Jay, Joan, et al..

The Social Security Administration wouldn't RECOGNIZE the "real
situation" if they tripped over it! <HUMPH!>

Barb Mallut <speaking from YEARS of experience) <groan>
[log in to unmask]

-----Original Message-----
From: Jay A. Henkelman <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Saturday, February 06, 1999 6:00 AM
Subject: Re: Social Security Review


>Hi Joan,
>
>The process that you have described is the "norm" for all SSDI
recipients.
>For PWP that are experiencing intermediate to advanced symtoms
and/or
>complications that are debilitating and thus "disabling" as per SS
>guidelines, whether it be an "on or off" situation, I strongly
suggest the
>following:  If SS requests that you see one of "their physicians"
for an
>evaluation to determine continuing SSDI eligibility, and you have
the common
>"on and off" scenario or worse, whatever you do, DON'T dance in for
your
>appointment "ON"!!!  Be honest, show the real picture!!!
>
>Jay Henkelman
>49/39/30
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Stan or Joan Snyder <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: Friday, February 05, 1999 11:00 PM
>Subject: Social Security Review
>
>
>>Hello to all: On new year eve, I received notice that, despite my
long &
>>desperate battle to finally receive SS disability just 4 years ago,
my
>>claim was up for review. Since then, I have been on that emotional
>>roller coaster that can only be called terrifying; me against a
huge
>>governmental agency. The first thing that I did was to call the
case
>>worker assigned to my case. She assured me that this was just
procedure
>>& that all cases were going to be reviewed. With somewhat a bit
more
>>confidence, I asked my sister fill in the papers for me as she is
the
>>head of employee benefits at a large accounting firm & had my
husband
>>deliver them to the local office. At the scheduled time, my local
>>caseworker called me to tell me that everything was in order. She
said
>>that she had never seen a form so fully documented and filled in
quite
>>so well.She also said that she could see no reason for me to
worry-it
>>was obvious that SS Disability was designed for someone like me.
She
>>would send my forms to the state where they would be reviewed &
that a
>>decision would be made in 6 months time & she was sure that this
was
>>just a formality & that I need not worry. Feeling somewhat at ease,
I
>>kinda put it on the back burner & got on with my life. Then on Jan.
27,
>>came a big brown envelope from the Dept. of Human
>>Services: Office of Rehab Services, Disability Determinations and I
>>thought WOW, we filled in those forms so well that  they were able
to
>>make a quick judgment. WRONG! inside was another stack of forms
with a
>>cover letter stating that they were deciding my disability claim &
>>needed to know how my condition makes it difficult for me to carry
out
>>day-to-day activities. All this, now, when just several years ago,
I was
>>forced to hire a lawyer & ultimately had to go before a judge who
said
>>that my case should have never gotten that far! Anyhow, this set of
>>questions seems to me to contain some "weird-er" questions than
usual.
>>Some of them are: (under general information) Do you have trouble
>>concentrating or thinking? If so, give examples. & Do you hear
>>voices/see people who are not around? If so, do they interfere w/
your
>>activities? If so, describe. (under a section called Getting along
w/
>>People) Do you enjoy people and like to be with others? Do you feel
>>afraid of people?
>>Now, I feel as if I'm walking through quicksand-I have answered
these
>>questions to the best of my ability but I'm afraid of the
consequences:
>>if I enjoy people & like to be with others am I a social butterfly
>>looking for someone to pay my way or am I just a PWP with lots of
>>friends who come over to bring  dinner for my family, take me out
for
>>awhile (I have practically given up all driving!) & must sit &
listen to
>>my horribly slow & soft voice & remember how much fun I used to be?
Can
>>I tell them that I don't fear people but am becoming more & more
>>paranoid that "Big Brother" is watching? Can I make them understand
how
>>I woke up 1 am to be able to type this & won't be able to sleep
again
>>until the pills kick in to make it quit hurting enough so that I
can
>>finally quit shaking? Can they read this on the www and say that
I'm
>>functional enough to write this, so I should be able to hold down a
>>full-time job without knowing how long it has taken me to get this
out.
>>I realize that there are abuses in the system that they are trying
to
>>fix, but I have to tell you-this is one rollercoaster ride that I
wish
>>would finally end!
>>--
>>Joan E. Snyder (47-8-10) <[log in to unmask]>
>>"In the depths of winter I finally learned there
>>was in me an invincible summer" Albert Camus
>>http://www.newcountry.nu/pd/members/snyder/page1.htm
>