June 1, 2009 - 2:03pm
...and it went AMAZINGLY WELL! The judge actually approved my case on the spot. She scoffed at my case even making it all the way to the hearing level based on all of the evidence.
June 1, 2009 - 2:43pm
#2
I am having trouble
congratulating you. I am glad that you are not hung out to dry but its hard for me to be happy over misfortune...i think you understand this...good health to you.
heres a good for you at least
June 1, 2009 - 2:46pm
#3
gRATZ
Congrats
June 1, 2009 - 2:57pm
#4
Goat, let yourself be happy
for Kelly. She's a strong and wonderful person that got dealt a bad hand in the game of genes, and it seems to me that she has accepted her fate with graceful strength. We should all let ourselves feel our happiness. Me, I'm on cloud 9 for one of our CP sisters that will now be getting a little more well deseved aid.
Q 
June 2, 2009 - 10:18am
#5
Its always good to hear a
Its always good to hear a good story like this after what seems is alot of people battling to get the health care they deserve.
June 2, 2009 - 10:24am
#6
KELLY
Nice to hear everything went well, party at your place went back settlement comes in
June 2, 2009 - 10:43am
#7
Congrats Kelly
The day I won my SSDI case was one of the happiest days of my life. Just the relief of stress from the whole situation was one of the best things...Again congratulations
June 2, 2009 - 12:04pm
#8
WITH ALL THAT'S SAID, I WILL SECOND THAT "YAY" to Kelly690!
"YAY"
Kelly I know we had had our differences in the past, but right now I am so HAPPY FOR YOU GIRL, u are indeed a wonderful person & I agree also with what Q said about if anyone deserves it, according to what I have had the opportunity to read, on this board, you certainly do deserve it!
You said "It feels like an elephany has been lifted off your shoulders." I thought that was cute!
Yep, party with yur hubby & take good care my friend, my fellow poster.
God is working w/ you cuz u worked w/ him, patience & all that! See Ya Later!
P.S. Never told you this but it kind of looks like, well at a glance, that your pic cactus plant is flippin-me-off, just when I scroll fast, that's all.
June 2, 2009 - 2:06pm
#9
Congratulations Kelly!
Yes, and your cactus does look like it's flipping us off. ha ha You can and deserve to - relax now. 
~Sarge
June 2, 2009 - 5:06pm
#10
LMAO! That cracks me up. I'm
LMAO! That cracks me up. I'm never going to be able to look at my cactus picture again without laughing! I have another "naughty" cactus picture that looks like a man standing and um...urinating, lol. Before I moved to AZ I thought that saguaro cacti (like the one in my picture) were fake. I thought they were only in cartoons! Desert flora and fauna are amongst the most beautiful in the world. Cacti are kinda fool-proof to plant and grow too. I do not have a green thumb at all, but my hubby and I landscaped our backyard with all Desert plants and not one thing has died!
Thanks for all the support from everyone. It has been so stressful waiting. I'm still kind of in a state of disbelief. I feel like it's not true until I get the letter in my hand. Since I'm going to have to pick a Medicare Plan, does anyone have any suggestions? I really want to find one that will cover Continuous Glucose Monitoring for my insulin pump. I'm not even really sure how Medicare works exactly. There are different levels of monthly payments, right? It would probably be beneficial for me to have a higher monthly premium to have lower copayments since I have a lot of doctors and medications. The stress of my SSDI hearing is over, but new stressed are always around the corner, aren't they? I'm still happy about the outcome though. =)
June 2, 2009 - 7:16pm
#11
100mgMarlboro- I'm not sure
100mgMarlboro- I'm not sure what you're talking about when you say, "Kelly I know we had had our differences in the past." I've never had any problems or differences with you that I'm aware of. I always make it a policy not to ever have issues or drama with anyone in either my personal life or online; it just leads to stress and whatnot and isn't worth it. I'm sorry you've felt differently. I apologize for whatever it is you think we've had between us. I wish I could be more specific in what I am apologizing for, but I do hope whatever it is that you've felt was a problem between us is no longer bothering you.
June 2, 2009 - 8:28pm
#12
Medicare
Hey you, are you already gonna get Medicare? How long ago was your first application? My approval money/retroactive payments were based on the date of my cancer diagnosis, 03/08/07, and they said I had to wait for 2 years and 5 months from that date for my medicare eligibility. That would make it Sept. 8,'09. The thing is, maybe something has changed 'cause I just got my Medicare card and a lot of other stuff like that in the mail last week. ?????? I think I need help too. Tell you what, K, how's about we share whatever good info comes our way? I've got a great Ins. Lady and I'm gonna get a medicare "wraparound" policy. Again, YAY!!!
Q 
June 2, 2009 - 10:14pm
#13
HEY KELLY690, If u don't mind that is,
can I p.m. ya later just to ease your mind? (Oh what the heck..)...>>>
Oh, it wasn't anything much at all. I was new to the board & I guess maybe I had my guard up too much when u made a very fair comment, totally your honest answer, & in all actuality I was the one that took it personally & attacked, now that I look back on it -- in my mind -- it is however somewhere in the "PHARMER TRACKS" to be found (i think it still is Kelly) but I cannot recall the topic @ this moment. I do remember it was the one when I said that I was a woman & not a man! I wanted to lead on as a man @ 1st, cuz s'times it can be more difficult when your a woman, alone, with child. Oh yeah, & I put the big humungus lips on to prove that I was A WOMAN, see Kelly >>>>>> Hey, but I certainly ain't sending u a kiss now, I do congrats ya girl & u are very deserving of this strugglesome event of the disability in your life, as if u do not have enough going on in your life!
One of my most memorable acquaintances in my "romping around" years had Lupus & yes, I still think of her more than I would have ever thought. She made a difference in my life, well, kind of a bad difference, but she did however get right back on track kinda like preaching good stuff to me when I had visited her last; her name was Theresa. She truly was a good person at heart! Enough mushy stuff, U WANNA MAKE A POST talking about "mother-in- laws" & HOW CHEAP ARE THEY? Man, I bet I could beat everyone if that were a game we could post just for fun! Oooops, got stay on topic, but I like myself just fine, & you- I have noticed that you do not let people get u down. You do handle yourself with much composure & Grace!
If I do find the topic, I will P.M. u on it, okie doke? But get a good night's sleep & like everyone has said, party some, or go out & buy yourself something really nice when things start rolling in, but be wise Kelly690; don't let your guard down, s'times when the $$$ is BIG it can go quickly.
Goodnight again & I will be in touch, God Bless You & Yours!
P.S. I do not have a greenthumb either but the cactus is beautiful really! It just kept flipping me off! Leave it! Show the cactus pic that looks like a man micturating, {L. to void urine}, & tell what kind of cactus plant that one is when u have time, please. Just bought 5 plants & only 2 lived 
...
Bye-Bye Kelly690!
THE TOPIC, I JUST REMEMBERED THE NAME OF IT! Posted kind of like "Can Xanax override the efficacy of MSIR" I just read it the other day too so it's in the pharmworks tracks. Oh, & guys, the answer to that was Cimetidine can interfere w/ efficacy of morphine, well I read it in a link another poster gave out.
June 2, 2009 - 10:19pm
#14
LMAO, I get it, I get it....
Ok, Quincy u can talk again, sorry about the long reply! Just ignore Goat's reply to Ms. Kelly, he looks like he's got one eye shut & is in dire need of a good night sleep, the GOAT pic dude in RED!!! 
(Now I know what LMAO stands for).
June 2, 2009 - 10:20pm
#15
Kelly,you are from AZ,
Kelly,
you are from AZ, correct? If so congratulations! I work with mentally disabled people and have to help them with their SSDI cases here in Phoenix, I know how hard it can be to deal with these things. Glad to hear it worked out for you!
Quincy,
In AZ people who get approved for SSDI usually automatically get enrolled for AHCCCS, which is the state version of medicaid (assuming she doesnt already have other coverage). If so she is pretty set. My brother and girlfriend have AHCCCS and have so much better coverage than what I pay 100$ a month for. They don't pay anything, even for dental in some cases.
June 3, 2009 - 6:20pm
#16
Quincy- If they consider my
Quincy- If they consider my date of onset as October 16th, 2006 which is when I had to stop working, then it has been over the 2 year and 5 month waiting period. Even if they decide to have my date of onset as later than that I should still qualify for Medicaid because my income will be so low still. I'm pretty sure my SSDI payment will be low enough that I will still qualify for Medicaid. I actually may be able to keep both Medicaid and Medicare, which would be the best case scenario. If worse comes to worst I can always take on a part time job working like an hour a week and get Medicaid benefits because I've done the Ticket To Work Program. I'd just have to pay a deductible each month for it.
June 3, 2009 - 6:29pm
#17
Thanks, Oneir,
NM has a truly great health ins. program that I would rather keep than pay (I think it's $98) for Medicare and have to go through all the federal bureaucratic red tape. My current policy is with BCBS, it's a $500 deductible with $2,500 maximum out of pocket expenses and then it's Zero copay, 100% free Medical. From the $500 ded. the copay is 20% till you hit the magic $2,500. Rxs are $10 generic and 30% brand name. All that for $111 a month. My wife, 53 with DDD,Chronic Depression, foraminal stenosis, fibromyalgia, etc. pays just $125 a month. I'm 54 with a long term fatal cancer. I think this program is exceptional so I'm going to get my Ins. agent to set it up so that the State pays the Medicare cost and I pay BCBS just $95 FOR A WRAPAROUND POLICY THAT TAKES CARE OF ALL THE THINGS MEDICARE DOESN'T AND THERE WILL BE NO DEDUCTIBLES AND NO COPAYS. Sorry about that, I wasn't looking at the screen and, obviously, I had the "Caps Lock" on. Oh well, I'm too tired to fix it.
How are you doing guy? I've seen you posting quite a bit lately which I think is a very good thing given your emotional state not long ago. I know that the camraderie on this site has cheered me up no end . . . it's great to be able to type with folks that know right where you're coming from, huh? Well, take care good buddy, hope all goes well for you,
Q
June 3, 2009 - 6:58pm
#18
To Kelly
Hey there, I was typing to Oneir whilst you were typing at me. That sounds like you'll get Medicare right away which is a real good thing. Plus, you'll get a hefty retroactive check as well. That's what C. and I are looking forward to, you betcha Red Ryder! I was floored when I found out about the big 19 month wait I had for Medicare. It's disgusting that members of Congress have voted themselves and all federal employees a platinum Health care plan on our tax dollars while they force the disabled to wait for 2 years and 5 months from the date of their disability to get scrudgy 'ol Medicare, and then they charge you $98 a month for it, too!
That's one good thing about this happy pharmer censor, as jj calls it. It's forced me to make up some fun new pseudo-cursewords. Scrudgy, I sorta like that. I got my blood drawn by the vampires this morning so that my oncologist and I can have something to talk about next Tuesday. I've been feeling pretty scrudgy for almost a month now. I've spent over 16 days out of the last 30 in bed or here in the kitchen cooking and typing to my pals. Man am I glad I found this site! We put you and your Hubby's card in the mail this A.M., hope you get it Sat. It won't be late next year cause I've got y'all down in our little black book. I'll keep you posted on the Medicare pharmacy issue. As I said, I've got a great Ins. lady that will steer me in the right direction. Since you and I are pretty much in the same boat, her advice will probably work for us both. I'm going to give her your basic info . . . age, gender, disabilities, and like that to make sure, though. If that's ok by you, that is. Have a marvelous 5th you 2!!!.......B
June 3, 2009 - 7:12pm
#19
You always make me smile
You always make me smile quincy. =)
I wish I were getting a big back payment, but at the same time I'm kind of lucky for the reason I'm not. I've been receiving SSI payments, so they deduct whatever money I've received from SSI from my SSDI payment. Unfortunately, my SSDI payment will not be much more than my SSI payment has been. So, after my lawyer's cut and some back pay that I owe (from a mistake THEY made but I didn't ever get a letter on that they say I did so now it's too late to get it changed) I may not get any back pay at all! That's not a big deal though. I'm just glad all the stress of this is over, outside of figuring out the insurance stuff. I am just hoping that I can find a way to have all of my stuff covered like it is now.
June 3, 2009 - 9:37pm
#20
That's how I feel about Medicare.
I've got an almost unbelievably good Health Ins.(HI) policy right now but since I qualify for Medicare as of 09/01 /09 I will no longer qualify for it since it's a State sponsored deal for lower income folks and people who have been turned down by other HI co.s for pre-existing conditions. I already wrote about the details on post #17 of this thread. I'm sure my agent will get me squared away just fine. I'm serious about getting whatever info I can for us both on the Rx deal 'cause from what my 77 year old, sharp as a tack, former accountant, and head comptroller of an oil co., Mom 'O Mine says, it's a real can 'o worms. She really is knowledgeable about that sort of thing, but Congress , in it's usual "Do whatever 'Big Pharm' wants" way, made it impossible to understand. She turned it over to her ins. agent 'cause they're the ones that wrote the bill in the first place. Anyway, enough about that, I'll keep you informed on the back channel.
Well, just plain skudge it about your retro-check, specially cuz me'n Woodstock were gonna throw a party at y'alls place an everthang too,. Huh, Woody? I'll bet that the SSI money was sorely needed at the time, so no regrets, right? You know, one of the top 3 things that really honks me off about healthy people's take on us disabled CPs is that way too many of them think that we've got it made in the shade, not having to work and getting "our money for nothing". I've read in your posts, as well as in many others, how much all of us want to work. My wife was a dynamite salesperson, she loved her customers and they all loved her. Man, does she miss working, just like you and the other posters. Boy, I seem to be stuck in negatve gear these days . . . I'll get back on track soon enough though. Type at ya later, folks,
Q
June 3, 2009 - 11:10pm
#21
kelly
i think you can earn around 900 a month...can someone clarify this?
ps i am happy for you tonight kelly...i was in a gruff mood the other day
June 4, 2009 - 12:01am
#22
Billy Goat Gruff
Just kidding good buddy
June 4, 2009 - 12:07am
#23
I was turned down twice
I was turned down twice before I was represented by an attorney and had my hearing. My hearing went much the same as yours, with a VERY scowling, stern judge. I was surprised when he ruled in my favor. That was two years ago. Your life will change for the better from this point on. Good luck to you!
June 4, 2009 - 12:32am
#24
its whatever the limit is now
at one time in 2006 i was called in an they told me at that time that the amount had to be under $680, for them to consider it not substantial income, it has increased though
SSI used to be $8000 a year, don t know what it is now or if they broke it down by the month
if you above the age 65 or 67 it does nt matter, they deem you vested in
June 4, 2009 - 4:19am
#25
Woodstock- It depends on
Woodstock- It depends on which state you live in. Some states supplement SSI, others don't. In my state, there is no state supplement, so if I were to receive full SSI benefits, I would receive about $8,088. I don't even get that though since my husband has an income. I wouldn't get anything if I didn't have so many medical costs that weren't covered by Medicaid. This allows me to deduct them from my husband's earnings, which aren't much to begin with since he works as a public school teacher. I'm not going to complain though, I appreciate the health insurance and benefits even if they aren't very much. One day I'm confident scientists will find a cure for diabetes and/or lupus. If they were able to cure one or hopefully both of those I think I could return to work. I can deal with the other things I have going on. That's my dream. I would love to one day return to working with children. I hold out a lot of hope that it will happen since I'm still young and science is always improving. As it is right now they are making a lot of progress with Islet cell transplants as a cure for diabetes.
dnsq- I was really surprised too when the judge just cut the hearing short and said she was going to draft my approval letter. My lawyer told me beforehand what to expect from her though, so I was a little prepared at least. I felt pretty good when he said that she was fair with her decisions since I knew my case was more than solid. I think you're right, I think my life will only get better from this point out, especially since I don't have the stress of dealing with all of this.
Oh, I just thought of a question that someone might be able to answer for me. I know with SSI I have a review every 3-5 years to make sure I still fit the qualifications for disability. Do they do the same thing with SSDI? Do they review your case every X number of years to make sure you are still disabled, or do they just assume you are if you're not working and whatnot? I mean, the health conditions I have are chronic and lifelong (barring some medical advancement that finds a cure).
Quincy- You are definitely right. The SSI money isn't much because of my husband's income, but it does pay for a bill or 2. I always try to look at the bright side of things, so instead of worrying about how little I was getting, I looked at how lucky I was to be getting anything. Plus I looked at how lucky I was to have my hubby to help me since without him I'd probably be pretty bad off. I hope things work out for both of us with this insurance thing. I will definitely share whatever information I can find with you, as I'm sure you'll do the same. All of this is so confusing! I'm so sorry I haven't had a chance to respond to your email yet too. I've just been crazy busy and my 5th anniversary is tomorrow, so I've been planning for that. =)
Goat- Thanks for being happy for me tonight. I got what you were saying the other day. It's kind of like how can you say to someone, "Wow, congratulations on being so disabled you can't work." It just doesn't feel or sound right so I know what you meant. Thank you for being happy for me about the good aspects of being approved for SSDI. Someday when they do find cures for my chronic illnesses I'll be a work-a-holic again and you can congratulate me on my successes at work. =) Some people dream of the day they win the lottery...I dream of the day I can work again.
June 4, 2009 - 11:04am
#26
Yes, they can and will review
Yes, they can and will review you periodically, especially if you are young. I had my first review last year and they said I was no longer disabled. Even though I had had 10 more surgeries, and had added 11 medications and multiple documentations of the progression of my conditions. I called my lawyer (no back pay, this time out of my pocket but worth it) and we had an "interview" with an SSI person, I don't remember what she was called and don't want to look it up right now. Just like a ALJ hearing, I could bring witnesses, I brought my husband and a letter from my then 13y.o. daughter (Ididn't want to subject her or my son to the kind of emotional stuff by being present). I would have gotten continued even if I didn't bring my lawyer, but I didn't want to take the chance. It was almost worse than the first time stress wise, cause now we had been depending on that money for 6yrs. Congratulations
There you go Supergirl! We are soooo happy for you. I wouldn't worry about some 180 degree change of mind by the judge or anyone else if I were you. But, we always worry until that check is in our hands, don't we? I remember how I felt when I got my approval, what a feeling of relief and release! I have followed your posts closely since I first joined the board (as you well know haha) and you are one of the most deserving of all the self-reported candidates for SSDI on the whole board . . . if not the most. Good on you Kelly, I hope you feel well enough to have a little celebration with your most excellent hubby!