Tone Parsons

Social Security Disability is a pain in my ass

When I left work those many months ago, I wasn’t too worried, because I have long term disability insurance. Because I did a “buy-up” when I purchased the insurance, I was guaranteed 70% of my current salary until I reach age 65.

Unfortunately, part of the deal is that I apply for Social Security Disability (and appeal twice if my claim is denied). If I’m accepted, my insurance company deducts the amount that Social Security pays me from the amount they have to pay me. After the 3rd denial, my insurance company will tell me that I fought the good fight, and I no longer have to deal with it (they just pay me).

If you’ve never applied for Disability benefits from the government, let me explain the process in the simplest terms I can: It’s drawn out, time consuming, and painful.

You fill out form after form, then they request the same forms be filled out again (and again) until your will to live is as broken as you are.

I think I’ve finally filled out everything they need for my initial application, as I called and talked my my case worker again today. She stated that while I’m a good candidate for disability, I’m probably going to be denied (you have to be a total vegetable to get accepted at my age of 41).

So…. once the denial letter comes, I get the joy of running through the appeal process….. twice! Lucky me!

As for me… I’ve had people ask how I’ve been doing, so I thought I’d put out an update.

Things haven’t changed much. I still hurt all the time, I’m still on heavy narcotics, and I still sleep a lot. My attitude about it, however, is improving. I’ve come to accept that this is my life now, and it’s time to get myself out of the bucket of self-pity that I’ve been wallowing in.

I’m going to start getting out of the house more and experiencing life outside of these 4 walls. I plan to go to the Spokane Shock store sometime this week to get myself all geared up for the opening home game of the season (this coming saturday). We watched the first game of the season (they played Green Bay in Wisconsin) via the web and it was great! Spokane beat them 64 – 48 (which kicked serious ass!!).

I’m also going to get on the web more often, posting both here and on my forum. Hell, I may even bring wwbd out of mothballs and back to it’s former glory (the last few posts over there kind of sucked).

2 comments

2 Comments so far

  1. Senile Citizen March 31st, 2008 4:33 pm

    Be sure to keep copies of every piece of paper that you fill out along with medical documentation and note the names of every SS employee that you deal with and when you dealt with them. Then when the right time comes you can contact your state senator and complain and ask him/her to intervene on your behalf. Especially note that remark about being 41 and probably will be rejected. Can you just imagine what the media would do if they heard about it. I’m sure that eventually you will prevail and hopefully kick some butt at the same time.

  2. whiterabbit April 3rd, 2008 3:45 pm

    Glad to hear that you might be trying to rejoin the land of the living(dead) đŸ˜‰

    And dont forget there bud, we still need that gamer that knows how to revive in game every once in a while. To give you a laugh, BF2 is striking back. We now have 4 servers running different varients. Remember Strike at Karkand or Road to Jalalalalalalbad.. They are hopin non stop all day long. If you ever feel the hankerin for a round of roudy kickin butt, fire that old b*tch up and log on.
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    Karkand : 209.160.43.161:16567
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    http://ferociousbeaver.com/index.html
    Miss ya and keep up the hope!
    The Whi7eRa66iT