Tone Parsons

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).