questions about disability, and any pointers, help

[rclint]

I have been having fighting neck problems for some time now, and I have several MRI's, and my doctor will also back me up as well as to the extent of my problems. My neck is pretty much shot from c3-c7 with spurs, stenosis, osteophytes, (one or more herniated disc) foraminal narrowing.. every one is effected on at least one of these, and several are effected on more than one, and one disc has all of the above. On top of that I'm one of the very very few people who was born with an extra rib in the neck, a cervical rib.. not a nub etc, a full rub that extends 3/4 in the x-ray that looks like something out of a horror movie. I also have stenosis down the rest of my back/thorasic spine. I'm 34 years old, and have two kids to raise... I have spent tons of money on doctors, and also have missed a lot of work because of my neck, my doctor also told me that he knew I had to be out, and I have a FMLA. BUT I also work on a production job, I love my job, and have been working with the company 17 years, but my work is very strenuous, and I can not complete my job task anymore. I have tried, and tried every way i know.. I'm on pain medication, and that's just a fact, yet my shift is a swing shift, and I can't set a schedule for my meds, yet I can't run out, nor can I alter more than I take as I signed a contract.. and I don't want to abuse any pain meds. I'm at my limit of the meds I take, I take strong meds, both long term slow release, and for what they call breakthrough which is when my neck is killing me, or to get through to the next long term pain med. My doctor told me to let him know when I have had enough, and a couple of days ago I did, but what can I do

My options disability, I would take this.. and I'm not trying in any way to work the system.. I have worked since I was 14 years old not off, and on, but regular work, I also worked during high school after turning 16 paying in ssi, and have worked ever since that time, if I could continue work I would.. but I can't..

My doctor asked me what i wanted to do, and I told him I wanted to get my neck fixed, he said he was going to send me to a neurosurgeon just to see if he could help me out any, but he didn't know what if anything it would help if I go right back to my job jerking, and on my feet which is not so bad walking 12 hours.. 8 hours would not be so bad.. but the shift is 12 hour swing.

I'm in a horrible situation, I can't loose my insurance, yet I can't complete a work week to say the least, I try to go in work as many hours as I can before either my neck starts hurting so bad, my neck, arm, shoulder etc goes into spasm that I have to go home.. My works has been so good to me, but I do also know that they can't keep on doing this as they need someone on this production job, and they are not even talking of anything of a job change to a lesser hour job, or a straight shift...

I don't want any sympathy at all, but I want some advice.. my time is over I can't do it anymore.. I have heard to get disability your looking at two years or more !! but I have two kids, and Christmas is not going to be much at all this year ( this kills me) I can't even cook for my kids anymore which my parents help out with that, and I would loose my house everything I own.. and I have no idea how I would provide for my kids in 2 years with no pay !!

If I get surgery, and as the doctor said go back to work doing the same thing, it will be the same story over again, and myself thinking it may even be worse after they perform surgery I would think it would make my neck weaker, the doctor said they may be able to do some cleaning up/out between the joints etc.. ( i forget the exact term)


Is there any options for someone 9single male) trying to raise two kids who has tried to fight as long as he can, but just can not go any more.. ? Any help would be appreciated, if you have gone through this, or know someone please let me know how long etc..

on edit I have been to a neurosurgeon 4 times to see about having surgery done, they wouldn't touch me... and told me that I had a pain management problem. The neurosurgeon was/is one of the best, and has written books etc on how to etc, and I was told that he is the one whom other doctors go to when they need surgery on the spine etc

 

[QuOk]

My wife worked with a woman that was quadriplegic,If she could work anyone can.Maybe not your current job,But i'm sure you could do something.Too many people sitting in the wagon and not enough people pulling it these days.Sorry to sound harsh but this is the way i feel.

 

[rclint]

Originally Posted By: QuOk
My wife worked with a woman that was quadriplegic,If she could work anyone can.Maybe not your current job,But i'm sure you could do something.Too many people sitting in the wagon and not enough people pulling it these days.Sorry to sound harsh but this is the way i feel.


I agree with you, but will you do me a favor ? Will you ask this company that your wife works at to accept my resume ? Maybe they will hire someone with a condition like myself, and I'm sure that the narcotic pain medication will not have any effect on anyone thinking of hiring me...

Thank you.. please send me the company name so that i can apply ?

On edit to add, I'm also sorry to sound harsh, but I doubt you could yourself could complete my job task.. We hire people, and very few can make the job, the 12 hour swing shift on a concrete floor is one thing, learning curve another.. and the few that do make the job can't perform the job, they are incapable of learning curve required to do so...

 

[motorguy222]

I was and am in a somewhat similar situation.My lower back is where my problems are at and is seems to be somewhat like yours.I also have another condition,chronic pain.

I will tell you this,your age is a huge problem,Social Security seems to think that a young person cant be and or become disabled.

If your doctor will back you up it will help.

If you do decide to try and get disability,be SURE to get an attorney or representative that handles disability cases,preferably one that handles disability and disability only.

They will meet with you and tell you if you have a case.If they take your case,you dont pay them anything upfront.They only get money if you win your disability and then they only get 25% of any back pay that you get.

The rep/att. will handle all of your paper work and make sure that things are filed and submitted when they are supposed to be.They will help with filling out papers if needed and handle the stuff that can overwhelm you if you try and do it alone.

If you go this route,dont let anyone tell you that you have to pay them upfront to take your case,as I said,they only get money when you win.

I had a woman representative help me and she was really good.She used to work as a disability determiner and she knows how the system works.

I will tell you this,SS is a crooked bunch and they will take you for a ride,especially if you try this without help.

If you do try this,you may not want to do this but it is there for people like you and I have no problem with it and that is the welfare system.You may could get help through it until you can get disability.If your doctor will sign a form saying that you cant work,you should be able to get help.

As I have said,SS will treat you bad and they will try to make you give up and stop.They will most likely send you to one of "their" doctors which in most cases is nothing more than a "yes man" for them.

This will most likely be a one time thing and then they will try to use his/her opinion over what your doctor says.This is also where an att/rep. will be a huge help.

The thing is,you said that your doctor is on your side and that will help a lot.

I had to go to a SS doctor and he seemed to be one of the few that is honest.He told me that I was one of the worst that he had seen.

Before you decide anything,find an att/rep and talk to them and see what they say.If they dont think you have a case,they most likely will say so.

 

[motorguy222]

Originally Posted By: QuOk
My wife worked with a woman that was quadriplegic,If she could work anyone can.Maybe not your current job,But i'm sure you could do something.Too many people sitting in the wagon and not enough people pulling it these days.Sorry to sound harsh but this is the way i feel.


I may sound harsh,if so,I just am.

You and others like you have NO business saying who can and cant work.

You dont know when YOU may be in the same situation and believe me,YOU dont want someone saying to you what you have said to this guy.

People have things happen that is beyond their control.

This man has worked most of his life and now is at a point that he is unable to do so any longer.Instead of kicking him when he is down and treating him like he is nothing,have some compassion on a fellow man.

 

[Hemi426]

What might be hurting you more than your age is the fact that you are working full time. They look at it if you are able to work full time then you don't need disability. Does your company offer paid medical leave? If they do you need to go on that for a while and then apply for disability. You can get on disability without legal help if you have a doctor who is really willing to stress that you can't work. Another thing to remember is the ALMOST EVERYBODY gets turned down the first time that they apply for benefits. You can appeal your decision or reapply at a later date. Trying to get disability can be really frustrating and make you want to throw your hands up in the air and quit. That's what they're counting on is you getting discouraged and giving up. The bad part of disability is that your Medicare coverage takes two years plus a five month waiting period to kick in. They will do everything to make it rough and get you to go back to work. Another weird thing is that some people get it on their second attempt while others spend years and never succeed. You've got to be willing to take it to the max and be in it for the long haul because it is a long process.

 

[rosshimself13]

if you were in the military it would be alot easier, of course i am 24 just got out of the military after 5 years and it hurts to walk, have had a few problems... but keep getting letters from the VA assuring me that they are reviewing my medical records, and trying to determine if i qualify for compensation...

long story short the military isn't a bad gig it may break your body down fast.. but my school will be paid for, and i will probably end up with a small check every month for the rest of my life, i would suggest everyone i know in the military to submit a packet for disability compensation, we did the nations dirty work now its our turn to enjoy the fruits of our labor

 

[eljefino]

If you have stuff that shows up on x-rays like that mystery rib you're way ahead of the game. Lots of people are trying to claim "soft tissue damage" or "fibromyalgia" or mental illness that's a lot more subjective to prove.

It may be worthwhile to approach it from the angle of you need to work part time, or a worker's comp thing where your work aggravates your natural physique. Worker's comp is very interested in getting you to work even 20 hours a week.

SS has its appeals process. I would not get an attorney until at least the first denial. Could you imagine giving that guy 25% of your income for the rest of your life, for what could be a pretty easy/strong case? And if you do get better in a year or two could you imagine how PO'd he'd be to lose your payment? Make sure any contract doesn't have a clause regarding this.

Even at 34 you've put enough money into the system to get a reasonable SSD payment... but what sort of health insurance you get with that I have no idea, medicaid?

I'd get a 2nd opinion from another neurosurgeon, you sound like you should probably act soonish while you still have health insurance.

 

[ddrumman2004]

My wife, an RN for 30+ years, will tell you, as well as others I know, on getting disability, that it's easier to get it if you have mental problems.

She says it's dang hard to get it for physical problems without a lawyer's help that specializes in that field.

I wish you luck!

 

[addyguy]

You're a young guy, pretty bright...maybe find a way to retrain for a less physical job?

I know people who work 'real' jobs, manual labour, often scoff at those that work at a desk all day, but if you can make a living at a computer all day, and be in far less pain, I'd find out how to do it.

 

[dhise]

As far as I know, you'll have to be out of work for a year and then it could take another year to get through the process. If you are approved then you will get the benefit for the time you weren't working.

A good lawyer is a must, you will have to prove that you are incapable of doing any job even mundane tasks such as inspecting simple parts while in a cushy chair... A lawyer can guide you through the process and make sure all the medical documentation will be adequate.

 

[onebigunion]

To OP -

In some cases, companies will make "reasonable accomodations" for cases like this. YOu seem like a hard-working valuable employee - check with Hr and your supervisor. Specific instructions from your physician will help a lot. A different work schedule in most cases is considered a reasonable accomodation.

 

[onebigunion]

Originally Posted By: QuOk
My wife worked with a woman that was quadriplegic,If she could work anyone can.Maybe not your current job,But i'm sure you could do something.Too many people sitting in the wagon and not enough people pulling it these days.Sorry to sound harsh but this is the way i feel.


What is the matter with you??? Did the OP say he wanted to "sit in the wagon"?? Sure doesn't sound like that to me. Physical demands of an office job and a production job are completely unrelated. Knee-jerk blanket generalizations like you made don't reflect well on one's intellectual capabilities.

 

[bigmike]

I have a family member that was denied benefits. She has several slipped discs in her back. Several doctors verified that she has trouble working.

She was told that she could work sitting down, part-time, without any problems and therefore, did not qualify. It took the process about 1-2 years.

Personally, I don't think it is worth attempting.

 

[Spazdog]

My mother had polio when she was a child. One leg is physically shorter than the other. The cartilage in her knees is gone. The wearing of the bones has caused further deformity. I don't remember her knees not being swollen to an extreme.

In spite of the pain, she worked as an auto parts store delivery driver for two decades.

Someone told her that knee replacement surgery was "painful" and "dangerous". I can't imagine it being any more painful than bones grinding directly on one another but she is afraid of it now and didn't want to "take that much time off work".

My sisters and I had to force her to go on disability at 61.

I don't feel a bit bad about it. For every goldbricker out there milking the system because they have carpal-tunnel or a pinched nerve. (problems that I have) there are legitimate claims like my mother's. Someone who wants to work, but can no-longer do it without destroying their body.

 

[PandaBear]

DO NOT STAY ON NARCOTIC PAIN MED. Do anything possible to get off it if possible.

One of my coworker has neck problem as well, but instead of pain, he had spasms and numbness. When he saw the doctor and get an MRI, the doctor send him off to surgery immediately because the discs were protruded so much any car accident can kill him on the spot.

5 years later he is still doing fine, but he learned not to stress life too much. If your doctor said surgery is going to fix it I'd take that option. You never know what you might need to do in life later so get the fix first.

As to your job, if it is a shift based system I'd think they cannot modify it much. Can you try to transfer to a different position, even if it means lower pay, to get a more flexible schedule or have a mix of variety of duty, so you won't be stressing any single point of your spine?

My wife is going through similar thing right now, all she can get is the Cervical MRI and some chiropractor sessions. She transferred internally in her company and is now doing 50% desk 50% bench work with reduced physical work load. While not 100% recovered, we are seeing some positive improvement.

 

[rclint]

I have talked to my boss about a less strenuous job, and that was a dead end. I also talked to him about a shorter work day, I told him as well I was not requesting a day shift 8 hour job (which they do have some of these). as far as a desk job this may sound crazy but it's far easier on me if I can move around some.. I'm not sure if I could it at a desk all day.. but I would love to try any job change to see if it helped any.

I'm going to another neurosurgeon in the next couple of weeks to get an opinion from him. as far as working full time I have not completed a full work week in a 2 months I don't think.. and as far as pain meds I know by now I'm addicted to them.. I think they call it dependent when using them to control pain, I have used the medication to be able to work for the last 3 years of so.. for some reason something has happened now that my neck/right arm is far worse.. When I was typing out what all was wrong I failed to mention how my entire arm goes completely numb... I didn't know what numb was for a long time, and asked my doctor.. at times I get up at night my son has helped me many times (10 years old) and when I say numb I mean paralyzed where I can not even move my arm.. sometimes it's a few minutes, and it's been up to hours before any relief.. My parents have had to come get me out of the living room floor twice now where my neck was hurting so bad it literally immobilized me.

I'm not asking for anything free here... if I could find a job I would love to try another.. but fact is no one will even touch me on hiring me with meds I take, and medical problems. I was offered a day shift plant maintenance job about 1 month ago at a different place of work.. this would have been double increase in pay for me, but I told the man I was having problems with my neck, and taking pains meds.... that ended that..

I have had several doctors ask me if I hurt my neck at work, and even said are you sure the work you do is not responsible for the pain... how can I lie about this ?? I can't blame the company I work for 17 years now for something I was born with... I can't see blaming my work for my problems.. if I had hurt my neck at work that would be different but it started of with cricks etc...

as for working full time I can't right now, I'm working as much as I can right now, and if it were not for my kids I would have said to heck with it a long time ago.. and I know what happens to me if I loose my job my insurance is gone with it....

It takes me several days to get back on my feet after completing say 3 work days.. I'm in the bed for at least 1 to 2 days.. I'm not sure I could even sit behind a computer for over an hour... I have to lay in the bed with my arm up over my head to get the pressure to reduce just some.. I can't remember sleeping an entire night without loosing waking up with my right arm paralyzed .. I;m not sure how long ago that was..

Wagon.... I hope and pray even the one that said this to me never has to go through what I'm dealing with.. not to mention my kids depend on me for food, clothing, school, toys, and to teach them how to be something.... I wouldn't wish this on my worse enemy much less an internet forum poster that thinks I may be a weak person looking for a free ride

 

[ddrumman2004]

Like I said and some posts back this up, it's easier to get disability if you're.....just point blank....."crazy".

Guy I used to work has a bad back and has been fighting the folks for almost 10 years trying to get disability. He tells me they tell him as long as he can walk, he can do something....in so many words.

Then there is this other guy that my oldest sister used to date. He's been drawing disability since the 80s for...get this....his nerves! Seems he had a hard time when his wife divorced him way back then and claimed he couldn't work.

He still runs a stump grinder while collecting disability, as well as perform with his band every weekend.

 

[QuOk]

"What is the matter with you??? Did the OP say he wanted to "sit in the wagon"?? Sure doesn't sound like that to me. Physical demands of an office job and a production job are completely unrelated. Knee-jerk blanket generalizations like you made don't reflect well on one's intellectual capabilities. "
You might want to read the entire post before posting.
I did say do something as in changing careers,Maybe your intellectual superiority blinded you to this onebigunion.
From what i've read he is no longer able to do his physically demanding job,This does not mean he is disabled.It just means time to find a new career.

 

[QuOk]

"I agree with you, but will you do me a favor ? Will you ask this company that your wife works at to accept my resume ? Maybe they will hire someone with a condition like myself, and I'm sure that the narcotic pain medication will not have any effect on anyone thinking of hiring me..."

Ironically she worked in Social Services where people would come in and apply to get disabilty/welfare ect.She was on some pain meds but cut down so she could work.She was in pain everyday and still led a full life until she died a few months ago from complications from a spinal procedure.