How Many Stage 4 Girls are getting SS disability..
Comments
-
Has anyone ever had a problem with their onco when they applied for disability? I am currently on short-term disability through my company plan and am going to bring this up at my next meeting with the doctor. I have worked full-time my entire life, but because of the pain, fatigue and medications for the extensive bone mets, I have been unable to do my job now for several weeks. My doctor keeps telling me that the arimadex will eventually curb the pain, but it has been escalating.
0 -
I believe Arimidex could be CAUSING the pain, not curbing it.
0 -
KariLynn -
If that is the case, how long should I expect that to last? Does it eventually go away? Thanks for the reply!0 -
Energizer - if you are stage four your onc should have no problem recommending disability. If you someday are able to go back to work - so be it! Until then - it is there for you. Good luck. Jacque
0 -
Hi all:
I have found info in this thread very informative. I am stage IV. It metasized to my lung about a year ago. I have been working full time. Now, with treatments, I am having a very hard time working. I am not eligible for LTD through work as it is defined as a pre-existing diagnois. I was dx with stage 4 just a couple of months after starting my new job.
My concern is now that I am having such a hard time, should I go ahead and apply while I am working full time or do I need to wait until I can't work.
The way I'm feeling, I might last another 3-6 month working full time. Does it make sense to apply for disability while I still have a full time job?
Thanks so much for your input0 -
I don't know. I just know pain is listed as one of the possible side effects.
Maybe he just means your body will adjust to the lack of estrogen?? I've certainly never heard Arimidex being called a pain killer.
My onc says the best OTC thing for bone pain is ibuprofen. Maybe you can try that. If he won't give you a prescription for pain pills at the next appt, I'd dump him. There is no reason to live in pain.
Good luck!
Kari0 -
I think you have to be not working apply for SSDI
0 -
Thanks for the replies! I'll let you know how it goes with SSDI.(and the pain).
0 -
You cannot be working to be eligible for SSDI. Why would your LTD carrier call your cancer pre existing? I was only with my company 3 months when mine was dx. As far as I know I am eligible to apply whenever I am ready to quit working.
LuAnn0 -
Is is possible to get your SSDI and to still keep your health benefits from your job instead of going to Medicare???
0 -
I just recently received my first SSDI check. My school district will cover my insurance until the school year is over and I will start paying for cobra insurance in June. Because I taught there, and had my insurance through them, for at least 5 years, I am placed on retirement status and can keep my cobra until I turn 65 (I am 54 right now). In two years I will be eligible for medicare and, as I understand it, I have no choice but to take it. I can choose to retain my other insurance, though, as a secondary. Hope this helps! Jacque
0 -
Hi Ladies
I think I posted here a few weeks ago. did a ct scan something showed. Followed up with a PET scan. The oncologist said she thought it was nothing since it was only 6mm and I am on Herceptin till Sept. That to just wait and see, redo the PET in 2 mos. In the mean time I had applied for SSID and was turned down, saying I will get better in 5 years after I get off the Adrimidx(sp)and that the emphysema was not that bad even though the report say moderate. I plan on appealing this because at this rate I don't know what is going to show in 2 mos. BTW my family has had every kind on cancer lung-brain-kidney-liver ect. So I think I have some reason to be concern.
Thanks for listening
Denise0 -
Appeal! They hope you don't. They are notorious for refusing hoping you won't try again. Hang in there - you might have to appeal more than once. Jacque
0 -
I would focus my attempt to get SSD at emphysema and not breast cancer. They consider stage IV terminal at some point that is why you automatically qualify for SSD, other stages takes some convincing. I would play on the lung disease and topple it with having had bc and the five year preventative tx.
LuAnn0 -
Any Canadian ladies with Stage 4 getting disability?
0 -
Not yet, I'm still working. I just changed jobs as I was diagnosed and was worried about not getting it but it appears that I qualify even though I haven't passed my probation period. If I need LTD, then I probably have to wait 12 months from the beginning of my coverage before I can claim. I have a lot of info on this if you want to PM me.
Debbie0 -
I had my phone interview on Apr 7. I was then sent an avalanche of questions that I faxed back to ssa. They more or less wanted to know if I was able to dress myself,feed myself and blow my own nose. Has anyone else done this questionaire even with Stage IV diagnosis????
I faxed this over 2 weeks ago and have not heard anything from them. Is this normal????0 -
ok so i have read through all of the posts, and have a question or two. i was dx with mets to the lung in 8/06. i continued working. it was a fairly new job, as i lost my business when i was originally dx in 04 since i could not run it on my own and go through treatment. so i started a new job after finishing chemo. i continued working full time until 10/06 when it just became too difficult. i cut back to part time and worked until 4/07. i have finished filling out all of my paperwork for ssi and ssd. i am concerned that i stated that i became disabled in 10/06 when i could no longer work full time and it sounds like i should have listed my dx date as date of disability. will they just figure that out when they get the medical info from my onc? and how long after filling out info do you get a phone interview? do you always get an interview. i feel like there are more things that i would like to explain that were not covered on the forms. this all seems so complicated. it would be so nice if it all was resolved quickly and simply!!
0 -
I think you become disabled when your recurrance is diagnosed. Ask you onc. He has to fill out papers from SSDI anyway and they take his/her answers first.I didn't get a phone interview. I was ask to return the next day and was asked a few questions. Guess that was the interview. it took about 6 weeks before the first check arrived in themail. Good luck!
0 -
I think you are considered disabled when you are no longer working. They may take the date you went to part time though. That is something to ask.
LuAnn0 -
CJAY, When I was filling out my paperwork online it stated that if you were considered terminal (I know - a word we hate to admit to) you should call the office and not proceed with the online form. I did this and had a phone interview set for the next day. Be sure to check when the onc says you were disabled. The nurse that filled it out for him put my date as two months after I actually did.
Good luck - Jacque0 -
okay, just dx with mets to a lymph node between lung and esophogus. I'm 32 and dreading going back to work full time. My question with ssd is (bcuz the site is confusing as hell), would it still qualify for benefits because its not a distant mets. My background with disease is dx in April of 05 with stage 3b, er/pr+ with 5 of 15 nodes involved. I did 4 dose dense treatments of adrimyacin/cytoxan and 4 dose dense taxol. Then did 30 rads that finished up Christmas eve of 05. I then started taking tamoxifen...didn't have hardly any side-effects. With this new dx, I did my first injection of zoladex last wed and start Arimidex in 3 weeks. I have seen so many posts with bad reactions to the Arimidex. In the mean time, I had a tram recon on April 10 (it was my 2 year gift to myself) and my leave ends next Wednesday. I work in retail management in a high paced store. Before my leave for surgery, I was on my feet 45 to 50 hours a week and my boss/company is getting more into politics vs. people as each day passes. I feel like I could probably stand the manual labor but the politics and mind games are too much for me. I'm not a 32 year old that just wants to sit on my butt, but I'm to the point that I feel like my work is toxic to my health. I need the insurance and I feel like i could stay on part-time to pay for my cobra and my bankruptcy that chemo led me to, I guess i just need someone to give me permission to take the leap and the encouragement that ssd will be there. I own my own jewelry business on the side for supplemental pay. I know that I'm rambling....My game plan....if I follow through...is to wait for the genetic testing to come back and if I need to, have a hysterectomy before my next injection. Thats in August. I thought I would download all the forms and talk to ssd to determine the process and see how i feel on the Arimidex. If I qualify, I would then plan on going for it while on leave for the hysterectomy...then when leave for that is up go back 16-20 hours a week (which would be under the $1080 your able to earn a month)....are you bored yet......:) I guess my questions are...Do you all think i qualify or are any of you in similar situations that can give me advice? I know I need to do something, I'm just at that stage where its hard to let go of the old me and embrace what I need to do for the new me. Any words of wisdom???
0 -
Can you find a job you would enjoy more that has insurance?? I think that will be your biggest concern if you leave. SSD takes 6 months to kick in then you have to be on it two years before you're eligible for Medicare.
I definately understand not wanting to go back to a toxic environment. Maybe you can find one that would be less so. I have no idea on your question about if they would consider that stage iv.0 -
It sounds like you may have a positive internal mammary node?
Here's what the SS website says about it-
_________________________________________________
Part III - Listing Of Impairments (Overview)
The Listing of Impairments describes, for each major body system, impairments that are considered severe enough to prevent a person from doing any gainful activity (or in the case of children under age 18 applying for SSI, cause marked and severe functional limitations). Most of the listed impairments are permanent or expected to result in death, or a specific statement of duration is made. For all others, the evidence must show that the impairment has lasted or is expected to last for a continuous period of at least 12 months.
_________________________________________________________
13.10 Breast (except sarcoma13.04) (See 13.00K4.)
A. Locally advanced carcinoma (inflammatory carcinoma, tumor of any size with direct extension to the chest wall or skin, tumor of any size with metastases to the ipsilateral internal mammary nodes.
B. Carcinoma with distant metastases.
OR
C. Recurrent carcinoma, except local recurrence that remits with antineoplastic therapy.
______________________________________________________
I would think that A. would apply.0 -
Thanks so much ladies....I went to the social security office today to talk to a human since my old chemo brain never could grasp some of the website info and my printer is on the outs....I spoke with a very lovely lady that pretty much did nothing but try to talk me into the benefits of going back fulltime...I explained that I didn't know how I would feel on the new drugs and that I may even be going out for more surgery...I think I could work just enough hours with my job to pay for my cobra until medicare kicks in. I'm so happy to have you guys to run ideas by!!!!
0 -
You should appeal that LTD decision if you even applied yet. I just got approved for LTD and had only been with that job for 4 months. I was worried that they would deny me based on pre-existing condition but they didn't!
Yes, I had BC before but not metastatic which is the condition that I was seeking benefits for. I found out that my initial case worker denied me based on pre-existing condition but then it went to a specialist who overturned her decision.
I don't think you can apply for disability ssdi or std or ltd while working. You'd have to stop working and then apply.
PM me if you need some help.
AmyQuote:
Hi all:
I have found info in this thread very informative. I am stage IV. It metasized to my lung about a year ago. I have been working full time. Now, with treatments, I am having a very hard time working. I am not eligible for LTD through work as it is defined as a pre-existing diagnois. I was dx with stage 4 just a couple of months after starting my new job.
My concern is now that I am having such a hard time, should I go ahead and apply while I am working full time or do I need to wait until I can't work.
The way I'm feeling, I might last another 3-6 month working full time. Does it make sense to apply for disability while I still have a full time job?
Thanks so much for your input0 -
I am new to this forum and would appreciate any feedback. have been on SSD for almost 3 years (Stage IV to lung).I have been blessed with remission for over a year now. I go for weekly Herceptin infusions and also take Aromasin. My concern is that because of the remission, my SSD could be terminated. Has anyone been terminated from SSD because of temporary remission? Thanks all.
0 -
I could be wrong, but I think once you are stage iv you qualify for life as remissions can be long term or fleeting. I do stand to be corrected though. Jacque
0 -
I have not been through the reevaluation process but it is coming up for me next year. Since I recently changed to a new doctor, and she immediately took me off chemo and declared me NED, I mentioned my concern about losing the SSDI because of it. The doc said I would not lose it just because I was temporily (hopefully a long temporary) NED. She said "the diagnosis has not changed." Meaning I'm still terminal, and that's what SSDI goes by, apparently.
I figure the doctor should know, since she's been dealing with cancer patients and SSDI for over 15 years. I imagine she's been through the procedure a time or two.
Anyway, that's what I'm going on.0 -
Thanks JaqueN and Buzz for the info. I am concerned because my private LTD insurer has terminated me, and now I am worried about the S/s benefits. I sure can't work full time. I have an appointment with a lawyer but he is mostly an s/s lawyer and hasn't dealt with private LTD insurers.
0
