First Hearing - Denied SSD

[Mercy&Grace]

It takes much nor than being diagnosed with a medical determined impairment. Your impairment has to severely affect your ability to perform Activities Of Daily Living. These details need to be in your medical records and non medical evidence. Discuss the details with your doctors. Get copies of your medical records and read them. Some doctors do not take good notes..

[A110ver]

Thank you

[llworking]

This is just a technical bit of info that may or may not end up being relevant for you, however there is no such thing as SSD. There is SSDI (which seems to be clearly what is involved in your case) and SSI, which is for very low income people.

You don't want to be using the wrong terminology when you are talking to people, because it distracts from the actual issues that need to be discussed.

[A110ver]

Thank you, llworking. Right terminology is important.

And, I know, what I want to say is out of the subject. However, I used to be a workaholic. Now I know that I have a progressive neurological disorder that has no cure, and nothing there to even slow down the progression. I feel and I move like a zombie with my brain been partially dead. My body is stiff and slow. All I want is to live my last years crossing items on my bucket list. It sacks to be on a “leash” of SSA.
All the sudden people are looking at me like I am a parasite and trying to steal their tax money out their packets.
I’ve learned that people most likely will listen if I attempt to say something inspirational. But if I’m crying, for some reason, some people tend to hurt me more. This is scary because sometimes I can’t control it and can’t hide my tears. I have no support system. Moreover, I am a caregiver to my 83 yo father and to my 18 yo autistic son.
The day I’m severe enough to not to be able to wipe my own ass, I’d rather to kill myself than to become a burden. I just can’t picture myself sitting in a wheelchair drooling all over myself and chocking on my own saliva.

[Mercy&Grace]

Did the ALJ mention you being a caregiver for your father and son ? Being a caregiver is a demanding 24/7 job. You must have medical and non medical evidence your impairments affect your ability to perform Activities Of Daily Living for yourself.

[A110ver]

The lawyer didn’t mention that I’m a caregiver to my father and son. Me taking care of my father was mentioned in one of the medical records. That’s it.
My care of them is mostly to take them to their doctors’ appointments, order, pick up, and make sure that they have their medications. Take them to barber. Make sure that they have food to eat. That my son didn’t forget to change his clothes, brush his teeth, and goes to bed in time. Participating in my son’s therapy. Make sure that my son didn’t wander out of the house without his clothes, shoes, and his cellphone. BTW, my father doesn’t speak English.
I don’t know if this is a good thing for SSA to know. They could say if I can take care of myself, my father, and my son, then I can take on a full time job.
I still can Perform my AODLs, but I’m very slow. My body is rigid. I have a lot of pain, bradykinesia and fatigue. I have to lie down few times a day to recharge.
I was thinking that it could help if my attorney sent me to an occupational doctor. But he didn’t.

[Mercy&Grace]

The lawyer didn’t mention that I’m a caregiver to my father and son. Me taking care of my father was mentioned in one of the medical records. That’s it.
My care of them is mostly to take them to their doctors’ appointments, order, pick up, and make sure that they have their medications. Take them to barber. Make sure that they have food to eat. That my son didn’t forget to change his clothes, brush his teeth, and goes to bed in time. Participating in my son’s therapy. Make sure that my son didn’t wander out of the house without his clothes, shoes, and his cellphone. BTW, my father doesn’t speak English.
I don’t know if this is a good thing for SSA to know. They could say if I can take care of myself, my father, and my son, then I can take on a full time job.
I still can Perform my AODLs, but I’m very slow. My body is rigid. I have a lot of pain, bradykinesia and fatigue. I have to lie down few times a day to recharge.
I was thinking that it could help if my attorney sent me to an occupational doctor. But he didn’t.

A Functional Capacity Evaluation may or may not help you. Based on what you have said. I doubt you will be approved until you have medical and non medical evidence of your inability to perform ADL without assistance. Being able to care for yourself and two other individuals. is not helpful in being approved for SSA disability.

[A110ver]

I’m scared of the future. Any advise?

I know some people who can do everything without assistance and more than I can do. They still have SSDI.

[Mercy&Grace]

I’m scared of the future. Any advise?

I know some people who can do everything without assistance and more than I can do. They still have SSDI.

Physical and mental impairments affect individuals differently. When your condition becomes worse. You probably will not have a,problem being approved. Discuss the details of how your impairments affect your ability to fun too with your doctors. Get copies of your medical records and read them. When you fill out a Function Report for SSA be as detailed as possible. You can use additional paper.

Beware, work credits begin to expire when you stop working. You must have at least 20 credits for the past 5 out of 10 years to be eligible for SSDI and Medicare. Find out when your Date Last Insured is. You Established Onset Date must be prior to that for SSDI and Medicare. You need to think about keeping your credits current.

https://www.ssa.gov/planners/disabil...y.html#anchor1

[jk]

I’m scared of the future. Any advise?

I know some people who can do everything without assistance and more than I can do. They still have SSDI.

And I’m sorry to say I’ve known some folks that sound like they are worse off than you that have been denied. Sometimes it just doesn’t make sense as to who is approved and who is denied.

I know a guy with two artificial hips. The list of things he couldn’t do as provided by his doctor either as true physical limitations or that it would damage the prosthesis were basically a list of what he has to do daily at work. Alj looked at him and said: no, I don’t think you’re disabled and that was at his appeal hearing and with a lawyer. He had already been out of work for two years because he simply could not perform the work.

A lot of times who is approved and who is denied doesn’t make sense to me.