I had my Social Security Disability hearing today. Here are the details in case anyone else is in a similar situation.
Had Harrington Rod surgery in 1987 by Dr. Vernon Tolo. Surgeon put rods on too tight; metal broke away from spine and my top vertebrae was fractured. Surgery had to be completely redone two weeks later. (We had to threaten to sue him in order to get him to re-do it) Left in chronic pain from that point on. I was twenty-one years old. In 1997 I had all the hardware removed in an attempt to relieve the pain. For all these years I worked because I wanted to, although I had to be on pain medicine in order to work. Three years ago my pain worsened, and I started developing nerve pain shooting down both legs as well as a relentless, grinding bone pain in my lower, unfused spine. I now know this was because the fusion was too long and my lower spine has broken and I have severe stenosis. It was at this point that I finally realized I could not struggle on anymore, that I was indeed disabled, and that I needed to be realistic about my future. So, in summer of 2012 I applied for Social Security Disability Insurance. This is the federal disability program and is part of the Social Security Administration. This is not workman's comp, temporary disability, work pension, or anything related to an employer. I was actually self-employed my whole life. This is permanent disability and is as though you are receiving your social security prior to age 65. The definition to qualify is a disabling condition which is expected to last a year or longer. You must be unable to do any type of work, even sedentary work.
It took me a year and a half to get in front of a judge. First, you have to be denied twice. Most people, unless you have something life-threatening, are denied twice by social security reviewers. Then, you appear in front of an administrative law judge (ALJ) with your lawyer. If you are under age 50, it is much harder to get approved as you are judged differently depending on your age. I am 48.
I went into my hearing with a mountain of medical evidence. I used my cane, which I do most days anyway. I had two recent MRI's, X-rays, two letters from doctors - one from my family practitioner, one from my pain specialist, both stating that I was completely disabled from pain due to scoliosis surgeries, and a report from a scoliosis surgeon stating that I had severe stenosis. I also had two recent ER visits for pain, documentation about the side effects the opiates have on me, and the documentation of my three prior scoliosis surgeries.
Present at the hearing were myself, my lawyer, the judge, the court reporter, and testifying by phone was an orthopedic surgeon I'd never met hired by Social Security (not a spine surgeon) and a vocational expert. I got the disability immediately. The hearing didn't even get to the vocational expert. After the judge asked me about my pain, the orthopedist did an oral review of my case. He said right away that the fact that my first surgery had to be redone was never good, and that the fact that I'd had the hardware removed must have meant that I'd been in severe pain. I have another medical condition, too - lyme disease - but that hardly factored into it. My three scoliosis surgeries were more than enough. It was sobering to hear him read off all the things that were wrong with my spine, and all the disability codes. He said there is no code for Scoliosis surgery, so I "equaled" a code, which is ever better as it means the doctor made a code for me. I almost burst into tears. I have spent my life trying to avoid going on disability. But, it was time.
I found very little on the web about people with Harrington Rod surgery going on disability and that is why I am sharing this information. And, most of the women on this site seem to be married and have people around to help them, both financially and physically. But, I am single and childless and live alone. Now, I will get $790 per month to live on and, after two years, medicare. Since I have been low-income, my payments are less; SS Disability Insurance pays you what you have paid into the system. But, it is better than nothing. If I have to be so disabled with pain, at least I now have something.
I hope this info has helped someone else, and I encourage others who might have to apply.
Had Harrington Rod surgery in 1987 by Dr. Vernon Tolo. Surgeon put rods on too tight; metal broke away from spine and my top vertebrae was fractured. Surgery had to be completely redone two weeks later. (We had to threaten to sue him in order to get him to re-do it) Left in chronic pain from that point on. I was twenty-one years old. In 1997 I had all the hardware removed in an attempt to relieve the pain. For all these years I worked because I wanted to, although I had to be on pain medicine in order to work. Three years ago my pain worsened, and I started developing nerve pain shooting down both legs as well as a relentless, grinding bone pain in my lower, unfused spine. I now know this was because the fusion was too long and my lower spine has broken and I have severe stenosis. It was at this point that I finally realized I could not struggle on anymore, that I was indeed disabled, and that I needed to be realistic about my future. So, in summer of 2012 I applied for Social Security Disability Insurance. This is the federal disability program and is part of the Social Security Administration. This is not workman's comp, temporary disability, work pension, or anything related to an employer. I was actually self-employed my whole life. This is permanent disability and is as though you are receiving your social security prior to age 65. The definition to qualify is a disabling condition which is expected to last a year or longer. You must be unable to do any type of work, even sedentary work.
It took me a year and a half to get in front of a judge. First, you have to be denied twice. Most people, unless you have something life-threatening, are denied twice by social security reviewers. Then, you appear in front of an administrative law judge (ALJ) with your lawyer. If you are under age 50, it is much harder to get approved as you are judged differently depending on your age. I am 48.
I went into my hearing with a mountain of medical evidence. I used my cane, which I do most days anyway. I had two recent MRI's, X-rays, two letters from doctors - one from my family practitioner, one from my pain specialist, both stating that I was completely disabled from pain due to scoliosis surgeries, and a report from a scoliosis surgeon stating that I had severe stenosis. I also had two recent ER visits for pain, documentation about the side effects the opiates have on me, and the documentation of my three prior scoliosis surgeries.
Present at the hearing were myself, my lawyer, the judge, the court reporter, and testifying by phone was an orthopedic surgeon I'd never met hired by Social Security (not a spine surgeon) and a vocational expert. I got the disability immediately. The hearing didn't even get to the vocational expert. After the judge asked me about my pain, the orthopedist did an oral review of my case. He said right away that the fact that my first surgery had to be redone was never good, and that the fact that I'd had the hardware removed must have meant that I'd been in severe pain. I have another medical condition, too - lyme disease - but that hardly factored into it. My three scoliosis surgeries were more than enough. It was sobering to hear him read off all the things that were wrong with my spine, and all the disability codes. He said there is no code for Scoliosis surgery, so I "equaled" a code, which is ever better as it means the doctor made a code for me. I almost burst into tears. I have spent my life trying to avoid going on disability. But, it was time.
I found very little on the web about people with Harrington Rod surgery going on disability and that is why I am sharing this information. And, most of the women on this site seem to be married and have people around to help them, both financially and physically. But, I am single and childless and live alone. Now, I will get $790 per month to live on and, after two years, medicare. Since I have been low-income, my payments are less; SS Disability Insurance pays you what you have paid into the system. But, it is better than nothing. If I have to be so disabled with pain, at least I now have something.
I hope this info has helped someone else, and I encourage others who might have to apply.
Comment