Anyone on SS disability??

I was just diagnosed with fibromyalgia (finally!) and my doc says I should stop working.  I am an office manager, and it's a high stress job.  I have diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, all the comorbities that made me elilgible for wls that is still making it hard for me to work.  I really would like to stop working, but I"m afraid that I will be waiting years for this to finalize.  Any insight would help.

The first part is get your doctor to write a letter stating you are not able to work.  He has to make it pretty clear.   Get a lawyer.  It is always best with one.   Social securty will make you see a [pysch,  You can do that on your own too.  ANY doc's you go to get them to write a letter.  Everything will help. 

Likey you will be denied the first time.  Don't try and do it alone, you need a lawyer.

Most people wait to be approved, three years.  That is more common than not.

Good luck

Mary

I know people that have been approved in as little as a year.  My sister waited two years.  Tried to do it by herself first and got denied so she got an attorney and that did the trick.  It's not an easy thing to do even with all the letters.

You might post this on the fibro board, I'm sure some of the folks there have experience with this, sorry I don't know how to link this. Just go up to forums and down to medical conditions.

I have a friend who did not have WLS but has back and heart problems. She had retired early due to a buyout and got approved for disability on the first try without using a lawyer. She had a friend "mentor" her through the process. As I'm going to be unemployed soon, I'm about to do the same thing. I have knee and back problems, and quite frankly, I am in serious pain sitting at work. I also have fibro and work in a high-pressure job (newspaper copy editor). She says don't get a lawyer until you've been turned down for the first time; then you get a lawyer and they take their fees out of your payments. She says as long as you have all your ducks in a row, you can get disability without a lawyer the first time. But go back in time as far as you can with your medical issues. Know your dates and doctors.

I've already discussed this with my pain doc and he said he would make my records available. From what I understand, you fill in a form and then SSI goes to get the records; you don't provide them. You don't even provide a note from your doctor. They provide the information to SSI.

Hi!

I agree with Mary on the lawyer since right now you are still working.

I have fibromyalgia too and I am on SSD finally but it took a couple of years.  I started first without a lawyer *and* without a mentor so I made lots of mistakes and was turned down the first time around.  Many times people are turned down, particularly when they are under 50.  I was 47 when I first applied.

Also like Mary said, you want to make sure your doctor is specifically documenting your disabilities in the kind of language that SSA wants to see.  They want specifics.  That was one of my mistakes the first time around.  My doctors were saying, you need to stop working but the medical records weren't reflecting that and I didn't know to insist that they document it all. 

SSA might say well, maybe you can't work at what you were doing but you can do something.  That was what they said the first time around too.  The doctor needs to say things like you can't work at any job.

And on it goes.  Blah blah blah.  :P

The more doctors you have documenting, the easier it becomes.

The second time around, with a lawyer, I was awarded on the first try...but the entire period before and up to the first attempt was excluded.  Oh well. 

Live and learn, right?

Thanks for all your input.  I drag my butt to work daily, and my attitude is not the best because I hurt.  I will make a decision soon and move forward.  Thanks again!

I have been in home health for many years. It is my understanding from my patients that if you have a diagnosis that is on some list somewhere, like a stroke, heart attack, amputation, paralyzing injury things like that you will be approved fast. I do think there is a list on the SS web site.
Fibromyalgia is not a disease that fits their bill. Make sure in any communication the doctors write you have them write how the disease process interferes with you ability to preform daily activities. They want specifics like can you tie you shoes, towel dry very specific. Not just that it is the opinion of the doctor that you stop working. Also, you should be seen by a neurologist and a rhumatologist and have their input. It will help your case if all these doctors agree you are disabled.

Fibromyagia is a disease that fits there bill.  I have fibro.  I get SSD. It is also listed in their book. As you said, your ability to function is key to the disability determination. You may want to chec into your company's short and long term diability programs.  The long term disability insurance from my job kept me finacially secure until my benefits were approved.Do not be discouraged if you are turned down more than once.  If they say you could go to a hearing, it is not like court.  I would agree that you do not need a lawyer unless you are turned down.  There is a two year wait for Medicare.  You will need to get health insurance from your job via COBRA. Please feel free to send me a message if you have questions.