My mom and I have been fighting for disability since I was five I’m 21 now and in November we finally got a hearing date (I have a lawyer) but the judge was rude and dismissive she basically called me my mom and my doctors all liars and actually said she doesn’t know how I can have epilepsy when my most recent eeg came out clean (never mind the fact that it was the first eeg that has ever come out clean for me) she left me feeling low and like I was a scam artist and she made me feel like a piece of dirt I just want to know if any of you guys have had to struggle getting disability but finally won by the way she did not deny me but she wants me to see a court appointed doctor so it’s more or less to be continued.
Hi, Chiari Type.
Sorry to hear of your struggles with gaining disability benefits. It sounds like you’ve been through quite alot in filing. I don’t know there is any one certain way to win benefits, but have heard many here and on other communities advise to be persistent, have good legal representation and a substantiated trail of documentation of your medical condition and how it affects your life and ability to work. Also, here’s a link I’ve seen others share that may be useful-
http://www.disabilitysecrets.com/
Best wishes,
Laurie
Thank you very much Laurie
To be honest ive had hell for 3 years now since i filed.... and im not sure where you live but i think we had the same judge. Lol. She put on my denial papers last year that i was a liar cause i said i was scheduled for more surgery...... i literally had a decompression, removal of ring, removal of c3 nerves on both sides and removal of scar tissue 7 days after my court date. But i was a such and such liar. (Insert eye roll) I just went before her for the second time the 3rd of this month..... my ns told me that people dont know about chiari or its triggers and dont bother to educate themselves. This time i focused more on my neck problems since i have quite a few and my ns wants to do a level 4 bone fusion in c3-c7. I was scheduled for surgery but ran out of insurance. I find out if i get my disability within the next 90 days. Get alawyer who will meet with you and familiarize themselves with your case and build a defense for any negativity from the judge. Who can answer questions about day to day life and how if you cough sneeze strain or anything you will be curled into a ball in pain. Hope this helps. I wish you luck.
Wish me luck,
allura
Hello allura I wish you the best of luck and I think I’m going to go with another lawyer I don’t feel like mine really went to bat for me and the judge I had basically called me a liar too I was diagnosed with epilepsy when I was five around the same time I was diagnosed with chiari and on every EEG I have ever had except for one I have always shown seizure activity and that just so happened to be my most recent one so she didn’t believe I had epilepsy I left crying and feeling defeated
When you go back take all the EEG results. And make sure your lawyer puts it on the record that you have had epilepsy and all these tests confirm it even ifthe latest test says different. I know you can only bring records for 2 years where i live and that messed up my case because most of my diagnoses were made several years ago. when i first went to court before i even sat down my judge looked at me and said well im gonna tell you right now im looking at you and you dont look like theres anything wrong with you.... i said well its literally in my head. Also if you like many people with chronic conditions have any depression or anxiety bring that up with any medical records. Sometimes if you have 2 seperate unrelated things it will help you get it. You can go to the social security disability website and look up your conditions and find out what the social security people say is disabling.
Best of luck,
allura
That’s how it is were I’m from too (Mississippi) we can only go back so far with the records but I also think it was my lawyer in hindsight he wasn’t that great
My first attorney was an idiot. I tried to explain chiari and gave him some info on it and he wouldnt even look at it nor would he look at my symptoms. His daughter had a flat and had triple A coming to fix it for her and he was distracted. Whenever the judge asked a question he just looked at me and told her he didnt know. This time i took copies of important medicql records with parts highlighted and a pen and paper. And when i wasnt allowed to talk and judge asked a question id hand him the appropriate paper and point to where it was highlighted or id write him a note and hand it to him. The vocational specialist said according to the book and the city and state where i was from i could not do any job she had but that in her opinion and other speciqlists in the country i could do 5 various jobs. My lawyer went on the record to state that by the book i couldnt do the jobs she listed.