Question:
I have fibromyalgia, and was in an auto
accident on Thanksgiving that left me with bulging disks in my back and
permanent damage to my neck. The doctor gave me Vioxx, and it does seem to
help (i.e., I know when I've forgotten to take it!). I take Tylenol for the
remainder of the pain, which sorta works.
Unfortunately, the stress of illness and all that goes with it is
making the painand the exhaustion a lot worse. It's all that I can do to get
out of bed most days. I have no medical coverage of any kind, and the car
insurance won't pay for any more visits to the orthopedist. Guess I'm kinda
up a creek...
He and several other relatives are pushing me to file for disability for
myself as well. After the nightmares we just went through to get
(the whole story is at www.merlebloom.com), I'm reluctant, but I know I'm
not able to hold a job, either, and I'll have to survive when he's gone
(though I try not to think about that).
Has anyone in the group any experience with disability involving
fibromyalgia? Any advice or direction?
Answer:
Many folks carry real low limits on their Auto insurance because of
the cost. In my state the requirement is a minimum of 25K which a lot
of folks carry. One can burn up 25K in medical care right quick.
Anyone looking into filing a disability claim should become real
familiar with the following website --
http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/general-info.htm
The section on Evidentiary Requirements will give you a real good idea
on what the SSA folks are looking for to support your claim. Most
often they want the disability to be proven by established by clinical
findings, including the characteristic physical features, and
laboratory evidence.
The section on Adult Listings (Part A) is at this website section
http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/AdultListings.htm
I only went through it briefly, but didn't find any references to
fibromyalgia. However, it maybe part of something else.
I don't think a lawyer is really a major requirement if one does their
research, knows exactly what type of evidence the SSA folks want, and
completes the forms with due diligence. If the original claim is then
denied then it may be time to look for some legal representation.
There isn't any sense in losing a big chunk of your claim and till you
are to the point of not getting the claim through.
