ItsMe

Naomi: Aww, thank you so very much!

Anoj: Oh thank you so very much! I sure hope and pray I get it too! We need it so desperately in so many ways! Thank you! ((HUGS))) back

Jan: Oh thank you so much! I hope and pray you are right!!! I just hope that the judge goes with that ONE hypothetical where the VE's response was favorable... He's a new judge so the lawyer knew nothing about him...

AllAboutPeace: Yes, it really has been so tough! And of course I'm sure many also know the financial toll, for my husband and I it has been crushing. We are in such massive debt, I feel guilty and so does my husband-both because we can't do more to pay the bills. Anyway all that stress plus the depression of feeling so bad all of the time, all the EVERYTHING involved with suffering so much for so long in so many ways... it's all been too much for us both. I'm just hoping and praying that FINALLY our miracle will come, help is on the way... we're trying to hold on to that desperate hope... GOOD LUCK to you on applying! They of course intentionally make it as difficult and stressful as possible... Do you have a lawyer yet? I wish I had gotten one from the start now... Also cooperation from your doctors, notes or forms would be especially helpful! Unfortunately my diagnosing doctor wouldn't help at all, it's their "policy" not to touch anything disability related... But my family doctor did help me by filling out a form, hopefully that will be enough... Anyway GOOD LUCK to you, I hope and pray it goes VERY smoothly for you! I filed mine Dec 2010. Oh and yes I'll update this post when I find out anything. Oh and don't worry about the typo, I didn't even notice it! I myself make sooo many typos all the time anyway. THANK YOU!

Hello! Thanks so much for the response! Any feedback right now is SOOO welcome so THANK YOU so much for your encouraging post! Thanks so much, I (as many people here can relate I'm sure) need this aid soooo very much. Being unemployed for several years has taken such a massive toll on everything, even my marriage. If we don't get this aid I don't know what we'll do... Anyway... The fastest I will hear is 2 weeks, it could even take months, especially if the decision isn't favorable... Thanks again!

Hi! I had my hearing yesterday, here's basically how it went. The judge asked me why I couldn't work, I explained some of my symptoms with POTS-weakness, fatigue, sometimes not being able to even get out of bed, near pass outs every day, passing out completely 2x (the last of which was a very bad one and my husband thought he lost me), dizziness, weakness, head pressure, migraines (sometimes with blinding aura), visual problems-like blurriness and noise, inability to concentrate or focus, memory loss, bladder problems (Interstitial Cystitis), and even stomach problems. I explained to him that my condition is basically keeping my vital organs from getting enough blood and oxygen and without blood and oxygen it really effects everything so much. The judge also noted that my specialist recommended dietary changes and exercise. He asked me if I exercise. I told him my Dr knew I was very limited with that but said to do it when I could and I told the judge I try to do that but it's hard to say how much because some weeks I can't do it at all, while others I can do a few mins at a time, up to possibly 30 mins on a "better" day. Some weeks I can't do it at all while others I can maybe do it up to 1-3x a week with very limited time on it (treadmill) and with my husband there with me watching me like a hawk. Then the hypotheticals, the first 2 the judge didn't really list any limitations, of it he did they were very basic. And the Vocational Expert said that yes there were jobs with those hypotheticals. The last hypothetical he listed 4 of my limitations, based on those the VE said that there were not any jobs that I could do, that I'd be unemployable. Then the judge asked him if that was with a combination of all the limitations or if each individual limitation would cause me to be unemployable, and the VE said that each individual limitation would be enough, that there were no jobs that I could do. Then my lawyer added the other limitation that was on my form my doctor filled out stating that with my condition I would have at least 4 absences a month. And the VE said with that limitation I would be unemployable. So based on all of this, how do you think it will be decided? I don't think it's fair that the judge asked the first 2 hypotheticals without listing my true limitations and I'm afraid that will hurt my case as my lawyer stated that he can choose any of the 3 hypotheticals to base his judgment on. Also I'm worried about the exercise question, it's really a kind of trap question because they could say if I didn't exercise that I wasn't following my doctor's orders, or they could say that since I'm "healthy enough" to exercise sometimes (even if only for 30 mins at a on a supervised treadmill) that I am healthy enough to work... ? Anyway, what do you guys think? Thank you so much!

Thanks a lot for the additional replies, every single one helps! I am wondering, will I HAVE to go to more doctor's appointments? I do have insurance but it's still $30 per visit plus parking and that really adds up quick plus they can't do anything for me. I do not want to take their drugs they offer because they make things worse for me. It would just be a waste of time (especially for my husband who would have to take off work each time) and money to go to doctors. I've already gone and been diagnosed and my family physician has this documented as well as the heart specialist I went to. Also, lawyers take 25% of your back back? That's quite a large chunk of it huh? Does having a lawyer greatly increase your chances of winning or are you just about as likely to get it on your own? Thanks again! ps. I just came across this info on the net, unfortunately I live in TN. "Residents of Tennessee who are thinking of applying for social security disability (SSD) or supplemental security income, a.k.a. SSI benefits should take some time to consider at what point, if any, they will consult with a disability lawyer. Only about a fourth of all disability applications filed with the Tennessee disability determination services agency are approved for benefits their first time through the system. The vast majority of applicants are denied disability benefits even if they meet the most basic social security disability requirements, not only upon initial application, but also upon appeal (this first appeal is often referred to as a request for reconsideration). If fact, only 7.9 % of disability appeals filed in Tennessee each year are successful—this grim statistic is well below the national average."

I want to say THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for the kind replies! Every thing helps at this point as I am clueless. For 5 years I didn't know what was wrong with me, I thought it was my heart. Doctors weren't much help at all. I finally changed to a new family physician after my last big passing out episode and she sent me to a specialist at the end of 2010 and I was finally diagnosed. The problem is the specialist isn't very helpful... He doesn't know much about POTS unfortunately and seems to think that most of my POTS symptoms aren't POTS related! His office is unwilling to help with disability proceedings too. I really don't want to go back to him and don't want to go to someone else either because drugs only make me worse and that's all they know to do. Also I have to have my husband ask off for work as he has to take me everywhere I go as I cannot drive and cannot be alone with my condition. My husband and I have no assets, we have 2 old cars and live in an old trailer that we are still making payments on (purchased used 10 years ago) and we do not even own the land it is on. We had hopes that it would be a temporary dwelling but with my illness and all the debt we've piled up because of it it seems that this is the only "shelter" we'll ever have. Unless by some miracle I actually get disability and we can get out of debt and hopefully out of this dump! This is certainly not the life I dreamed of for us. I just grow more and more thankful that we don't have children in all of this mess with us. All my health problems from POTS, all our financial woes, our "house" falling apart around us, knowing that if it weren't for my illness we wouldn't be in this he||, etc, it's all just too much on me and I really don't know how much "fight" I have in me at all anymore. I'm so stressed out, depressed, and broken and have been for a few years now after all this started. It just keeps getting worse though and now with my health not ever improving and now with all this disability stress, well it's not helping. I can definitely tell it's all making my POTS so much worse too. I wish stress wasn't so closely tied in with POTS but you can sure feel it that it definitely is! Anyway, I'm not sure what to do. I wouldn't know where to begin looking for a lawyer. I see one advertised on TV who specializes in disability but I'm kinda leery of TV lawyers because my parents selected TV lawyers for some horrible insurance ordeal they were going through and they were HORRIBLE! How much do lawyers usually take of what disability gives you? Do they get your medical records and all other files from the disability office? I'm worried about the 60 day deadline too, I know how lawyers drag their feet and it's already been a week since I received my letter. I'm just so overwhelmed and stressed out over this mess... I don't know where to begin. I just don't know if I have it in me either. Thanks again! I'm so sorry for my pity party, it just gets harder and harder to hide my depression these days like I used to be able to do... I am so sorry for all of your struggles as well as I know everyone here suffers.

Hi all! I wont get into my big sob story but I will tell you I've been unable to work for 5 yrs now thanks to POTS. I applied for disability and after 4 months of waiting got my rejection letter last week. It hit me very hard as my husband and I are horribly in debt because we've had to live off our credit card for years now because his paycheck just isn't enough but I cannot work. Most days I do well to get out of bed or off the couch as I know most of you know exactly what I'm talking about. Anyway I haven't appealed yet, I really don't know what to do about the appeal. I wanted to see if you guys could help me if you've been there and have any tips for me? Also, what are the chances of being accepted once you appeal? It's honestly like they don't read any of the things you send them... my denial letter was strange as it said I should still be able to work as a cashier with POTS-a cashier was my very first job years ago. Since then I had 2 other jobs my most recent was where I worked for a few years as an accountant. Also they added knee problems to my claim which I never added. I have a bad knee but never once claimed it as part of my disability, even though it does keep me from doing certain tasks. They just pulled that from my most recent dr visit I guess where I had it x-rayed. Anyway it's just like they just do not care at all and don't read anything. It's so frustrating! I need this disability so desperately but am honestly giving up all hope... this is not helping my depression at all as I know so many of you are going through it too. I just feel so hopeless and helpless and that my entire life in all aspects has been stripped from me as well as my husband. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go off on that. I've just been in such a dark place lately especially and this denial letter has not helped one bit. So anyway if you guys could help me at all I'd sure appreciate it! THANKS! (oh and I do not have a laywer)

Yes this is a fact for sure! I'm so glad to see that someone posted about this! HFCS is a very toxic substance. It sickens me to no end their ridiculous commercials claiming it's "natural" and just "made from corn." And now they're going as far as to change it on labels from HFCS to just "Corn Sugar." Just like the disgusting lies that splenda is made from sugar. This country is the worst for putting toxins in EVERYTHING and having their lies and propaganda to trick people into consuming it. There are so many toxins we need to try to avoid, ESPECIALLY having POTS and being so sensitive to toxins. With what all they are putting into EVERYTHING it is nearly impossible to do but we must continue to educate ourselves and do our best to avoid these toxins.

Oh I'm so sorry for you and what you're going through! YES there is no doubt in my mind that this is really causing your POTS to be worse! I had a big problem in my life a few months back, horrible stress, my whole life was coming to an end it seemed. Finally through MUCH dedicated prayer things got better but it took it's toll on me big time! I had the worst pass out episode yet and had to go to the ER. This was only 2-3 days after the situation was resolved and all was better. There is no doubt in my mind that it was a direct response to the insane amount of stress that was happening in my life. I am so sorry and I hope and pray that things get MUCH better for you! Just stay as close to God as you can as He is the ONLY one in your life who will always be there for you, never lie to you, never break your heart into a million pieces. Just cling to Him and stay in His word and in prayer to Him. I came to the huge realization that that's where I need to stay in my, if you put Him in his rightful place all other things will fall into their rightful place. GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!! God WILL help you! Just stay faithful to Him and don't give up! Btw, I said a prayer for you just now and your situation!

I'm so sorry for you and for all the other fellow POTS sufferers who can't have sex at all or nearly as much as they'd like because of POTS. I am one of these people. My main problem is my Interstitial Cystitis as well as Vulvar Vestibulitis and Vulvadynia. (all caused by my POTS) This on top of my regular POTS symptoms makes it very tough. Because of the pain I get scared to even try... it's so horrible how much POTS can affect one's life. I have so many horrible symptoms and POTS has really taken my life from me in so many ways but this one is the worst for me because it robs my husband and I of intimacy that can only come when joining together as one. It's very depressing I know and I am so sorry to all of you who also have this problem on top of all the other horrible POTS problems. I still try, I also keep track on the calender the days we actually get to with little hearts. Sometimes that helps me feel better to see there are some hearts on there-some months are better than others for sure. There have been some months with no hearts at all or only one or two while some have 5-6. Good luck to ALL of you, I hope that you all find ways to have sex with your the one you love despite POTS' many road blocks.

You might want to stay away from Splenda and other chemical sweeteners. They might be detrimental to POTS! I've had much luck with Stevia since it's natural but Aspartame, Splendad/sucralose, saccharin, etc. are nothing but chemicals!

Yes, it is something in the water, the food, the sky, everything... We are living in a very toxic world that's for sure. What they put in our water supply is just absurd and should not be legal! You should research all the toxins in your water supply, including fluoride. You can get a water report if you request it from your local water provider to see the amounts of toxins that is in your water. Also all the toxic chemicals they put in everything you buy to eat... it's SOOO hard to avoid these detrimental toxins. With POTS we're extremely sensitive to toxins so we have to do what we can to avoid them, it's just so frustrating and near impossible. Stress is definitely detrimental to POTS as well but in this day and age especially if you live with POTS and have basically had your life stripped from you, you can't avoid stress. I will say since water is SO vital especially for POTS be sure you are drinking PURE CLEAN Water. If you can find a good trustworthy source of spring water that's a great option! OR you could get distilled water since you know it's stripped of all toxins but be sure if you do this that you take vitamins and minerals because it's stripped of these as well.

I'm with you! It's hard for me to visualize, especially today when it's VERY stormy and flooding like crazy out and I'm in a huge brain fog...