Nervous, Nervous About Disability

[Kitsakatsa]

I've done a search on disability and I just have some questions and alot of concerns.

Recently (since December) POTS for me has become much worse. I've had for about 6 yrs and have been working full time+school.

I am done with school, but was working full time until last week.

I am just back at the point where I can barely sit up for long, just have an intolerance of everything again. I didn't think POTS got worse after it got better.

I have new symptoms-2 yrs ago with purple fingers, 1 year ago with Adies eyes (that in a research study Dr. Low notes as a symptom of cranial nerve lesion and severe dysautonomia), and a thing with my ear canal where I lose my hearing spontaniously. Also, sluggish reflexes. All new in the last year.

Now, my Sed rate has been high since December.

I've been to Mayo twice with little resolution.

I am currently on short term disability with my company. I think the ideal would to be on long term disability.

For those who have been approved for disability- I wonder if my profile seems like a good profile to get approved. I am really worried about it. I have an insurance that will pay disability at my full salary, but the approval is very similar to regular disability. The thing is- I cannot go even 1 day without an approval when the time comes. I am single and am my only source of income.

I'm really, really worried. Some people say I have it in the bag, but I thought I would ask you, those who've gone through the process to see if you think this is a profile that might get approved (disclaimer- I understand this is your opinion only and an opinion).

I cannot return to my job without FMLA retaliation (long story), and yet I am worried that I am running into a black hole.

Any help that you can offer is fully appreciated. As you can see, its keeping me up nights.

Kits

[cardiactec]

I've done a search on disability and I just have some questions and alot of concerns.

Recently (since December) POTS for me has become much worse. I've had for about 6 yrs and have been working full time+school.

I am done with school, but was working full time until last week.

I am just back at the point where I can barely sit up for long, just have an intolerance of everything again. I didn't think POTS got worse after it got better.

I have new symptoms-2 yrs ago with purple fingers, 1 year ago with Adies eyes (that in a research study Dr. Low notes as a symptom of cranial nerve lesion and severe dysautonomia), and a thing with my ear canal where I lose my hearing spontaniously. Also, sluggish reflexes. All new in the last year.

Now, my Sed rate has been high since December.

I've been to Mayo twice with little resolution.

I am currently on short term disability with my company. I think the ideal would to be on long term disability.

For those who have been approved for disability- I wonder if my profile seems like a good profile to get approved. I am really worried about it. I have an insurance that will pay disability at my full salary, but the approval is very similar to regular disability. The thing is- I cannot go even 1 day without an approval when the time comes. I am single and am my only source of income.

I'm really, really worried. Some people say I have it in the bag, but I thought I would ask you, those who've gone through the process to see if you think this is a profile that might get approved (disclaimer- I understand this is your opinion only and an opinion).

I cannot return to my job without FMLA retaliation (long story), and yet I am worried that I am running into a black hole.

Any help that you can offer is fully appreciated. As you can see, its keeping me up nights.

Kits

Hi Kits,

Your story sounds like mine. I was working in cardiology for six years, POTS has gotten worse over the past year, like you been to mayo twice with no new treatment options and treatments i've tried haven't worked, went out on short term disability 3 months ago and now moving into long term (hoping it gets approved) .....

I applied for SSDI at the end of january when i went out on short term disability. I was concerned about getting approved as i have heard such horrible stories from people with POTS trying to get on SSDI and it taking them months or even years, being denied, having to get lawyers involved etc .........to my surprise and with much thankfulness in the situation, I was approved for SSDI two weeks ago (only took 2 months).

I am not sure how SSDI is handled from state to state, if it is "easier" in some states compared to others (i am in maine), but just provide as much documentation as possible.

I hope things work out for you.

Angela.

[janiedelite]

Hi Kits,

I'm sorry that you find yourself in this situation. I had to leave my nursing career May 18, 2007, and file for long-term disability (LTD). My LTD company then filed immediately on my behalf for SSDI (2 denials, then I was approved this year at a hearing, yay!). Initially I was disabled from a hip injury after a car accident. I required surgery on 6/07 and again on 1/08 and over 100 PT visits. But my POTS had already began to affect me too. However, it didn't become debilitating until 6/08 when the burning pain all over my body started. I'd mostly recovered from my hip injury by 10/08 and could have gone back to work, except that my POTS was too severe. I was able to maintain my LTD benefits by:

- Having an EP cardio provide my POTS diagnosis

- Having a good PCP who documented how disabling my symptoms were, including how they affected daily activities

- Providing my LTD insurer with medical research articles on POTS and disability

- Detailing in a 1-2 page document how each day in my life looked, from the time I got up to bedtime and even sleeping difficulties every time my LTD benefits renewed

- You can't provide too many medical records! Also, your records from Mayo/Dr. Low will be invaluable because of Mayo's respected reputation.

Unfortunately, my LTD benefits had a 6 month waiting period before I received any payment. And, I didn't file for disability until that May in 2007 and it took until 1/08 before they got all of their paperwork done. At that point, they looked back at the hours I worked and saw that I had to miss over 20% of my regular working hours since 2/07 due to my injury, so they made my 6-month waiting period start in 2/07. When I got my first payment in 1/08, I received 5-months of payments at once!

So my advice would be to get signed up on your company's LTD insurance now! And get the LTD insurer's contract from your HR and read it fully so you'll know if there's a waiting period and any other issues that might come up. Hopefully there will be someone in your HR who's knowledgeable about the LTD benefits and can walk you through the steps of applying for LTD. Once you are paying premiums (or your company pays them), file asap for benefits! Start saving every dollar you can right now in case there's a delay in payment (like what happened to me). Feel free to PM me anytime! And good luck!