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Sharon, My advise is to get yourself a good SSI lawyer and let him take the heat. They can do so much more for you. They have a set amount they can charge by law so it's well worth it to pay him when you are finally approved. Trust me,I've been there. I was 59when I filed a claim and my lawyer took care of everything. He kept me posted and kept encouraging me ,because he knew the laws and how to work with and around them. Usually the first visit is free and he can pretty much tell you yes or no on your chances. Good Luck. Shirley -----Original Message----- From: Sharon Parker <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Date: Thursday, February 03, 2000 4:12 PM Subject: ssdi >I retired last June with only 17 years as teacher as per neuros. advice. I >was 43 at the time. Teacher retirement was approved within one week. After >the local SS office lost some of my paperwork and didn't bother to notify me >until I called them four months after applying(I was told by the SS folks it >would take four months). Also, let me interject here that a SS >Administration employee in Washington D.C. was the first person to tell me I >should retire on disability. New paperwork was filled out and returned....It >has been one major hassle....and has certainly not helped PD symptoms. The >purpose for retiring was to eliminate stress as much as possible, but dealing >with the SS folks as been the most stressful thing I've done. When the claim >was sent to the Disability Determination office........the real nightmares >begin....they claimed to have problems getting records from hospital and >doctors....hospital claimed they had not received a request from the DD. Got >that taken care of and one week later, the person handling case tells me >everything is in and they will be making a determination within a couple of >days....oh yes, he was looking at my file when he told me that. Two later, >"sorry, we don't have alll of your records in, waiting on records from >neuro.....we really need those." I take care of that...two weeks >later....they haven't received records.....I call neuros. office again...they >had been mailed soon after my first inquiry. Talk to a DD supervisor.....she >ask me to contact neuros office again and have them to fax records to her. I >comply.....his office tells me they will fax immediately. I call supervisor >back and she tells me that just because they fax the records today....that it >would be at least 2 days before she actually gets them in her hands because >she will have to ask her secretary to go from 5th to 3rd floor to retrieve >them. Needless to say, I am by this point and before, not a happy person.. >She also tells me she wants me to go to dr. of their choice for another >opinion. Fine, send me whereever....In a few days., I receive a letter >telling me about appointment they scheduled and reminding me to keep the >appt. A couple of days after that...receive another letter telling me unless >I had additonal info. to not call them, they would call me.. That did >it....I called Congressman's office and they got right on it.....but really >couldn't do anything unless denied...but did make contact with liasion who >began keeping them informed. After another month and visit to the dr. of >their choosing.. Congressman's office called and told me the liasion had >called and I was going to be denied., to appeal upon receiving letter from >the DD office and to have better documentation from drs. My neuro is one of >two PD specialist in state(the other is his partner). I wait and two weeks >later, just this week....get phone call from DD office. This very nice >sounding female tells me she has been assigned to my case and so and so had >moved., did I have time to answer some questions....I did. She begins to ask >questions and I stop her and ask about denial....she told me I had not been >denied...file had been pulled and was being reviewed and would like to take >a different approach to my case....wanted to play up the emotional part of PD >also. So I agreed, i have been very emotional about it. Afterwards, >Congressman's office calls and tells me my file was pulled by in-house >quality control (??) group and that the liasion said this was very good news >for me.. I am seeing another dr of their choosing and was told to not act >like everything is OK...because it isn't. Sorry this is so long...but this >is what has happened with me and applying.....Oh yes, don't know if this >helped in getting file pulled for another look, but I emailed the President >twice, asking for help. Good Luck, everyone says it isn't uncommon to be >denied, but that eventually you will be approved.