# disablity



## Junebug17 (Apr 6, 2011)

Hi Andros. Well, the good news is that I don't have any nodules on my thryoid. Had another u/s and it confirmed it. Just a lumpy diseased thyroid. Lol. My question is is that I'm tired all the time. I've worked in the medical profession for 16 years and sometimes I just can't take it. I am having anxiety attacks (for years now) and I becoming increasingly tired. Can I get on disability for this disease? I'm taxed out and at work I feel like I'm trying so hard that Im afraid of not being able to perform like I use too. What do you think. Thank you so much. You have been such a help. Love, juney:hugs: PS/ I want to look for another Job, but I don't have the energy to do it. I've been at my hospital for almost 4 years without medical and I feel like such a failure that I don't feel good enough about myself to seek a position that offers's full time and benefits. UGh. I feel no hope and feel a lot of depression.


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

Been down this road for another medical condition. Went through the various claims and appeals process through SSA and finally onto a hearing. Needless to say, Uncle Sam won and brought his own hired gun. Best advice: Get a lawyer to help ya!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Junebug17 said:


> Hi Andros. Well, the good news is that I don't have any nodules on my thryoid. Had another u/s and it confirmed it. Just a lumpy diseased thyroid. Lol. My question is is that I'm tired all the time. I've worked in the medical profession for 16 years and sometimes I just can't take it. I am having anxiety attacks (for years now) and I becoming increasingly tired. Can I get on disability for this disease? I'm taxed out and at work I feel like I'm trying so hard that Im afraid of not being able to perform like I use too. What do you think. Thank you so much. You have been such a help. Love, juney:hugs: PS/ I want to look for another Job, but I don't have the energy to do it. I've been at my hospital for almost 4 years without medical and I feel like such a failure that I don't feel good enough about myself to seek a position that offers's full time and benefits. UGh. I feel no hope and feel a lot of depression.


It is really hard to qualify for disability and I thank God every day that I don't; it's that hard. You have to be sooooooooooooooooo debilitated. Truly!!

But, as Bigfoot has stated; get a lawyer. You never know.


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

Yeah, absolutely. Lawyer up big time; don't even start the process without consulting or getting one first. I figured I'd "do it myself", since I had lost my job and the idea of forking over greenbacks to a lawyer kinda turned my stomach. Boy, what a mistake I made. Going from memory, Social Security Disability generally applies if there's going to be a year or more of disability. It could just be a relatively known fixed period of time (let's say 1.5 years for a cancer treatment), or an ongoing chronic illness. Depending on what state you reside in, your first claim application for benefits will likely be looked at by a state disability board. From there if you are denied (and most are the first time), you can appeal the decision, eventually climbing up the bureaucratic red-tape ladder through more appeals. From there on to an administrative law judge hearing at an SSA office, and beyond appealing that judge's decision, you wind up at the mercy of the court system.

If you are seriously considering this route, here are some tips before starting:

* Keep info on each doctor's appointment, date, and location. Start now. Look back a few years, too.
* Keep a running personal log or diary of your condition for reference. Make notes about your condition each day or week.
* Contact SSA and ask for disability lawyers in your area.
* Document *everything*. Keep copies of *everything*, both incoming and outgoing. Lab copies, doctor's files, faxes, prescriptions you take / have taken, phone calls, letters sent & received, etc.
* Nothing gets sent regular mail from you to anyone. Send *everything* registered mail with a delivery confirmation.
* Disability isn't so much about what medical condition you have, but your ability to work, and compared what you should be able to do with your condition.
* The process will likely take a long, long time. From start to finish my claim took two years, winding through the appeals and eventually onto the hearing.
* If you have it, private disability insurance (both short- and long-term) through your work will be far more accommodating than SSA Disability. But eventually they will force you to apply for SSA Disability.
* Prepare to be disappointed. Prepare to feel insulted. Don't take it personally, it's not a reflection on you or your condition. You will 99.9% likely be denied at first. Be persistent. Don't quit, it's just a big game they play hoping people get tired of paperwork and forms. It's your potential benefit, do everything in your power to stick with it.
* SSA Disability is so backlogged it's not even funny. They are also in the red, so they're looking for any reason they can find to deny you.
* Be sure you have a good doctor on board that is treating you for your condition(s) and be clear with him/her that you are going to be going through the disability process.
* Have a backup plan for finances. Even if your claim is eventually approved, you are still dealing with years of expenses in the meantime. Uncle Sam doesn't care if you're living in a cardboard box while he bankrupts you through this process. This is where private short- and long-term disability insurance comes in very, very handy.


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