News on the 3 year old appeal

Okay, I have heard from Binder and Binder on my 3 year old appeal. It is looking favorable they said that I would either be awarded more back pay or that we would have to go before the ALJ (Administrative Law Judge) again and have him retry the case. Not great news but it is good news because they said due to the fact that they awarded me my second claim, it puts me in a favorable position to have a re-trail!!! Hopefully this means that if they do this that I might not have to wait as long to recieve my Medicare benifits. I did not think to ask my caseworker that but I will next time I talk to her. The possibility of just being awarded more without the fact that I might not have to go back to court is great. Binder and Binder and the ALJ says that the appeals council can award the claim without going back to court if they want to or they can send it back to the ALJ for review on his end. Either way is ok, but I would prefer the first way better. But at this point I don't care. I can finish 3 more days of my 2 wks notice and be done with working in pain and not having to spend the next day and half in bed til time to go to work again. I will soon be a FREE Woman!!!!!

More News to Come

I spoke with my caseworker from Binder and Binder and this is just the beginning. I may still have more money coming.
This is only from the case they filed in December of 2008. So from the time I filed the original case, there may be still another year or so that might be awarded me. Due to the fact that part of the original filing was from July 2006 to Novemer 2008. From October 2006 to August of 2008 I worked full time. So we pretty much know that is a no go. But from July 2006 to September 2006 I was not working. Then from August 2008 to September 2008 I wasn't working. Then in September 2008 I started the part-time job of 12 to 20 hours a week. So we think that the money I have recieved so far is only for 6 months. I think she said like June of 2009 to now. So there is a possiblilty of more back pay if I am lucky. I won't know everything til I get my info in the mail from SS Disability showing exactly what I was paid for. So cross your fingers and keep praying that I am still waiting on more back pay and if so, that I get it soon as well!!!

IT IS OFFICIAL!!!!!!

Ok, I am pleased to let everyone who has stood beside me all of this time know that I have been approved for my Disability. I went to check my bank account this morning and to my surprise there was a deposit in my account from SS Disability. Ok, not knowing if I was dreaming or just plain crazy, I contacted Band B and Lisa informed me that I had been awarded my disability claim and I would be recieving a check every month from now on. The only draw back is that they make you wait 24 months to get your medicare, so I won't get that until June of 2011. It's okay!!!! I can do this!!! I have been through soooo much that this will be a walk in the park!! The best news of all is the fact that I can finally give my notice and quit my job. I don't have to work in pain or hurt any longer!!!!!!

I just want to thank Binder and Binder for all their help and as the ad says, they do all the work and worry and you don't have too!!!! Plus they are still working on the appeal from the judges decision back in November of 2008!!! Could still be more back pay coming!! Wow, how great would that be???

Just more waste of time/Bit of good news

Well, as I stated in the last blog, I was to see the Disability doctor on October 24. I did and he was very good and very through. And was wondering why I was still working and not on Disability. Well, as usual, the answer was they say I have gainful employment. He was not happy with that either!! But he is only the doctor they have to evaluate me. So if he had his way, I would have had Disability a long time ago. So hopefully what he writes to them will be the right thing. Although, again, it is not up to him, my future is still in the hands of people who do not have to worry about a light bill, rent, or any other bills to pay!!!! Duh!!! They work full time and have execllent Govenrmnet Benifits that you and I pay for. We pay for everything they get, yet we get absolutley nothing from them when we need it!!!!! The doctor told me of a clinic that would help me with my RA and told me where to call. Well, another down fall. The lady I talked to said that after 40 yrs. the hospital closed the clinic down. So back to round one.

Okay, now for a more positive bit of good news. I was approved by the drug company, Abbott Laboratories for free Humira for one year. This gives me a three months supply of shots at a time and is good from October 15, 2009 to October 15, 2010. So on a good note, there was a small bit of sun from this. At least until I can get some help from our WONDERFUL GOVERNMENT, this will be of some help!! Until then, I will continue to work my 15 hours a week at minimum wage and be "gainfully employed". Hope I pay enough taxes in on all that money I'm making. Wouldn't want that on my head. That millions I make at minimum wage at 15 hours could break me if it wasn't taxed right!!!

So in the end of this post, just remmeber, you work for the GOVERNMENT, and they DO NOT WORK TO HELP YOU, unless you are one of them and don't need the money to begin with. If you are one of them you have nothing to worry about!!!! If you are like me, just keep paying them and don't expect to get anything back from them. Maybe I should write something that would make them want to follow what I write and see if that would follow me for months before doing anything about it. Maybe I should write things that would scare them like everyone else does. Seems they follow every move they make, but they don't do anything about them either til they do something bad. Then it is oops, we've been watching him. Wonder should we have acted faster thatn we did!!!!!

Hopeful of help

Well, it has been a while since have written anything, but there has been nothing to wrtie. It is always hurry up and wait!! Well, after 3 months of not hearing anything from SS Disability, I finally have to go see their doctor. On October 24, 2009 I have to take a trip to Statesboro to have SS doctor take a look for himself and see just how disabiled I am. Wish they had someone to follow me around and they would see. That's asking way too much of them. Anyway, they needed more information and "proof" about the reason I am asking for disibility. Go figure, I have to have proof. Just because my atty. sent them pictures of my disibility and all the paperwork from my doctor here in Savannah and my RA doctor in Atlanta. This wasn't enough, they need more. My doctor here signed all the paperwork they wanted her to sign and she told them I needed disability and had no business working in the shape I am in. She said even 12 to 15 hours a week was too much for me to be working. But they have to have a doctor that they hired to take a look at me. How biased is that????? Anyways, I have been living on predisone for the past 3 months. Every other week I would have to call my doctor in Atl. to get me more predisone. It went from a 7 day medpak at 7.5 milagrams to a ten day medpak of 10 milagrams. Now I can't get him to give me anymore because I have had so much in the past 3 moths. In July I was off of the predisone about 3 days out of the month. In August it was a liottle better, but he has given me all I am going to get. So I guess I will have to make an appt. with my doctor here for more. Thank God they do ot contact each other before they give me the meds!!!

Back to the original matter at hand. I am looking forward to this trip to Statesboro. This doctor has no idea what kind of shape I am in. Will be interesting to see his reaction to the way I can't do things. I have to have my husband help me in and out of my clothes, fix my hair, and sometimes tie my shoes or other things where I have to move in certain directions. I even have trouble getting in and out of the tub. So he has to help me do that to. Oh and there is a travel voucher in the paperwork I got. It says they will give me 47.00 for mileage and food for the trip. Remember it took me almost a year to get 160.00 out of them. Can't imagine how long it will take to get 47.00 out of them !!!!!! Oh, well, will gve you guys an update after I have gone to the doctor a month from now. Lots of laughs on that one.. A month away, do they really think a month is going to make any difference in my condition???

More and More

Okay. We got the 160.00 from Atlanta SSO finally. It took almost a year but it finally came around the end of June. So that said and done, that is the last thing that SS has done.

In June I recieved another letter from SS stating that they had received my paperwork and I would hear something within 90 to 120 days. As usual nothing has come of that and even Binder and Biender told me that they knew that was wrong as well. SS takes their own sweet time doing anything. So i am still calling the doctor for predisone all the time. In the month of July, I was on medpaks all but about 5 days. I was trying not to call in August but finally got to where I could not even sleep on my back, sides, or anything so I had to give in. But it is not working as well this time. I am taking things I am not supposed to take with it, but they work so I have to do what I have to do. I am not supposed to take Ibuprofen with the predisone or my methatraxate. Says it can cause liver damamge if used together for long periods of time. Well, Duh!!!! Guess what?? If I am without pain taking all of it together until SS does something, I am going to do it. Maybe if something severe happens to me SS will step up to the plate!!! After I am dead like they did my cousin. They approved her just before she died.

Well, that is the update for now. By the way, if I am every approved, I am going to be sitting on the doorsteps of the congress and senate until they change the way they do things for the peopel who really need them and have to be put on back burners so the drug addicts and lying butts can get theirs!!!!! You may see me in jail before it is over, because I will not give up!!!!!!!!

Another Hurddle to overcome and Hoop to Jump Through

Ok, I went to court with the DS ALJ (the Administartivfe Law Judge)on Novrember 21, 2008. I was told that they would reimburse me for my travel time to and from Savannah to Atlanta because the case was still in Atlanta at the time. Well, it has been almost a year and there has been NO MONEY yet. It is going to be about 200.00 as far as we can make out because I had to travel 243.78 miles one way to go to court that day. So here again we are at a waiting game. I called them everyday for about 3 weeks and never talked to anyone. They sent me to voicemail and no one ever returned the calls as they said they would. So my husband started calling and they would transfer him to a person who would exlpain that they were behind and it could be up to 3 months!! Yeah, right!!! Man their 3 months must be longer than mine. That was the first of this year about mid January. Almost 6 months ago now. Well, when Binder and Binder took my case, they called also and are being put off as well. On Friday of last week my husband called again and was told no one was available to talk to so he left word for a Mananger, not a Supervisor to call him and as of today he has had no phone calls and he has tried to call today with no success. They are now BLOWING him off too. So if you have to travel for your hearing there is a place on the paperwork they send you that says you can get money first if you need it for traveling. I STRONGLY SUGGEST THIS OPTION!!!!! If not you will never get any results. They are very good at avoiding calls from you, your attny or anyone else calling on your behalf. Just a few suggestions as I have been there done that. If there is anyone out there in the same position, let me know what you did to get your money.

Well, so long for now. Predisone is a great drug but only for short time use. Even the doctors won't leave you on it long so I don't know why SS DS thinks it is okay to live on it just to keep from having to pay the money you have worked all your life to get!!!!!

No Change

Ok no change at this time. I have been back to the ER with more swelling and hurts. My left hand was swollen so bad that I had to go to ER and they put it in a splint to prevent me from moving it. As luck would have it I am left handed and this was a problem. I also have gotten to where I can't hardly get up and down and all of my joints, knees, arms, elbows, shoulders, and all major points on my body hurt so bad i can't sit, stand or even move without sever pain, but still trucking due to SS Disability says I am not disabled and not entitled to anything. They won't even give me medicaid/medicare so I can get medicine to prevent all of the problems I am having!!!! So the war goes on.

New Development in Disability

I know that it has been a while since there has been any post on my blog, but there have been several reasons. The first one is that it took a while to get everything together for Binder and Binder and myself to get things ready. Now they have everything they need and have started the process for me. I don't have to deal with the SS Disability Office at all. If they contact me I am to tell them to call Binder and Binder and let it go at that. So on Saturday, the 30th of May, I received information in the mail from the SSO has received my new claim for dsiability benifits. They sent me the information that was sent to them by Binder and Binder and I am to keep it for my files. This is the new claim that they filed from December 2008 to now. They said I would hear something, again in 90/120 days on my claim. As if I haven't waited 3 years already!!!!! Anyway, Binder and Binder are alos still working on my appeal from where I had to go before the judge and was again turned down. They are appealing that to the Appeals Board at this time and I am still waiting to hear on that one too.

My next reason for no post was that in April my grandson was pushed from his skateboard by a dog and he cracked his skull and was in the hospital for two days to make sure he was okay. He was knocked off his skateboard and was taken to his dad and he statred throwing up blood immediately. His Dad took him to the ER at the local hospital and they told him that it was not blood it was koolaid. Was pretty thick koolaide my son said. Anyways, they let him sit in the ER throwing up blood for almost 3 hours before the took him back to be seen. They immediately transferred him to Scotish Rite hospital in Atl. because they were unable to treat his injury there. It gers worse or funnier depending on how you look at it!! The ambulance broke down 5 minutes from Scotish Rite and it took them 30 minutes to get another ambulance to transport him 5 miles. It is funny now but was not at the time.

The last reason is that when I came back from Atl. I began to hurt all over and I was in so much pain I could not hardly walk let alone type on a computer. I was like that about 2 to 3 weeks(I hurt so bad I don't remember how long) and I finalyy got up one morning to go to work and I was in soooo much pain that I was actually throwing up from pain. So I called in (first time in all the time I have been working at this 20 hour a week job) and told them I was going to the ER to get some help. The doctor took one look at me and asked me what was wrong and I told him and told him my feet hurt so bad and were so swollen that I thought the would pop open. He immediately gave me the strongest pain shot they had for my pain and a shot of cordizone for the swelling and the other problems associated with my RA. He sent me home with 3 days of nothing but bed rest to make things better and no work either!!! He also gave me a 12 day supply of Predisone to take for the rest of the swelling.

So there you have the news and what is happening. I am better now but am still having severe pain in my knees and ankles but am not saying how bad it is because I don't want anyone to have to worry about me. My left hand is really hurting from all the typing since I have to spread fingers that don't want to spread the right way. But I just wanted to let everyone know what is happening and how great Binder and Binder have been!!!

More help I hope

Last time I went to the doctor he gave me the names and numbers of drug assistant programs that would be able to assist me with meds. So I called one of the numbers today finally and I am getting paper work in the mail to fill out and send back to them. One of the meds I need and the one that helps the most is Rituxan and is 12, 000.00 for one IV and I have to have 2 of them within two weeks of each other. The other one is Humaria which is 3,600.00 for a three months supply. So for some one with little or no income, it is impossible to get. So hopefully help is on the way with this as well. I have made the initial call and paper work will be here in 5 to 7 working days. Horray horray!!!

A note on the attnys as well. I sent my paper work back to them. It went to Tampa Fl. so I am waiting on word from them as to what is my next step. As I said earlier, they are supposed to contact me with my own personal worker and they will handle SS/Disability directly. I don't have to do anything else at this time. So keep praying that this is the last time I have to go through this. As I am really swollen and hurting at this time. I can hardly walk and left hand only has three knuckles right now due to the swelling. But as anyone who knows me, I just keep going and going. I will not give up and I will not stop living just because I am in pain!!!! The tough have to keep going and I am a pretty tough old lady :)!!! I can not give up living because of the way the Government thinks I should be reacting to a crippling disease. I will be crippled soon enough without them trying to rush it!!

So my motto is keep on going and pray that they will come to their senses, sooner or later. I guess later than sooner as I see it now. After 3 years, sooner does not look like an option.

Thanks for all the support. I know that you guys do not leave comments and things but I do know that you read and that is enough support for me at this time to at least know that everyone takes the time to read and see the slooooow progress that we are making with this. Thanks again and keep on praying that things will finally happen. My friend says to call it before it happens and it will come to happen, but I have called it before to no avail. However, I am calling it again and praying that the call is right this time.

Attny Hired

Well, Binder and Binder has decided that I have a case and has sent me information to fill out and send back to them. They have said that they would assist me in my quest for justice at this time. I have signed and sent back all the paperwork already and hopefully it won't be long before heads start to turn and I am treated with a little respect. I have read everything that they sent to me and I have given them power of attny to act on my behalf in my SS/disability case. They say that if I even get a call from SS that I am to give them the number to Binder and Binder and I am not to talk to them at all. I will get my very own personal "caseworker" to stay in contact with. I am excited!!!! I was told by some one who has used Binder and Binder that they never went to court or even talked to SS at all. Binder and Binder did it all!!!! So I am calling it as I see it and saying that I WILL GET MY DISABILITY with Binder and Binder working for me!!!!! They are awesome so far, just in the fact that they are willing to see that I can not live on a part time job of 15 to 20 hours a week at a sad salary of 7.00 an hour, and that I can not work full time due to the issues I have. Yea BINDER AND BINDER!!!! Wish me luck and keep praying that this will be the end!!!

Updates and hopefully good news

Okay guys, I have an update that I hope is good news. i got my first call from Binder and Binder that states something past the e-mail I told you about. I have given them all of the information about the doctors and the ER visits that I have has since I got here and the things that I have done and been through with SS in the past 3 years and especially the past 3 to 4 weeks with this on again off again as to where the appeal is. So after an hour on the phone answering all the questions that I could possibly answer for them, they are sending me a packet in the mail within the next 7 to 10 business days that has things for me to sign and all of that good stuff so they can get the info from the doctors and hospitals and whatever else they need. I hope that this is finally the end of a long road with a positive outcome. We will just have to wait and see. Once I get the paperwork signed and sent back to them, I will be assigned a case worker ( is what they called it) that will be the person I work with from now on and none of this calling and just talking to anyone that answers the phone. So I will be able to communicate with just one person!!!! What a good sound. I have spoken to Terry who was very good and nice and was very helpful but then you just have to find a way to get to her. After many transfers you are there but never know how long it will take. Then today I did all of my paperwork with Alexandria who was very kind and helpful and patient. It took an hour and she told me at the start that it would take about an hour or longer. So when they sent the e-mail letting me know what they would need, I got everything together and wrote everything down so that I would have it readily available when she asked. It helped her and she was very grateful for that. So I am set and ready to get going again and hoping for a better turn out this time.

And a great big thanks and hug and kiss to my daughter-in-law!!!! And why, you say? Because she has a friend that works for CNN and she asked if he had any advise for me and he said I was doing all the right things by contacting the people I have even though they have not responded to me. But he also gave us a link to go to for more help and we checked it out on a fast note last night but we are going to check into it more so we can look at it closely and see what I need to do. There is also a number to call and speak to someone there which may be the best way to get the answers we are looking for. So wish me luck on that and hopefully that will be another way to get something done. Way To Go, Michelle!!!!! Great Daughter-in-law, don't you think???

Hopefully Help is on the way

Okay a little bit of good news but not to much. I received an e-mail from Binder and Binder. Here is what it says:

"Congratulations!

After careful review of the information you have provided us, we feel that
you have a viable claim, and are willing to assist you in your pursuit of
Social Security Disability Benefits.

We take pride in winning cases as quickly as possible. Therefore, one of
our Intake Specialists will be contacting you within the next 2-3 days to
complete the paperwork necessary to get started."

So I will be hearing from them sometime this week I hope. Yea!!!! Me!!!!! But this is still just in the starting stages and I have been there before. So I have not gotten my hopes up yet. I am going to remain skeptical until I see money in my hand. I have been this close before. They want me to have information on hand when they call concerning my doctor's address and phone numbers and all meds I am taking and all the jobs I have had in the past 15 years. So that should help. We all know that I can't do hair anymore or computer work 8 hours a day or even work on the machines I was doing before I moved to Savannah. That was all I have done the past 15 yrs., so that should be a easy to show I can't do. Below is another part of the e-mail from them outlining SS/DS criteria for receiving benefits.

"The primary criteria needed to receive Social Security Disability benefits
is that you have a medical condition that has lasted or is expected to last
12 months in duration, and that this medical condition will prevent you from
performing any gainful employment in the National economy. When evaluating
claims, the Social Security Administration takes into account your age,
education, work history, and medical conditions. We must prove to the
Administration that you cannot perform your past work, and in some cases, no
work at all. "

Okay, past work is a hairdresser, a computer operator, and working on a machine that twists and turns my already deformed hands, as you can see by my picture of my hands that I have added as my picture. So how would you like your hair cut today? Crooked or straight and would you like for me to do it for you? Or how fast would you like your info typed into the computer that is needed in a hurry? Not very fast, I hope because it takes me more time to proof read to make sure I have hit the right keys than it does to type the info in!!!! It may take me 30 minutes to write an e-mail or other things. My hands give out and begin to hurt to the point that I have to stop and rest to finish. So when you guys get a blog from me, keep in mind that it may take me a long time to finish it unless my hands are not hurting the day I am writing. And I have driven my husband to work for the last two days and my left hand hurts very bad from just holding the steering wheel. Okay done for the day!!!

Here are just a few pictures of hands and feet to show you what I look like.

More Obstacles

Okay there is more drama and more obstacles in my way to make me want to give up and say "I Surrender". But my daughter--in-law says I can't give up now. Okay the appeal has been filed with the hearing board and I did that on the 23 of January. when I went to the SSO last week, the girl I spoke with said that she saw the "pending appeal in the system. So on Monday 3/9/09, I received a call from the attnys making sure that the appeal had been filed as this was my last day without having to start the whole thing over again. I called the 800 # for SS just to verify. Again nothing in the system. Being this was the last day, I was ready to kill someone just did not who to kill at this point. So I got up this morning and took my husband to work so that I would be at the SSO when it opened. And I was. I got a very nice lady who was not sure where the other girl had found her information last week. Instead of telling me that there was no pending appeal, she got on the phone with her supervisor who told her where to look for the info. this is where the going got tough. The intercom calling people back was so loud that the lady could not even hear her supervisor. She had to go to her and apologize for not being able to hear and asked her to help her in her office. Which she did and they did find the info I needed. She also asked that they turn the intercom down as it was so loud no one could hear. She asked me if it was that way in the lobby and advised her that it was really deafening. Back to the story!!! I asked if I could get a print out of the pending appeal info and was told again that I could not have one because it was done electronically. I advised that my attny needed it for his file. (even though they have not actually said they would take the case) Sometimes you have to pull all the stops. Wish I had more for this but I don't. Anyway, when she came back from her sups desk, she had a print out showing where they received my request for appeal on January 28 and where they started review on Feb 27. Wow, a whole month!!! What a surprise!!! Now it shows screened and ready for an analyst to review. But now I have a number to the office where the appeal is actually being reviewed. That was their first mistake, to give me a number t0 reach someone through. Of course, trying to get through is the first obstacle to have to fight. Anyways, as of now it is back to wait and see status again. In the meantime, I guess I just need to lay down and die so that I won't have any trouble receiving it this time. If I am dead, I would be able to draw it so, I guess that is when I will get it. Therefore they don't have to pay out too much. But seriously, this is getting ridiculous!!!!! So we will play the waiting game again and see what hoops I have to jump through next.

Next Hurdle

Okay it has been a while and I have had a few unexpected things happen. But for the latest on the disability BS. I sent in my appeal to the Appeals Board in Falls Church Va to appeal the judges decision. I also decided to call Binder and Binder (you know the Attnys that say they can help you get your disability), I got a return call and they said that they wanted me to fax over all of the paperwork I had from the ALJ's decision and a statement from my doctor. So I did as I was asked to do and I got a second call asking me to refax that everything did not come through,. So I faxed it a second time and got the same call. I told them I had sent everything that the judge sent to me. At that point I was told that I should have a 16 page report from the judge on how he came to his decision and the papers he reviewed to get there. I informed them that all I had was the pages of his decision and that I had sent them all I had. So on the phone again with SS 800 # (man are they stupid!!) I was told that there was no other paperwork and that after the decision was made by the judge that they filed everything electronically and the paperwork was shredded for my protection(who's protection????) So then I asked about my appeal that I sent back on Jan. 23 and was told that it had not been recieved in Falls Church
Va yet and to give it a couple of more weeks. In the meantime I had sent all of the papers I had to Binder and Binder and also added a CD that we made of my feet and hands so that they could see the shape they were in. I also took pictures of the same angles of feet and hands to the ALJ. So I suppose they were shredded as well. So while I am trying to find out what is happening with my appeal and them having no record of it being filed, I get another call from the attnys office stating that I needed to file my appeal right away because my deadline for my 60 days is up on March 9, 2009. So I call them back and explain that I did file the appeal and that I had just talked to SS two days before and they have no record of my appeal in teh system to give it a couple more weeks. The girl I was talking to went to her supervisor and came back and told me if they had no record of it, to go to my SS office here in Savannah and have them fax it to Falls Church. I went to the SS office on Wedensday after a doctor's appointment and the girl that helped me get everything transferred here to Savannah looked in the system for me and low and behold, there is a pending appeal and she found the date they recieved the paperwork, which was Jan 28, 2009. So after all the 800 # had to say, I don't know how much was true. The attnys office told me that if I waited the 2 weeks they wanted me to wait, I would have had to start all over if the appeal was never filed. So here I go again!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am getting so tired of all of this stupid stuff. No wonder people give up. The 800 # for SS said they had never seen a case go this far so they did not know what to do about it. Now it is back to wait and see.

Another Oops

This not quite so bad. I decided to make sure everything was right on the last blog and sure enough I found another oopsy. I sent the e-mail to all of the people mentioned and decided after the fact that I should check it. Well it says I am a 53 year old woman and guess what???? I am not 53. I just turned 56. So for someone trying to get help as an "old woman", I guess I blew it by lying about my age!!!!!! 53, 56 who cares. I am not getting help either way so why bother. But this is just another one of the brainstorms that hits me in the middle of the night. Sure wish they would hit while I am awake. Getting terrible headaches by being hit in the head at night (LOL)!!!!!!

But as an update, nothing has been done again and I have not gotten any responses from anyone acknowleding that they received my e-mail except for Maury and it was a "canned" response letting me know they had received it and it would be reviewed. That is the gentle way of saying SCREW YOU one more time lady. WE JUST DON'T CARE!!! Same as everyone else.

I read my daughter-in-law's comment. I think it would have been the Oprah Obama Party!!! Don't think she would take second billing to anyone especially a man. Don't think she would have let him have first billing. He might have been acting as president, but Oprah would still be first on the ballot. They would be " Oprah for VP, Obama For Pres." And she would make it perfectly clear that she would be running the show ecne if had to be done from her TV station. Just an assumption. But you know what that does to us!!!

OOPS!!!!! Sorry Mr. President

Okay where do I start today? I still have not hears from Disability on my reimbursement for my traveling expenses in November as of this date. Again, no one will answer me or call me back when I leave a message. I went through this for 3 weeks and was tired of dealing with them. So my husband called them on Monday and got hold of someone that was supposed to be in the department that did the transportation reimbursement department (which I have my doubts even is there). They told him that they did not have anything but a blank piece of paper with my name and nothing else as to where I came from or went to. Well, that would be okay, but I have a signed copy of the paper that I left at the front desk and was told that it would be sent to the correct person. So, she says she will take the information and he gave her my name, address, ssn, etc. Now she tells him that there are only 2 people working in that department and that they are behind and it could be 2 more months before I get my money. Well, typical, it will be 6 months before I can even get possibily 100.00 if that much from them. So what else is new with that since it has taken almost 3 years just to be denied 3 times? ( It didn't take me that long to lose everything I own) And why were they so reluctant to speak to me about the delay. They probably would have rather talked to be after they got off the phone with him!!!! So anyway, Sunday night I woke and could not sleep for a while thinking of all the ways that I had been screwed by trying to do things the right way. I had a brainstorm (and yes, it hurt!!!!). I decided that I would get up on Monday and begin to send my story to Oprah, Maury, Montel, Geraldo, and anyone else I thought might listen. I had already contacted several local news stations here in Savannah, CNN, Nancy Grace(directly) and the Senators and Governor. All to no avail. So I got up and composed the following e-mail to send to Oprah, Maury, etc.:


"Oprah, I am coming to you because I can not get anyone else to listen to me including Senators. I have contacted CNN & others but they seem to ignore my problem. Here is my story:
I am a 53 year old woman. I have RA&Fibromyalgia. I have a claim for Disability going on 3 yrs. I have been denied 3 times, the last with an ALJ. This started in 2006. I went back to work to keep form losing my home. I filed bankruptcy. It's up for dismissal. I can't pay that anymore& don't have 600.00 to change to chapter 7. I lost my home anyway. I live in Pooler Ga now. I finally got a hearing with the ALJ in Nov. of 2008 (2 yrs later) When we went to court in Nov. "their vocational expert" stated that the job I am doing now is all that I will ever be able to do. I work 15 to 20 hrs a wk making 480.00 a mo. I have nothing. I live with someone because I can't make enough money to live on my own. I had rather be in an old folks home but can't afford it either. I don't even have money or insurance to get the medicines I need. At this time I just feel like giving up. All anyone ever wants to do is ask me if I am depressed & do I need to see a Physiciatrist. I am beginning to think if I go see one I would be better off& have a better chance of getting what I have worked for all my life. I don't really get depressed, just discouraged & angry over the people who say they care & are going to help lying to me all the time. I want to think that you will help me share my story with everyone over the way that I am being treated but I also know that if you are like everyone else, I will hear we will look at it&get back to you & never hear from you again.Thanks for your time. I am sorry for taking up your time but I thought I would at least see if you care enough to at least consider it.
Thank You,
Katherine Peterson"

Okay understand that it says Oprah at the beginning of the e-mail. I changed it when I sent it to Maury at the beginning of the e-mail when I sent it to him and so that goes for everyone I sent it to. So while I was doing all of this I decided to try an even broader range of request. This would be to send this e-mail to the President ( our new fearless leader, so to speak!!!!) So I went on google and searched send letter to the president and found a contact site that gave me an e-mail address, the White House address, and a contact Phone Number(that one would be the biggest joke, but whatever). I found the e-mail address and copied and pasted the entire e-mail to the President of the United States!!! Great idea, don't you think?? Except that his copy reads exactly as I sent it to Oprah, which is fine. That is how it read to everyone I sent it to. Except that President Obama's is again exactly as sent to Oprah!!!! THAT IS RIGHT I sent it to him addressed to Oprah instead of him. Way to go don't you think? But who knows, it might be to my advantage to do it that way. This way he knows that I have contacted several different Media stations and talk show hosts and that none of his Senators or Congressmen have assisted me in anyway. Guess I will wait and see his response. Could be good or could be really bad!!!!

Well, that's all folks!!!!!

Different Day Same Story

Okay, I finally got my "denial letter" from the ALJ. I was denied due to the fact that (duh!!!!) I was trying to work to keep from going under. Which I am under anyway. If it were not for my wonderful Daughter-In-Law and Step-son, I would not know where I would be. But the issue with the Disability and the denial is that the judge didn't even ge the facts straight. First he says that I make 15,000.00 or more a year and I show I make 5760.00 a year. That is a huge difference from over 15,000.00 to 5760.00. Second he said that I work for Broadway Suites (don't know what that is). I work for Best Western, Bradbury Suites. Then he had the nerve to say that I voulunteerly left my job to move to Savannah. After I had already told him that I had to move to Savannah because I had lost my house and my car due to the fact that they had foreclosed on my house and I coukd not make my car payments. That is the reason that I tried to go back to work in the first place was to keep all of that from happening while waiting on the great system to help me. Then he said that I have gainful employment and that is why I was denied. How is working 15 to 20 hours a week at 7.00 an hour considered gainful employment??? What is that going to help me with? Don't get me wrong, it does help with small things like gas to get to the job and a few groceries, but not enough of anything to be gainful. Why does it say on the website that I can work and make up to 670.00 a month and still draw disability if that is not the truth??? I have also gotten letters of denial that say that even though I am in a great deal of pain and discomfort I am able to continue to work if I have some medicine for pain. Isn't it against the law to take prescription pain medicine and work around machines and operate a motor vehicle? If I were to take the pain medicine and drive due to the fact that SS Disability said I could do so and I had a wreck and killed myself or someone else, could my family sue SS Disability for causing my death by telling me it was okay to work and drive on drugs that say not to drive or operate heavy equipment or operate machines??? So here we go again with what the next level of jumping through their hoops again. I am so ready to give up because I don't even care anymore. It is killing me to write this but according to them I am fine.

My feet are both on fire everyday and hurt so bad that I don't know what to do. On my left foot the third toe crosses over the 4th toe and you can't even see it on my foot. And it hurts on the bottoms of both feet. It feels like the bones are being pushed through the tops of my feet. It took me about 2 hours on Sunday to find a pair of shoes that I could wear when I try to dress up and had to settle with a pair of sandals even in this cold weather due to the knots on both sides of my feet. I also had to buy new tennis shoes because the ones I wear are worn out but are formed to my bad feet. So even buying shoes is a major task. my husband went with me for the first time in a long time and will probably never go again.

So life goes on. Giving up is beginning to sound really good.

More to Read

Let's see. I left off where I can't get any help from anyone. Well, to confirm this, I recieved a letter from Senator Isakson's rep stating he was sorry and that they had denied me again, as stated in yesterday's blog, and apologized that he could not be of further assistance. To make it worse, I got a letter from Saxby Chambliss's constituant rep as well with the same "canned response" as I recieved from Isakson's rep. Go figure!!! I did contact Isakson's rep yesterday to advise him that when I contacted the 800 number for SS Disability that they told me that the paperwork had not even been processed and ready to send and that he would request it be sent. Mind you that I requested this info on Jan 6 and they told me that they would request it then. So I have had two requests for this denial letter so that I can start the next appeal process. So Low and Behold, I get the denial letter in the mail yesterday. It was dated December 29, 2008 but the date was marked through and January 9, 2009 was written under it. It is very plain and visible!!! They didn't even try to hide the fact that they have had it sitting there since Dec of 08. But they didn't send any appeal forms for me to fill out. All this means is that now I have to wait for the forms to come and delay my 60 days even longer to make that less time for me.

Well, let's tell about the denial letter. It states that they ddenied me again because I was doing gainful employment. (20 hours at 7.00>>real gainful) Also said that I was able to do the work in which I was doing before my disability began. Trying to roll hair, do nails, cut hair, etc., run a cash register, type on a computer, wait tables, and all of those jobs with a hand that is so deformed that I have to hold the pinky finger and ring finger down with the other fingers on my left hand to type on a computer, or a grip that would let me drop your food or drink in your lap, or cut your hair or do nails until my fingers would not even bend or grip the hair or hands. Rooling a perm makes me hurt for 3 to 4 days. But that is okay as long as I can work, "even though it might cause me pain and discomfort", it is okay. This is a quote form the letter. I did not make it up. Every denial I have recieved has said the same thing. "Even though you may be in pain and discomfort, we have determined that you are capable of doing the jobs in whcih you have previously been accustomed to doing." I swear it says that in every one of them. zi would give anything to see these morons try to do what I do in as much pain as I live in. They would not last 5 minutes.

I don't know what can be done, but something has to be done to change things in this type of situation. I guess because they don't have to jump through the hoops and roll over and play dead like we do they don't care. I guess when they want disability they already know what to do so that they will never have to do what we do. They just go to their buddies and say, " Hey here is my paperwork sign off on it so I can go out of work tomorrow and receive my check on Friday so that I don't miss any pay or lose my house or lose my car or my famliy. I have to have my money before I go out of work, I can't wait. I don't want to be like the people we deny. So make sure mine is done before the day is out."

No one in the Government seems to give a care because they don't have to do through it either. They had rather us live on the street and then they will give us what we want and arrest us for vagrancy.

Same BS Just Different Day

Okay. So on January 6 of this year I called to see if there was a decision made on my case from the ALJ. I was advised at that time that they had denied my claim for yet the 4th time. The person I talked to had decided at that time to request that I get a copy of my denial so that I would be able to send my 5th appeal in for the Adminastrative Appeals Board. (Yet another 6 months to a year.) Said that she would send the request to the processing center and I should have the request within the next 7 to 10 days. As of yet, nothing. So I called again today and was told that there was a note from the Processing Center that the letter had not even been printed and sent out yet. Mind you that when I talked to the girl on January 6th, she told me I had to file an appeal by Feb 29 (which was incorrect because this is not leap year). So if I have to have an appeal done by the 28th of Feb, they are not giving me the 60 days I am entiltled to by law. Plus when I went to court on November 21, 2008, I was told I would recieve money for transpoortation if I had to drive more than 75 miles. I drove 243 miles one way. Now the department that is supposed to be in charge of sending me my transportation rembursement is not even returning my calls. I call and have to leave a message for a lady that is never in her office. I have called early in the day, morning, afternoon and week and she is not ever in her "office". And has yet to return any of my calls. So I guess I am just going to have to continue to be another statistic in the system like everyone else until I can find some one willing to figth on my behalf. And apparently the Senators and Congressmen can give a big hairy rats behind either. They don't respond either.

I guess that the next thing I need to do is to send my next blog to you guys from the beginning of my journey to what is happening now. So here goes.

I started this porcess in August of 2006. I lost my job and was unable to find another one. So due to my RA I decided to seek help from the Disability Administration. ( What a JOKE!!!!!) Anyways, I filed the paperwork. In the mean time I am on the verge of losing my home and my car and having no place to live. So I did what ant normal person would do and that is go to work and try to make a little money to keep things going. Well, that was it. They denied me the firs time because I was working and did not seem to care that I had to make a living to servive. Even after I was seen by their Doctor. He told me that I had the worst case of RA he had ever seen and that he would do every thing he could do to help me get it but he could only do so much. Okay so I was denied again because I was working and trying to survive. In the meantime, I have now had my house foreclosed on and lost my car. I filed bankruptcy to save my home and then have not been able to even make those payments. So I am waiting for them to take everything else I own. So I filed the next appeal. Was denied again and was told I could file another appeal. Which I did and this brings me to the most current denial with the ALJ. After I filed the appeal they told me it would be November of 2009 before I could get a hearing. That was in 2007 so I had almost 2 years to wait for a hearing. Well luck me, they sent me info that I would be able to have a hearing on November 21 of 2008. Only a year instead of 2. Well, I had a a lawyer that was going to go with me but then backed out at the last minute because I was working 15 to 20 hours a week. So I went alone and was told at that time that I was probably be denied again because I was working. But he would hear my case anyway. So sure enough I was denied and have not even recieved any of the paperwork for that yet. There is more to this but can't write anymore today. Am hurting too bad to continue. Will try to add to it tomorrow if feeling better. Was at the doctor and he gave me a shot in my shoulder because of the swelling and pain. But NOTHING wrong with me!!!!!!!

Disability

Wow! I never knew how hard it would be to get the money you paid into the government all your life when you need it. I have RA and Fibromyalgia and have been trying to get disability for almost 3 years now. I am have several difficulties with the appeals system and our great Senators and Congressmen. In telling other people my story, I have found that their are plenty of people with the same issues and have no idea what to do about it. So I have decided to start a blog and see if I can get some more answers or other people encountering the same issues. I would be very interested in your response to this blog. I can share horror stories of the way I have been treated during the process of getting "help from the system". Starting with the fact that no one anywhere seems to care. I have contacted local TV Stations and CNN. I also contacted Nancy Grace from CNN and no responses from anyone. Is everyone afraid of the government or is it just me????? Let me hear from you guys and we will ban together and do something if at all possible.