disability

I am disabled and have many health reasons for being so.  Below in my signature, are the highlights of my major health problems. My disability date is recognized as the last day I worked, and that was just for 1.5 hours.  My first surgery was 7 months later. I filed first with my private insurance after my take down surgery.  I filed for social security disability benefits a year after that.  You need to have the support of your doctors before you start the process.  My claim was approved the first time I filed and I didn't have any outside help. This isn't the usual case.  I was experienced in filling out governmental paper work for decades.  You might want to engage an attorney to review and help you with your initial filing.  They know the kind of things you need to include in your application.  It is a onerous stressful process.  After filing my claim I saw 2 medical professionals hired by the SSA to examine me.  You can't rely on their doctors to make your case.  

My local SSA office's employees were very helpful in answering my questions.

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Sorry you need to file.  We've paid into social security insurance with every paycheck withholdings and our employers matched it.  In my career I paid both sides of it as was self-employed and the owner of my own business for 15 years. It infuriates me when politicians refer to these benefits as "entitlements" instead of the appropriate "insurance benefits".  We paid these insurance premiums with "after tax dollars" meaning we didn't receive a deduction for the amounts we paid income tax on.

So I suggest you discuss this all with your primary care doctor first and don't be afraid to file.  I know someone else that was approved the first time as well.  It doesn't necessarily mean you are going to be disabled the rest of your life either. I would go back to work in a minute if I could get better.  It's better than being disabled!

TE Marie - I am just very frustrated right now and don't know what to do.  I am extremely tired all the time and somedays can barely function.  I work full time but it's getting harder and harder.  By the end of the word day, I'm done!   I have been diagnosed with Depression, Anxiety, Fibromyalgia, and recently Neuropathy.  I had the colectomy with ileoanal anastomosis surgeries back in 1993 and 1994.  I had UC that went to toxic megacolon so I had emergency colectomy.    My GI doctor is 2.5 hours away so I only see him 1 time a year for the scope.  My primary tells me I need to see a psychiatrist and looks at me like I'm just crazy.  I feel sometimes I am going crazy.  I do now have extreme anxiety but I can actually say, I feel bad MOST days, which makes me frustrated and anxious.  I am going to go to another internal medicine doctor but now I have to wait to get my insurance to approve the 2nd opinion. 

You probably have Chronic Fatigue too like most of us with fibromyalgia.  IMO chronic fatigue as well Chronic pain also causes depression and anxiety  I am on 2 different antidepressants and xanex as needed. My Internist, Neurologist and Psychiatrist are all involved with the doses and what kind of antidepressants.  For example my neurologist prescribed me amitriptyline for my migraine headaches which prompted my internist to wean me off of another antidepressant. Then my psychiatrist changed the dosage of it. My Psych just deals with my medications and I am in a chronic pain support group as well as see a therapist regularly. I've had my Internist since a few years before my surgeries and she is the one that initially added the 2nd antidepressant......but wanted another professional opinion.

I'm suggesting that maybe antidepressants can help plus that your Internist (PCP) start you on an antidepressant now.  The amitriptyline has improved my pouch function as well as reducing my migraines to only a few small ones a month etc.  It's helping in 3 areas; GI, Head/migraines/depression You doctor sounds like a jerk.  Please find one that knows what j-pouches are and how to help you.  It was hard finding a psychiatrist that was accepting patients where I live and when I did find this one I had to wait 4 months for an appointment.  

It was the increased pain and fatigue of fibromyalgia that led me to working part time and then when my UC got worse the FM did too and I couldn't work at all.  I know what it's like to drag yourself to and from work.  For example, getting up and ready to go somewhere is a big task that I never thought about. 

We lost a major thing that contributed to the production of serotonin when our colons were removed.  So I sort of agree with your doctor about seeing a psych. but for a different reason !

A friend of mine went from working 50 hours a week to disability due to her autoimmune problems.  If you have LT disability insurance you might want to talk to a reasonable doctor that understands what your health problems are.  You need your doctor to enthusiastically agree about your disability.  I don't think your doctor cares.   It is not all in our heads.  When your entire body is fighting pain and you are chronically fatigued working just makes things worse.  You are not crazy!!  Hopefully you can figure out who knows about your health problems OR you can go back to your doctor armed with some facts about dysfunctional pouches and fibromyalgia. If you can get into see a rheumatologist now please do so.  She/he can diagnose your FM and  maybe can refer you to a better PCP that will get you seen now instead of waiting.  Just a thought, all insurances companies differ in their rules and the also change their rules.  Also, you might call your insurance company to find out their suggestions about what to do.  I had a nurse at my former insurance company that was telling me to see a therapist after my surgeries.  She followed me for almost 2 years and studied up about j-pouches so she could be of more help.

Good Luck