URGENT. Need help with SSDI Questions!

[anonymous]

I am applying for SSDI for the 3rd time! I have gotten turned down and now I will appeal if need be. My question to you all is how do you answer those questions they mail you asking for example:
1. Can you exercise? Can you do laundry, groceryshop, prepare meals
2. Can you shower, get dressed, climb stairs
3. Can you clean, make beds etc.
4. Do you play sports, exercise
These are just a sample of the questions. My problem is when I am sick I can not do ANYTHING, except lay on the couch and cough my head off. But when I am feeling good, yes I do exercise, laundry etc. As I have gotten older I am getting sick more often and it takes a solid month if not more to get back to my baseline. I just do not know how to answer the questions that will be honest but at the same time show the depth of what CF is and how it affects daily activity let alone holding down a job. I use to work full time and had to drop to part time, now I can not do even part time. I mean yes I exercise but it is sometimes hard as hell and I push myself so I can loosen the mucus. But they do not get that!!! HELP!

Can you all help me in your opinion on how to answer these questions so I can get approved for SSDI! My form is due in 10 days from 5-23-05!

Thank you
CF female age 33

 

[Emily65Roses]

I don't know if you can work on it, but a good way to deal with the confusing not straight-forward answers to questions, is to get a lawyer. There's a lawyer in Texas who has CF. She normally doesn't handle SSI or SSDI cases, but does for CFers. She only got paid when we succeeded. It took me two years to get SSI, and then she only requested I pay her 25% of the back-pay. Was plenty worth it. She put a lot of time (more than 2 years) and effort into my case, and I finally got approved 28 months after our original application. Her name is Beth Sufian.

 

[Purplelungs]

I have always been told when applying for SSI to say the worst...if it happens to you say it...They dont consider we have good and bad days...and our bad days we cant do anything. When we are sick we cant do anything...Plus you never know when and how sick you will be. If working is worse on your health and you had to quit then you need SSDI to basicaly survive. Yes you want to be honest but basically being honest here doesnt help you any. So tell them what happens when you are sick. I mean we have to struggle through things anyway where anyone else thats healthy wouldnt be able to do the things we do like laundry if they felt like us....so when you say your sick your sick...Make sense? a healthy person wouldnt be able to do simple things if they felt how we did when we feel "fine"...yeah thats what Im trying to say. No they do not get we push ourselves. You seriously have to tell them what happens when your at your worst. if its a fill out form and it says something like, exersise 2-3 itmes a week to never....or is it you have to write it in yourself?....in any case Give them your daily life when your sick. just say no to all of them..maybe occasionally. occasionally I would answer on showering, dressing, maybe cleaning...everything else tell them what its like when your sick...you cant....
Anyway sorry to be so repeatitive.
Amanda

 

[anonymous]

As Amanda has said, give them your worse case scenario. That's what I did. I know how you feel, I felt like I was misleading, but I was just giving them my worse case scenario because I guess I didn't know if by the time I got approved if that would be my norm every day anyway. Luckily, it was not.
It is bad that I felt like I basically had to lie to get disability and it's frustrating when you hear of others that get approved for disability and possibly don't have a valid reason for doing so.
Don't be afraid to give too many details on how life is with CF. Don't just say "cough alot" or "hard to grocery shop". Explain in detail how you have to stop half way down the isle sometimes to catch your breath & how it's always necessary for someone to carry your groceries out & load them & then what a struggle it can be to unload them when you get home, often requiring breaks, etc or even requiring you to depend on others to do your shopping altogether because you're in bed too sick/weak to do it yourself. I'm guessing if you're like me, this is a reality on your worst days.
Also, if you get winded while showering, say so. And if you can only barely climb 1 flight of stairs that are 4-5 steps high, then state that in detail. If you only have energy to make meals that are basically already pre-made (i.e. Hamburger Helper, frozen pizza, etc) then state that.
Sorry to be so long winded (no pun intended) and good luck<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[anonymous]

Exactly what I did. Gave worst case. I let them know I couldn't do this or that. I had my mom coming in to help. My boyfriend cooked when he got home. I wasn't lying. it is that way when I'm bad. So don't feel like your cheating. They don't ask on what days you feel good. I let them know I make my bed. Boyfriend washes clothes. I fold. Because I can sit and fold. But get super winded when I put them in the washer & dryer. I food shop. Only for a few items at a time as I can't carry thrm all in. To make 2-3 trips to the car I would be sick. It was very scary. I didn't know what to write either but once you start writing it wikk start flowing. The thing to remeber is how different your life is from when your feeling good compared to when your not and write about when your not. Hope this helps. I also gave my moms # but they never called her to see if she comes to clean and do things. Becky

 

[anonymous]

We did get a lawyer for my husbands case-a really nice guy but I did 90% of the legwork on his case. He did offer us a few vital peices of advice, ALWAYS answer questions how you are at your worst. If they then require further information, you can supply the scenarios at that time.

<a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/AdultListings.htm">http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/AdultListings.htm</a> Look here for inpairment listings.

I have some spread sheets which kept track of Mark's infections (what type of bacteria was growing) and what the doctor prescribed (nebulized tobi, IV's...) and daily log that we kept on Mark to easily list (actually to make it easier for the reviewer to read) his activities throughout the day (when he woke up, all the times he ate, how long his meds-chest pt and such things took, how often he napped througout the day, how often he work up in the evening...). I believe that is what really brought to light the severity of CF, even when someone is not really sick, it is still a very draining thing to deal with ( coughing can cause fatigue..., problems sleeping). If you are interested I can email the information to you- division902@hotmail.com


Julie (wife to Mark 24 w/CF)