SSDI and PsA
I "retired" from my job as a Research Paralegal for a 1 attorney law firm in August 2020 after years in pain management but no real answers. I agreed to help finish up the couple of cases we had because I've been at the same firm for around 18 years and I'm the only staff. What led to my leaving was increased pain, increased stress, memory loss, and seem to increasingly feel worse every day. Now, almost 2 years later, still finishing up some work but usually 3 hrs or so a week. My boss's attitude is that I have to help him until he's done with the cases but every time I go in, I spend several days recovering.
It doesn't help my stress and pain levels that he does not show up and I spend my time keeping people calm and covering while taking care of his church and personal stuff.
I'm a paralegal, not a personal secretary. I stay so mad and he doesn't even see it or understand that I'm physically and mentally done. I applied for Social Security Disability after my official diagnosis last July as I also have congestive heart failure (7 surgeries for PVCs and loop monitors to date), hypertension, hyper insomnia, inflammatory polyarthritis, and COPD, among other things. Just got denied for SSDI and am appealing because come to find out they didn't bother to get my Rheumatology records at all and they figure I can't be disabled because I'm only 48. I have been dependent on major pain medications since 2009 after several falls on the ice (I live in Oklahoma). I have severe bulging discs in my cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine for which I have been recommended surgery but I instead get spinal injections and just suffer. I have PsA with joint and bone deterioration and major bone spurs in my feet, hands, spine, right knee, hips, left shoulder, and on and on, brain fog, memory loss, depression, anxiety. I take Orencia infusions and methotrexate for my PsA for a total of 20 pills a day. I am so angry and depressed right now over this Social Security decision and just over the whole situation. Sometimes I feel so useless and helpless. My new thing is bruising and tearing my skin just from brushing against things. Thanks for letting me rant and for reading.
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Hi @MMahaffey, thank you for having the courage to share your story with us. I am so glad that you found our community and you are welcome here at any time to share or just vent! You have been through so much and I can understand why you are so frustrated. I wish the SSDI process was easier. Many people in our community can definitely relate to what you are going through. I am so glad to hear you have appealed your case. I am really happy you are standing up for yourself. You deserve to be heard with all of the relevant information from your medical records. I will be thinking of you and wishing you all the best. Please keep us updated, if you are comfortable doing so, as to when your case is rescheduled. Sending you gentle hugs. Jill, Team Member
Thank you so much. I think what's most frustrating for me is that the only records they didn't get are the most important ones. The ones I specifically harped on as being most important. Then they say yeah, you have CHF and COPD and arthritis but you're still alive so.... It's like they don't get that PsA, RA and other auto immune diseases are not just arthritis. They are debilitating. I've had arthritis in my back and hands since I was 20. This isn't that. Do they think people want to be disabled at 48 and live on that measley check when their medications are easily 5 times the amount of the check? And that's just for the PsA meds. They act like it's coming out of their personal funds. it's like hey, I worked for 40+ years and paid in, almost 30 of it making a really good living in legsl....Argh..... Okay. Rant over. Thank you again for your response @Jill.Brodie
thank you for the article. In answer to your question about an attorney, I have done social security claims for clients for over 20 years so unless I have to go to an ALJ hearing, I won't hire an attorney but gather the records myself. I still contract and am close to the attorney I worked with for 20 years so I can use my contacts from there at this point. Thanks again. That is great @MMahaffey. Best of luck to you!!! Jill, Team Member
, hi! I've actually completed most of the appeal paperwork. It only took them 4 1/2 weeks to get me the denial letter so I'm racing against time. I considered asking for a reconsideration because it's supposed to be faster but they just use what they already have so I think I would get the same result. In Oklahoma roughly 95% of the time they deny first time. Very frustrating. My rheumatologist is who told me to apply asap due to my disease progression and current status and also told me because of my age I would most likely be denied the first time so I wasn't terribly surprised but it's still frustrating that her records are the ones they didn't get. In fact, her office said that they didn't even get a request for their records. The doctors have all said that they believe I am disabled but also said that I would most likely be denied first time as I'm not dead yet. I have had a handicapped placard for parking since 2016. Besides the pain, I also started noticing memory loss (which to me is a major symptom because I have always had a photographic memory) and that was part of the main reason I applied for SSDI regardless of my age.
Thank you for the note and encouragement. Sorry for the long response. I'm also from California (Imperial Valley) btw. I'll keep updating as this saga continues. Melody.
