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Hello all:
I am new to this community and I hoped some of you could share some of your experiences with applying for SSD. I applied for SSD on March 4th but haven't heard anything back. I find myself getting upset everytime I go to the mailbox and there isn't any response. How long does it usually take to hear back?
I appreciate anyone sharing.
Cancer Sciatica Surgery Arthritis Chronic pain Back pain Bypass surgery Ovarian cancer Chemotherapy Pain Acupuncture
could anyone of you tell me if I could file for disability under my husbands disability?
could anyone of you tell me if I could file for disability under my husbands disability?
i LOVE it when everyone pitches in to help someone solve a problem. It is a thrill to watch and a joy to know.
Ya'll are the very best!!
I was diagnosed (stage IIIc) and had debulking surgery January 2009. Chemotherapy February through June. I applied for SSD on line and dropped off a signed release of medical records form along with my hospital and physician records to the SS office in April and was approved within 4 1/2 weeks. No interview was required. My last day of work was 1/7/2009 and benefits began July 1 (apply as soon as possible but you must complete 5 full months of no work before benefits begin).
Your yearly SS information form mailed to you has the approximate amount you will receive monthly. Mine was almost to the dollar. I believe you must have worked and contributed to SS within the past 10 years to qualify for SSD. OvCa stages III and IV are considered Compassionate Allowances and have a fast track review.
http://www.ssa.gov/pgm/links_disability.htm
I wonder why mine is taking so long. I probably confused them with all the information I sent in. I have been to a lot of doctors, had several surgeries and continue to suffer with chronic pain. You would think it would be a slam dunk!
Are you trying to do any therapy or exercises for your back? It seems whenever I try to "strengthen" my back as the therapists want me to do, I just get hurt, so I have kind of given up. I still ride my bike when I can in the summer and I have a recumbent stationary bike in my house that I use in the winter. I have to admit, I have been bad lately, and not used it!
I tried chiropractor and acupuncture, neither seemed to work for me. I get frustrated and stop. When pain gets unbearable again, I go to the doctor. Most of the time, I just do stretches and try to be careful not to twist or overdo any physical activity.
If I do get turned down, I will appeal and tell them about the blogs I have read on other women such as yourself that have similar problems!
Thank you!
Stay strong!
Angel
Hey, Angel!
I was diagnosed stage 3C and got my disability right away. Did it online, got a phone call from their office in our city, answered some questions and that was it!
I also have back pain and problems with both my sciatica nerves and have been going to my chiropractor...you have nerves going from your spinal chord to every organ in your body and when those organs are removed, it messes up your spinal chord...that's me! So, he's helping me....it had gotten so bad that it felt like I was kneeling on broken glass when I leaned on the bed! That's gone...it's gotten a whole lot better, I must say! Now just the lower back pain flairs up...I was just in to see him yesterday as a matter of fact!
Blessings and hugs!!!
I do not think that you will have any trouble. You can make the application on-line to get the ball rolling. There will a second form about work history or something. About the third or fourth question asks if you have been diagnosed with a terminal disease and of course for us that answer is yes. When I answered that way I got a message to make an appt. I had my disability within a month.
I finally got my SSD filed in August of this year. It was a lot of work! I don't know why I didn't file in 2006 when I was diagnosed, I guess I just didn't think about it, and wanted to concentrate on getting better...that was enough work in itself!
So far, I have been sent extra paperwork to fill out, which I returned and one disability determination doctor appointment on October 20, where I talked to a doctor about my ailments and took some tests, including six x-rays. I haven't heard anything since, but I know it takes time.
Has anyone diagnosed with IIIC or lower received disability benefits? I have heard women with ovca get benefits right away, but I wonder if you have to be a IV or currently undergoing treatment.
I am currently in remission, but have other issues that I used to file my SSD, along with the cancer. I broke my back in three places in 1970 and have had many other broken bones, etc from all the years of riding and training horses, so I have arthritis and other problems. I was somewhat managing all the aches and pains until after chemo, where everything seemed to get worse.
I have back and neck pain pretty much every day, and at times, shooting pains in my back and going down my left leg, along with numbness in my toes on my left foot. On particular "bad" days, I feel like there is along needle being stuck in my lower back and it becomes really hard to move.
I developed Sciatica in my left hip, and now have started to notice the right hip is being affected as well. I can't sit or stand for too long without moving, and I also can't walk for lopng periods or my hips will lock up. For heavan's sake, I hurt my back and couldn't hardly move for days because I tried to mop the kitchen floor! That's pitiful!
Anyway, I would appreciate any information. Please feel free to request becoming a friend if you want to email in confidence.
Stay strong!
Angel
Hi Jen457 -
I received my approval right after I sent my e-mail. Thanks so much for your response!
Skatemama, I sailed right through it. I called SS and asked about it. She emailed me the form and also mailed it as you do have to sign one form and send it back. My one hour phone interview was scheduled in about a week to ten days. They then send forms to your drs. I received the okay from them in about six weeks? My last day of work was in August, but the first payment started in March. GL
Opps - I should let ya'all know I worked for myself from 2000 to 2008 when I had the first surgery and had to give up my little company - closed it down officially on 12-31-2008. Had plans to return to some kind of work until the reoccurance hit me. So bottom line I was working, not contributing to SSI and now cannot work, had to shut my company down and have loss wages from Sept 08 to the present.
Thanks again!
Maryann
Ok, I have questions about SS Insurance. I worked for Enron (yeah, Enron) for 20 years, so I had SSI during that time. I quit two months before it went down (2000) and haven't added to my SSI BUT should I still be able to go for SS Disability benefits? Ovarian Cancer Stage IIIc in Sept of 08, some removal of bowel, complete hysterecomy, 6 chemo treats. Three months of being cancer free then it returned. Have to have bypass surgery on small bowel and now receiving another type of chemo. With the SBO, I'm pretty much tied to the bathroom and since I was in the hospital for 18 day, lost 40 pounds, I haven't regain my strength. I'm on a 21 day treatment cycle (Day 1, Day 8 and then on the 21st day, new cycle) so two after the treatment I'm pretty much in bed for several days. What are my chances of getting benefits?
Thanks! Love ya ALL! Keep prayers going for everyone!
Maryann
You don't have to do anything for your sons benefits. SS will determine his eligibility. I'm glad you finally heard from them :)
Just an update, I got my award letter Saturday! I was so relieved to finally have my answer. My letter said that my child may be eligible for a benefit check, have any of you had this experience? Do I need to do anything or does the SS office review his eligibility? My letter said that he would receive a letter separately from mine at a later date.
I worked as a Disability Analyst for SS and it can take up to 6 months to get your first decision. You should receive a packet of questions from them and you typically have 10 days to answer and return. And it truly depends on how long it takes for your doctors to get your medical records to the analyst. If you have your records you can call your analyst and tell them you have your records and they will send you a bar code and an envelope to send the information to the scanning facility. All records are now scanned from another facility and your claim is review electrionically.
You should have received a letter from your analyst stating when they received your application and the analysts name and number.
The actual determination is not done by social security it is done by a state agaency such as Social Services or Social and Rehab services, it depends on the state which you live in where your claim is being reviewed. Then the state agency sends the allowance or denial back to SS. If it is a denial you will recieve a letter from the state agency, if it is an allowance you will hear from the SS field office. You can call your analyst at any time, but they can't tell you if it was an allowance only if it was denied. The reason for that is that there is an Office of Disability and Adjudication for SS and they can pull your claim and review it after the determination and change the outcome of the claim.
Hope this helps. If you have other questions please let me know. I know it is a long process and they are very, very busy, so any extra work you can do to get ALL of your records would be helpful to your analyst. What they really need is the path report, that is the most important part of the medical records.
Good luck.
I had my 24 month "review" last summer. I had no trouble retaining SSD benefits, I think mainly due to being stage IV. Also, it might have been a factor that I was too fatigued to work even 20 hours a week, unless I stopped my fitness routine.
Me, too! Contact the person at Social Security who has your case and remind them about the Compassionate Allowance list that includes ovarian cancer. I had money deposited in my checking account in 2 weeks!
I love it when I hear someone else got their social security disability :D Yeah!!!
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