A
year and a half ago, I suffered the loss of a job that plunged me into applying
for disability at a time when I didn’t quite feel disabled. With the knowledge
that I would have to someday apply for disability, I had done lots of research.
The thing that I was most afraid of completing was the Function Report form that Phil Hardt wrote about, where he stressed
how we must make ourselves sound totally incapable of handling the ADL’s (Activities of Daily Living). When I
applied for disability, I was never asked to complete any type of questionnaire
like that.
After speaking with the social worker at our Center of Excellence, I did complete one of those types of forms (which was supplied by the social worker, not the SSI Administration), and I had my daughter do one too. I sent it separately, after the initial on-line application. I thought that the swiftness of the Social Security Administration's decision was based on the fact that Adult Onset Huntington’s Disease had just become a Compassionate Allowance Disease, but it could have helped that I sent the follow-up form. I also wrote a blog about it at that time, Applying for Disability – the New Time Frame.
After speaking with the social worker at our Center of Excellence, I did complete one of those types of forms (which was supplied by the social worker, not the SSI Administration), and I had my daughter do one too. I sent it separately, after the initial on-line application. I thought that the swiftness of the Social Security Administration's decision was based on the fact that Adult Onset Huntington’s Disease had just become a Compassionate Allowance Disease, but it could have helped that I sent the follow-up form. I also wrote a blog about it at that time, Applying for Disability – the New Time Frame.
I have often thought that perhaps I applied
for disability too soon, since I really don’t have any physical symptoms. But,
just when I started to feel all full of confidence and good brain health,
something bad happened! Last week, I lost track of someone who was in my charge at work,
and I’m on the verge of losing that part-time job. Being on disability, I am
only allowed to work fifteen hours a week, and the employer has been
supportive to this point. But, now that they know that I might be having problems counting
people, my days there may be numbered.
And I still have a year to wait until Medicare kicks in. So, I guess I didn't apply too soon.
My father, a white collar employee, worked for a big company for many years. He retired early, long before showing any symptoms of Huntington's Disease that were obvious to us. But, later some of his former coworkers told us that the job was becoming too difficult for him. He held a grudge against those who had expressed their concern for a very long time! I sometimes feel that way, too.
My father, a white collar employee, worked for a big company for many years. He retired early, long before showing any symptoms of Huntington's Disease that were obvious to us. But, later some of his former coworkers told us that the job was becoming too difficult for him. He held a grudge against those who had expressed their concern for a very long time! I sometimes feel that way, too.
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