable as a disability, I ended up with several listed as disabilities. BTW, since then I have had more added.
I will say that fibromyalgia is a difficult disorder to diagnose and to deal with. Doctors tend to either blame everything on fibro or to deny it exists at all as a medical condition, and refuse to have it as a diagnosis.
Yes we have been through many hard times through our 12 yr marriage, all financial sorry to say. But no matter what church God has moved us to has been a very supportive church. They have moved us/me 4 times, paid for our car to be fixed twice, paid for a plumbing problem, and has loaned me a security deposit for an apartment until my child support check came in before I was married. It really is like having a huge helpful family when you find a good bible believing church. I would probably be on the streets be now if it wasn't for God and God's people helping me in my time of need. Are you spiritual? Do you know God?
It's amazing how there can be such warmth when you are struggling through rotten times. What a wonderful support you have. I'm just sorry it's needed
I haven't heard anything about a new hearing yet but I've been keeping busy so I don't have time to think of that F$%&@(G judge. Excuse my language. We have to have another yard sale (church people donated tons of stuff) just to pay the mortgage(bills) or buy things like gasoline, toilet paper, laundry soap, pet foods etc. Atleast we have a great church family for times like this. Thanks for all your support. Hurtin'
haha You took the words right out of my mouth, my lawyers mouth, his assistant's mouth (who was crying for me) and my husband's mouth. Thank you all for your support. Hurtin Sharon
What you said!!!! I didn't post b/c I'm so new to all this I didn't think I had much to say, but I totally feel for you idesofmarch. It is beyond ridiculous that the system works this way, and that one person can cause so much trouble to the process. Seems like a 1/2 hr recess to read the paperwork would have solved the problem. Hope you are doing ok.
You know, I posted here a couple of hours ago and came back to look at the responses just because your story made me so furious. I see no one else has answered yet so I'm fust going to say more!
Dear Judge
First, $($ &*(^$ stupid, inconsiderate &*()^$#@! Would it have been a problem to call a recess and read the material? Somehow the system has no problem in making us wait for months, but you think it's inappropriate to hold up the proceedings for 15 @#$%& minutes so you can review the submissions? Perhaps you need to explore a different line of work, where you can't do as much harm.
In a perfect world I would write this note on the back of the lightning pic you have posted on your profile and include it with the package of material for her to read.
Take care, that was a rotten thing to have happen
I am so, so sorry that happened to you.
Well the judge sent us home. My lawyer added 35 pages from my psychiatrist and counselor that must have come in late because he sent it into the court last night. She said I can't read 35 pages 15 minutes before the hearing. I understood all that but I cried, and cried, and cried some more right there in the hallway. It might be 3 to 8 weeks before we get a new hearing date. The letter I wrote will have to be changed a bit to keep it up to date etc.. I just can't stand disappointment like that especially after traveling over 30 miles to get there and 30 more to get home. We just don't money to waste doing that.
keep us posted- I hope things go well for you. Even if they don't let you read the letter, it's often useful to have done it, because the writing and rewriting can help you remember what you need to say. It sounds like you have solid evidence to back you up
Thank-you for your input. My case is today and at my last hearing my my RA dr. did write a very good letter and included that I could not do this or that and that she using you 20 something years of knowledge and being my dr. for >8 years said that I would be not be able to the simplest of jobs, secondary or part time. She did another letter for today's hearing that had even for details in it such as what questions would be on that forms (which I took off of online) but my lawyer said that he didn't feel it would be necessary to use in my case. I don't know why. But we had 2 letters from specialist ( RA and my psychiatrist for FMS & long term clinical depression) for my last hearing and that's why I believe it was sent bad to the same judge because she like ignored my medical evidence (that's why they sent it back to her to be heard again, it's sort of how they punish a judge for not coming up with the correct decision. They could have just gave me my SSDI but they wanted to teach her a lesson, that's what my lawyer said anyway. Thank you again for your help.
I feel for ya! You are so right - dealing with Social Security is sooooo stressful and long and that stress definitely affects how we feel.
I know you're tired of gathering evidence for your case, but one thing I would suggest that very well could help (it did for mine) - if you can get your doctor to write a letter stating that they say you are disabled and no longer able to work, that could have a very positive effect on the judges decision. Some states have an actual "disability" form that they can fill out - it not only gives them an area to describe what it is that your disability entails and why it keeps you from working, but it also has a section where they check a box as to whether your disability is "permanent" (lasting more than 12 months) or if they consider it temporary (thought to last less than 12 months). Social Security won't even consider giving you a disability decision if your condition is what they consider temporary (lasting less than 12 months)
I think my doctor filling out one of these forms and me being able to submit it definitely helped me win my case. I did not have it (or know about it) when I first submitted my "application" for disability, nor when I went before the Judge. I also engaged the services of a law group that deals with disability cases all the time. They were very helpful in aiding me to get all the appropriate paperwork together and it was them who told me about the disability form. I was living in PA at the time, and I obtained the form atually from the local Social Services Office, not from my doctor directly, so you may check with your local social services department and see if they have these forms or if they can tell you where you might be able to find them. I'm not sure if they may also now have them online that you can print off (my disability case was in 2000-2002, so there's probably more available on the internet now that would help than there was back then)
hang in there - I know how frustrating it is. Best of luck!