Monday, June 11, 2012
The dreaded time has come....
I was originally awarded SSDI
in May 2006 on the basis of "a complex multisystem illness of unknown
etiology". The ailments listed were Sjogren's syndrome, diabetes,
hypothyroidism, neuropathy and limb movement disorder. I didn't pursue
fibromyalgia at that time because it's not on Social Security's list of
disabling conditions. I gave them medical records spanning eight years
and 23 doctors. They still sent me to a Social Security doctor, who
concluded that I could not work. I have not improved since then, but I
don't have as much medical data since I moved to South Dakota in November 2006 because after you have tried every medical
treatment and are broke, you go to fewer doctors and less often. That
can be (wrongly) interpreted as that you aren't as sick anymore. I was
expecting a review in 2008. That shows you how overloaded Social
Security is, that they are just now reviewing me. I'm glad for those
four years, but I wonder if they are more likely to drop people's
benefits in today's economy to save money?
After all we must go through
to get approved for disability in the first place, I guess it's only
natural for me to get a little paranoid if there is even a hint that it
might get taken away again. If I were over age 50 or had been on
disability for at least 15 years (I'm 48 and have been on disability
for seven), chances would be much smaller that I might lose benefits.
But one thing on my side is that since I was approved in 2006, Social
Security has added Sjogren's syndrome to their list of disabling
conditions. That's the primary condition I was approved for. Plus since I
was approved, I spent two weeks at the Mayo Clinic, where they found
lesions on my brain and diagnosed me with asthma in addition to the
fibromyalgia and all the other stuff going on.
Another reason I slacked off on the medical records is that I had to go through four rheumatologists in Sioux Falls before I
found one that would even treat me. I hope that being her
patient for four years has been sufficient to prove that I'm not going
to improve enough to go back to work. My primary care doctor was
awesome, but she left medical practice a year ago. I don't know much
about her replacement because I only saw her twice.
Well, I have the form filled out. I'm giving it to Dan to make copies before I mail it. They have 90 days to make a decision as to whether they do a review in greater detail or simply continue benefits. The in-depth review is pretty much the same as starting all over, so I'd better get everything in order in case that happens. Don't let anyone convince you that disability is Easy Street. It is more closely resembles Jump Through Hoops Like a Circus Animal Street.
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