Tuesday, May 26, 2009

[epilepsy] Re: Finally having my SSDI hearing



Kelly,
My daughter, Dani, now 23,waited 3 years for her SSI hearing. She has had 1 brain surgery and a VNS. The SSI hearing was March 16 last year in Cincinnati- the morning of one of the worst winter storms we had in years. After being turned down 2x previously we went the lawyer route. It was successful. We got in the hearing room and the neurological MD expert-from Cleveland Clinic no less- called in his testimony because of the weather. I was dreading this hearing and allowed Cleveland Clinic expert witness to intimidate me.

I was made to stay out in the waiting area because the hearing room was too small. I think the lawyer thought I might make a scene. Anyway, I waited and probably sweated blood. 20 minutes later they (our lawyer and Dani) came out and said they won.

Interesting enough, the Cleveland Clinic doc asked an opening question saying,"Know why are we here?" The hearing judge started to explain as if the doc did not know why. So he said it again. Then he announced his medical opinion by saying Dani should have received SSI 3 years ago. She was awarded 3 years of back pay + her monthly SS check. Of course, the lawyer got his cut. Dani gets checks for $1900 about quarterly.

With all you went through they may very well rule in your favor.

-Tim Heller/Dani's Dad

--- In epilepsy@yahoogroups.com, Kelly Porter <kellyporter@...> wrote:
>
> After 3 years 3 brain surgeries and many meds I am having my SSDI
> hearing on June 16th!! I will travel to Reno by on the 15the have my
> hearing the 16th and come home on the 17th. My lawyer and I will be
> having a lengthy discussion before that, but I am almost dreading the
> emotional toil this is going to have on me. All 5 of my post op
> seizures have been stress induced.
>
> The thought of trying to tell someone who doesn't know me, who has to
> determine my future, why I cant work though I "look" perfectly normal
> freaks me out. The reality is it really is "all in my head" and all in
> those pill bottles I open morning and night!! Well partially no longer
> in my head since part of what has caused this is that they took part of
> it out! A head that my husband and I have come to realize will forever
> be different emotionally and mentally--but that I can maybe learn to
> deal with if I can control my environment and the number of "boxes" and
> people I surround myself with. How can someone who has never
> experienced that decide my future for me in one meeting? Everyone I
> know has realized that I cannot deal with anything outside the "norm"
> anything outside my "schedule" anything that happens that "rattles me".
> The more that I have going on in my life the more likely that is to
> happen. The more people I have to deal with the more likely that is to
> happen. The more it happens the worse my side effects-and the worse I
> react-the worse the cycle becomes.
>
> Yet on the 16th I will go to this meeting with my lawyer and we will
> present all the information we have and then I will wait to see what
> this person determines about my life.
>
> Kelly
>

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