Applying for Disability

Hi Laura, Yes I can definitely relate, I don't have your condition but mine was Heart related. But either way I had to finally leave a job I loved and move into early retirement on disability.
I actually pushed it a bit longer, like it sounds like you have, and my Doctors were suggesting they would recommend disability or a different type of work. The job I had was pretty physical in nature and required long hours driving.
So long story short I finally was kind of forced into it when my Heart got so bad I needed a transplant.
So on to SSI, and at the time I worked for the federal Government. I was in the Hospital for about 10 weeks during the lead up and completion of the Transplant. I started the paperwork for Disability with my employer and it required I file also with SSI which I did.
Interesting enough I got approved for both and I wondered why I always heard it was almost guaranteed to be turned down the first time.
Well that was the interest part is I started filling online for ssi just to meet my works requirements and because I didn't finish in the allotted time it got denied from lack of information. So I called after getting out of the hospital to see how to fix it and the lady took my application on the phone right then. A couple months later I got an approval . So I actually started collecting on SSI before my government disability got approved. Sure seemes a higher power was definitely in my corner. And that all worked out well as 2 years after getting SSI your eligible for Medicare and now I have that also. So I still miss my work and I left it at 58 but now at 63 I'm finding other areas similar to my work to keep me happy. I can't explained why I got it so easy, but I figured it was that my doctors were willing to say I could not work in that position anymore and also my work said the same thing. Plus the phone interview helped a lot I think. I hope you are successful in your quest.
And if n i can help further please
Let Me Know
Blessings

This is all very helpful information, the 2018 information from Terri on applying for disability and the replies , comments and reactions from all on their experiences. I have had Bronchiectasis for sure since 2019 and prior , with recurrent treated for pseudenomas, staph, and MAC. Not currently taking MAC meds but because of my full time job have not been able to do my Airway clearance treatments and devices. I keep thinking about asking for accomodations such as working remote but don't know where to start as my employer relies on me too much so I feel a sense of obligation but obviously I am not taking care of myself as best I can. Is there any cellular level research on Bronchiectasis treaments? such as there is with CF? My niece who has CF is taking a new cellular level treament where her lung function is actually increasing. Minette

@mtyler, by cellular level research I assume you to mean regenerative medicine, othewise known as stem call treatment. Stem cells offer great promise for new medical treatments.

You can read more about regenerative medicine and lung disease on Mayo Clinic's regenerative medicine website here https://www.mayo.edu/research/centers-programs/center-regenerative-medicine/focus-areas/lung-regeneration

Excerpt
"Regenerative medicine has the potential to provide innovative new therapies for people with lung diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary arterial hypertension and bronchiolitis obliterans."

My 55 year old son had treatment for stage 3 thyroid cancer and it left him unable to eat solid foods and for the past 3 years he has existed on Boost and Instant Breakfast for nourishment. He applied for SSD and was turned down. Told that he waited too long. He was used to working at a high energy level profession and can no longer work at anything due to neuropathy in his legs and a damaged nerve in his neck. He worked all of his life and now this. He was told by a SS employee that he would "need" to have surgery on his neck! He has no feeling in his one arm and fingers and can barely walk to his mailbox. I was told by a Social Security employee that he would qualify for SSD, but when he applied a different employee signed him up for SSI but he was told that he waited too long! Has anyone heard of that?

No , I was once told I took to long to fill out the paperwork online, at the time I was in the Hospital waiting on a transplant but once I called about how to reapply due to denial they took my application on the phone. You can read my story at
This link
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/737431/
I would say keep trying I was about 58 when I got approved.

I had a unexpected liver transplant and when I spoke with someone she said that she would get back in touch with me. I received a letter about one month after we talked and they refused me. I found out a little over a year after my transplant that you automatically get disability when you have had a transplant. Does anyone know if I could get it now since they refused me?

Hi warrio202105, I've actually heard from a few people that they almost without question most people get refused the first time. I would not say its automatic as every case is different. I for instance had a heart transplant and the work I was doing was very physical in as much as i needed to climb communication towers and because of that along with a heart transplant could not continue to climb towers. Now some companies could do what they say is an allowance to put me in a different position at the same pay and location as the job I had, and my company did not have a position available. So based on that and my age to retrain into something else (i was 58 at the time) would not be worth it as i was close to retirement age. So I got it mostly based on that. But i would not give up and resubmit. Also i might add that many people i have met with succsful transplant both heart and other organs were able to return to work with a leave of abssent of maybe 6 months to a year. Which also my give you a tempory disability which would allow you to recover and/or retrain into some kind of work you could do with a transplant. Ill be honest I really liked my career and many times in the past 5 years felt a strong desire to return. I know i cant physically but alo miss doing something I really loved. I hope you are succesful in what ever you decide.

When filling out Disability application, don't forget to mention that it is difficult to talk on the phone due to "running out of air"