Savingdogs-Saving the chickens

[moolie]

Moolie, SSI is Social Security Insurance, us Americans pay a percentage of our income from every paycheck (mandatory) to this fund, it is for the elderly and the disabled. In order to qualify as disabled, you can't just have a doctor SAY you are disabled. It is more of an approval process and impartial doctors are chosen to examine you. I've been waiting four months now and they say the quickest it ever happens is five months, so I expect that my wait will be over soon. I did not have hearing loss or vertigo to this extent up until about three years ago, and the hearing loss being this bad has only been about six months. My disease is characterized by fluctuating hearing loss, I could still experience a spontaneous improvement (has happened to me several times).

Ah, we have something similar called Employment Insurance. A portion of every paycheque along with an employer paid portion gets paid into EI. But EI only pays out when someone loses their job (laid off, not fired).

We also have other programs for people who become disabled on the job, and for people who cannot work due to disabilities, but I don't know much about them. My Mom has epilepsy and has some kind of disability income until she hits retirement age (she is 61).

And then we have a government Old Age Pension system that kicks in at age 65--my Dad just started getting this on top of his company pension (he retired at age 59 with some RRSPs and his company pension).

 

[savingdogs]

Our system sounds pretty similar. My particular disease does not have may outward signs and a person could SAY they cannot hear and SAY they feel dizzy. While there are ways to prove it, it isn't like looking at a person missing a limb and being able to "see" a disability. I know that there are many invisible disabilities however, mine is not the only one.

But unfortunately there are too many cheaters and scammers for any system, so we all have to go through a screening process to make sure cheaters are not collecting. Sigh. There are websites devoted to my disease, and the general rule is people get denied the first time they apply. If I am not denied, it will be surprising, but I have a feeling that I will eventually be approved.

I do know people who waited and waited a long time for approval(for a different disability). The lady we bought this house from, for instance. I don't know how long she waited, but when she finally got accepted, they owed her 100,000 dollars. Unfortunately by that time she had lost her home, owned nothing and had been living off charity of relatives for quite a while,and had huge debt accumulated. We were so happy for her when she got paid, but it wasn't the windfall for her that it sounds like. I don't think my situation will be as difficult, and I still have my husband supporting me at least, and I do think the doctors will back up my claim.

 

[Farmfresh]

The more I hear about filing for SSI the more I think I need to get started NOW. They have partial disability as well. I just need to learn more while I can still work.

 

[savingdogs]

It is good to have a file of your medical visits, doctors names and dates of surgeries,etc. You will need all that info.

 

[tortoise]

Our system sounds pretty similar. My particular disease does not have may outward signs and a person could SAY they cannot hear and SAY they feel dizzy. While there are ways to prove it, it isn't like looking at a person missing a limb and being able to "see" a disability. I know that there are many invisible disabilities however, mine is not the only one.

But unfortunately there are too many cheaters and scammers for any system, so we all have to go through a screening process to make sure cheaters are not collecting. Sigh. There are websites devoted to my disease, and the general rule is people get denied the first time they apply. If I am not denied, it will be surprising, but I have a feeling that I will eventually be approved.

I do know people who waited and waited a long time for approval(for a different disability). The lady we bought this house from, for instance. I don't know how long she waited, but when she finally got accepted, they owed her 100,000 dollars. Unfortunately by that time she had lost her home, owned nothing and had been living off charity of relatives for quite a while,and had huge debt accumulated. We were so happy for her when she got paid, but it wasn't the windfall for her that it sounds like. I don't think my situation will be as difficult, and I still have my husband supporting me at least, and I do think the doctors will back up my claim.

I applied also, I can't work much or often because of mental illness. It's another thing that doesn't get approved easily. I know of others with my condition that appealed SEVEN times before she was approved. I somehow got approved on the first application and without seeing one of their Dr.'s ??! I really cannot understand. I'm thankfull, but on the other hand I wonder if I am more severely affected than others. I always underestimate my symptoms, partially because I don't want to admit it and also to give credit to the people that (I think) are more severely affected than I am. But they weren't approved... I don't understand.

I hope you get lucky too. You mentioned hearing loss, but you never said how profound yours is. Back pay sounds good, but if you've been waiting too long - you're right. Too little, too late. I was lucky to be supported by my fiance, the money went to paying of debts. The car loan I couldn't pay when I lost my job thanks to this disease. The school loan from when I dropped out of school thanks to this disease ...

Anyways... kudos. Hoping for the best for you!

 

[savingdogs]

Our system sounds pretty similar. My particular disease does not have may outward signs and a person could SAY they cannot hear and SAY they feel dizzy. While there are ways to prove it, it isn't like looking at a person missing a limb and being able to "see" a disability. I know that there are many invisible disabilities however, mine is not the only one.

But unfortunately there are too many cheaters and scammers for any system, so we all have to go through a screening process to make sure cheaters are not collecting. Sigh. There are websites devoted to my disease, and the general rule is people get denied the first time they apply. If I am not denied, it will be surprising, but I have a feeling that I will eventually be approved.

I do know people who waited and waited a long time for approval(for a different disability). The lady we bought this house from, for instance. I don't know how long she waited, but when she finally got accepted, they owed her 100,000 dollars. Unfortunately by that time she had lost her home, owned nothing and had been living off charity of relatives for quite a while,and had huge debt accumulated. We were so happy for her when she got paid, but it wasn't the windfall for her that it sounds like. I don't think my situation will be as difficult, and I still have my husband supporting me at least, and I do think the doctors will back up my claim.

I applied also, I can't work much or often because of mental illness. It's another thing that doesn't get approved easily. I know of others with my condition that appealed SEVEN times before she was approved. I somehow got approved on the first application and without seeing one of their Dr.'s ??! I really cannot understand. I'm thankfull, but on the other hand I wonder if I am more severely affected than others. I always underestimate my symptoms, partially because I don't want to admit it and also to give credit to the people that (I think) are more severely affected than I am. But they weren't approved... I don't understand.

I hope you get lucky too. You mentioned hearing loss, but you never said how profound yours is. Back pay sounds good, but if you've been waiting too long - you're right. Too little, too late. I was lucky to be supported by my fiance, the money went to paying of debts. The car loan I couldn't pay when I lost my job thanks to this disease. The school loan from when I dropped out of school thanks to this disease ...

Anyways... kudos. Hoping for the best for you!

Profound impairment, both sides. Left cannot discern speech or even much sound. Right varies but often into profound loss category, sometimes improves into "severe" hearing loss, that is the side I hear with.

Deaf people can work, though. It is the vertigo making me stop. Dizzy people cannot work.

I'm glad you got through on the first try....I have a friend with horrible migraines that did, as well. She said the secret was the doctor had meticulous notes. If that is the case, I'm doing good. I collected an inch-thick stack of medical notes from ten years ago and my current doctor has a NOVEL of chart files for me. I did not go down without a fight. The disease finally won, but no one can say I did not try everything in my power to keep my hearing and try to keep working. I did not want to stop working for vets, I enjoyed it, I just could not be a good employee being so ill and so deaf.

I already had a medical exam for depression and that doctor told me he supported my claim. I had claimed three disabilities, depression, meniere's disease and migraine associated vertigo, but all of it is from the meniere's disease, Migraine Associated Vertigo is just a spin off of the meniere's, another way of it affecting me. I'm just depressed about going deaf and being unable to drive anymore, which is NORMAL, There is not a person here who would not become depressed if they lost those two abilities at the same time. I guarantee it. But that does not make me any less depressed.

Gosh, so many pages in my journal about being ill. Enough depressing stuff!

I had a funnier story to relate, for some reason one of my bunnies escaped from the cage (still haven't figured out how), but it was one of the SOLD little three-week-old ones. I was frantic to find it! Our cat kept watching me with a grin and I knew if I went too long in finding it, it would become cat food. So I went out every few minutes until finally I spied it darting under some things. So I run in and get my older son Computer Nerd, and we get some poles and try to guide the little stinker out to where we catch it. We chased it for probably an hour! You all would probably laugh watching a video of it, if we had a bunny-catching cam. Of course it was pouring rain and we became covered in mud and bunny poo. He and I were crawling around under the cages, trying to grab the little bugger, who kept JUST hopping beyond our grasp.
FINALLY Computer Nerd was able to grab just an EAR but held on fast and was able to cup its whole little body in his hand. We both cheered! Probably lucky the thing did not have a heart attack at that point. Sister was very happy to see her baby and I tried to beef up any spots where there was access to openings, but I still could not really see how it escaped? It was odd. But at least we caught her.

 

[abifae]

Was he a hearing person who lost his hearing then? Being a "late onset" is very different than being deaf and then having the sound turned on, or being deaf for a long time and then hearing again.

He got a lot of ear infections as a little kid and it pretty much melted the tiny ear bones. So I guess he's been profoundly deaf since before grade school.

 

[savingdogs]

So a coclear implant would be like a miracle restoration for him. For me, I'm jaded. I want the real deal.

 

[abifae]

*nods*

Although it's really hard for him. He doesn't use it all the time. It's really tough for him to sift through all the sudden noise LOL.

 

[AnnaRaven]

I've been catching up on the news. I'm really glad your appointment went so well. I have some mild hearing loss (in the "speaking" ranges) and have hearing aids. I know how much even mild loss affects social interaction. I can only imagine how hard it must be for you; and then being dizzy on top of it so you can't drive. I would worry about social isolation - it must be hard for you and your friends or strangers to figure out how to deal with this disability and, combined with being unable to drive, I could see it might lead to not getting as much social contact as you're used to. I'm very glad you're here where no one needs to rely on speech or hearing and where you can take as much time as you need when you're not feeling up to it.