Question:
Ok, Judith…. so you think it would be ok if I just resend what I wrote up originally? Maybe they have to have it in their format or they don’t even look at it. I was really surprised they sent the forms they did and NOT send one on fatigue… Not that there is not pain involved in MS that baclofen doesn’t really handle, but I really expected them to send that one that I had heard about from this group before. Maybe I will just include that in the ADL stuff.. Thanks and I will keep you all informed as I deal with this icky burearocracy… I am sure that is misspelled, but I don’t want to deal with the spell checker, LOL. Maybe the documents I send to them I shouldn’t bother with the spell checker either. Hugs, Patti
Response:
Thanks, Irene… AFTER all this paperwork is finally done, that journal sounds like a really good idea… to remember what it is I DO have after having written for ssdi all the things I don’t have or am unable to do anymore. Hugs, Patti
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Thank you, Dixie… I will do it their way.. but can I come back and complain some more while I do it? <smile> Hugs, Patti
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Patti, You can complain all you want to. Nobody here should complain! Heck, if we can’t complain here, where can we? Best Wishes! Dixie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Patti wrote: > Thank you, Dixie… I will do it their way.. but can I come back and > complain some more while I do it? <smile> > Hugs, > Patti
Response:
On Sat, 16 Jan 1999 20:50:17 -0500, "Patti" <peppym…@prodigy.net> wrote: >Are they trying to make me more depressed by having to rewrite it all over >again? >Whoever has experience with this, I would really appreciate some help….
Dear Patti, Depressed is one thing, understanding is another. I found the process of writing information for SSDI helpful to me. I had been denying my difficulties for a long time. My neuro said, "A lot of us have thought you should have retired long before thing." Just writing down what the real situation was clarified things for me. By the way, it has been nearly four years and I have just stopped reading the Sunday want ads and yearning to "do something." So write it all down. Don’t minimize. Love, Kate
Response:
"> Are they trying to make me more depressed by having to rewrite it all over> again?< Patti, This is just another reason I constantly STRESS keeping *copies* of *every piece of paper we send SSDI! Then, you can just make *another copy and resend it to them…as often as they seem to request. If any of the letters from them have a "case worker" or "contact person" on them, try calling them and explaining the situation to them. If they can find your originals, there should be no reason for you doing it again. Just tell them it is too difficult for you to see and write to go through it again… Let us know how it goes Judith A person starts to live, when he can live outside himself… –Albert Einstein
Response:
>I used to have time to chat over on prodigy classic, yep… What was your >nickname? And where was it we chatted anyhow? On the MS forum or some other >place?
I used to chat in the Lupus Chat area mostly under the names Tyner and then I changed to Teflonmem. For the first 2 years they thought it was lupus. After I was dx with MS I changed to the MS board but you guys always chatted so early I would usually miss you. But I wrote on the MS BB quite a bit. >I guess I will just buckle under and do these further forms….. someone >suggested I scan them and then cut and paste from the original paperwork I…
I know of a lady who printed out the answers and cut and pasted then into the spaces on the form in a layered format so you would paste one on the other and they could flip each up to see the next. Or you could do like I did on my green form and just write see attached type written page and put it all on typed pages. My hands just can’t handle a pen and paper. No sucess rate yet with my method….I haven’t even turned it in yet but I will this week. Diane
Response:
Patti, I believe I just gave a basic log of what I did during the day from waking to bedtime. Show how your day is spent. Do you dress yourself, do your own laundry, meal preparation shopping, etc. What are you able to do and not able to do? Are you able to drive and make it to your doctor appointments? Does someone else need to take care of your bill paying, etc. due to cognitive problems? Be sure they know the problems you encounter daily. I don’t think an 8 page essay will do it. Just make it simple and to the point! Best Wishes, Dixie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Patti wrote: > I just got in the mail some more paperwork from SSDI that I have to complete > and send back in 5 days.. > One was the Activities of Daily living… I wrote a long 8 page paper about > how every day life has been impacted by MS…. that does not seem to be > enough… or maybe they just want me to repeat myself? > Thanks for your help.. > Patti
Response:
Hi Diane…. I sent out the original green paperwork along with all my typewritten pages out the first week of December. I had no idea there would be more paperwork. This is really ridiculous to have to go over and over the same information just in a different format. Over on disinissues, someone said these forms are from a different agency, that the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing… dang it all,, expletive, expletive… I used to have time to chat over on prodigy classic, yep… What was your nickname? And where was it we chatted anyhow? On the MS forum or some other place? I guess I will just buckle under and do these further forms….. someone suggested I scan them and then cut and paste from the original paperwork I sent out to them…. Now, all I have to do is find someone with a scanner… My daughter wants one in the worst way, maybe this is the opportunity we all have been waiting for, ROFLOL See you later, Diane, and thanks for the note. Hugs, Patti – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Diwitt wrote in message <19990117010456.18535.00002…@ng142.aol.com>… >Just curious Patti – at what point in your application did you get these >papers. I got the new "green" application and I was surprised that that was >not on it as it was on the old one. I’m gonna be very bummed if after I’ve >spend 2 weeks filling this out then they send me more. Hey Patti – I remember >you from Prodigy! I used ot be on there. >Diane Witt
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I just got in the mail some more paperwork from SSDI that I have to complete and send back in 5 days…. since the date they sent them was 2 days ago and they said they need 2 days in the mail, means I have only that much time left to send them off… One was the Activities of Daily living… I wrote a long 8 page paper about how every day life has been impacted by MS…. that does not seem to be enough… or maybe they just want me to repeat myself? The other was some kind of sheet called Pain Report. I included that kind of information already too… Are they trying to make me more depressed by having to rewrite it all over again? Whoever has experience with this, I would really appreciate some help…. or maybe I should just take a whole boatload of all the various meds I am on and say the heck with it all…. Honestly, I am wondering just how low they want me to feel to be able to determine if I am disabled enough… not enough my doc has written, along with my neuro and my neuro opthamologist… sigh… Thanks for your help.. Patti
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Just curious Patti – at what point in your application did you get these papers. I got the new "green" application and I was surprised that that was not on it as it was on the old one. I’m gonna be very bummed if after I’ve spend 2 weeks filling this out then they send me more. Hey Patti – I remember you from Prodigy! I used ot be on there. Diane Witt
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Patti wrote: > I just got in the mail some more paperwork from SSDI that I have to complete > and send back in 5 days…. since the date they sent them was 2 days ago > and they said they need 2 days in the mail, means I have only that much time > left to send them off… > One was the Activities of Daily living… I wrote a long 8 page paper about > how every day life has been impacted by MS…. that does not seem to be > enough… or maybe they just want me to repeat myself? > The other was some kind of sheet called Pain Report. I included that kind > of information already too… > Are they trying to make me more depressed by having to rewrite it all over > again? > Whoever has experience with this, I would really appreciate some help…. > or maybe I should just take a whole boatload of all the various meds I am on > and say the heck with it all…. Honestly, I am wondering just how low they > want me to feel to be able to determine if I am disabled enough… not > enough my doc has written, along with my neuro and my neuro opthamologist… > sigh… > Thanks for your help.. > Patti
Hi, Patti, Unfortunately, you will need to repeat the information. I understand that the initial application is used in part to determine what areas to zero in on. Then the pain or fatigue questionaires are used to quantify the disability. As with all bureaucracies, information has to be in the form they are used to or they won’t see it. At least you know they are in the process of reviewing your application. I know what you mean about feeling depressed with this whole process. I try to live my life being reasonably upbeat and not complaining. But this process requires you to focus on all the things you *can’t do and to complain repeatedly. Bear in mind, this is temporary and you are doing what you have to do to survive. One thing that really helped me was to keep an optimism journal. Every day, I’d write at least 5 things that I was grateful for, felt positive about, or was able to do. Some days that meant getting out of bed, but that’s ok. Hang in there, survive what you have to now in order to thrive later. Irene
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