Do I Qualify

[diver]

Hello everyone. I am looking at filing for SSDI and I don’t know what I am facing. I have herd lots of nightmares from it. I will be leaving work this month and starting voc rehab. I am unable to continue to do the work that I have been doing for 9 years. I am only 41 and here is my list of service connected problems.

Depression 50%
Lumbar strain 40%
Tinnitus 10%
Right ankle sprain 20%
Left ankle sprain 10%
Left knee instability 10%
Left knee chrondromalacia 10%
Right knee chrondromalacia 10%
Left knee limitation of extention 10%
Right knee limitation of extention 10%

What would be my odds. Again I know nothing about this. I was never planning on this until I have been told by many friends and family to do it.

Thanks for your thoughts and any pointers on how to do it

Diver

[diver]

I'm still waiting for my ssdi claim to proceed.  I have officially been out of work for 1 year as of the end of this month and so far I have been denied 2 times in the first 3 months and sense then I have been waiting for a hearing with a judge and my aterney.

I hope this ends soon. Thanks to the VA disability and my wife working we are OK financially but no extra or savings. And my wife has had arthritis surgery 2 times in her right arm and lots of pain in both so as soon as I am done she really needs to put in for ssdi. 

It sucks getting older. Lol

[Lomshooter]

Having a condition does not matter with SSDI. What matters is how the conditions affect your ability to work. Those must be documented by a qualified medical person in your medical record. Additionally, if SSA determines you can do ANY work, you will be denied. Because you are under 50, as long as you can do sedentary work and make $1130 a month, you will be denied. That is why most cases like yours go to an ALJ hearing. I have found this out the hard way by being denied SSDI. You are lucky you were denied twice in 3 months. Mine took 6 months to be denied once. I am waiting on reconsideration now. What will be a huge help to you is if your Dr's support you for your claim. You need to talk to them and have them start documenting how your conditions affect your ability to work. It must be documented!!  Google sedentary work requirements sir SSDI and look at all those. Your Doctors word carries a greater weight at the hearing level. Good luck to you!!!

[diver]

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately for me my Dr's are only the va and they are not willing to get involved at all with anything. At this time my reccards are what I have. With the bulging disk in my back I can't stand or lean over at a seated position for more then 10 minuts or my sciatic start shooting down my legs and I'm popping pain meds. If I'm seated for more then 30 min and not using my knees my knees are like they are rusted and are hard to move and again pain pills. And then of course there's the depression from the pain. As you probably know sucks. Then the memories of the people and injuries I worked on. All of this is in my va medical records but that's it. The va counselor does not want to work with me because I don't know what to really work on or fix. Its all part of me and my life. How do you pick what you are used to and try to change it. I am who i am because of what ive done. My memories are OK because each and every one of the people  are OK and I helped with that. The depression is not ever going away because my pain will never go away. And then my anger well I'm just angry about the pain and watching my kids grow up without me being able to throw the ball or run around with them. I don't know. If I get ssdi that would be great but my quality of life has gone up a lot sense I stopped working and that's worth it to me. With not working I'm in much less pain and stress. 

[Lomshooter]

I know exactly how you feel.  I was fortunate enough to retire with a pension and good insurance but my pay is only about half. Your symptoms are much like mine. Don't get discouraged, a doctor's backing helps but is not totally necessary. A majority of these cases are won at the hearing level and your attorney will know what he has to prove. Unfortunately because of your age it will be harder. I am just the opposite. I never pursued any VA avenues after I got out in '92 because I felt healthy. In the last two years I have fallen apart physically. Herniated disk, arthritis in hips, hypothyroidism, chronic fatigue, high blood pressure, heart disease, and more. Waiting on Military Personel File now and medical records and Gulf War Illness exam. I want answers more than anything really. Until then I am with you in increasing the quality of life. Surgery on back in two weeks followed by a hip replacement. Hang in there!!!

[ArNG11]

Hang in there Diver, "it can't rain all the time",  I am in a similar fix but things will fit together just nicely in the end of all the run around.

Depression, Anger, Anxiety, and all that jazz, you are right on the money, it will never go away, just the same as the pain.  However, once you accept that, you can concentrate on learning to make those bad days not be so terrible, to say, that you can still have some good days and enjoyment for the things you can do and can have, well, that and family keep me going, support and understanding help a great deal, definitely some type of support system is needed.

As much as it was to swallow my pride and accept that I needed to change things, that is retire, I couldn't physically and mentally handle my career and line of work,the decision to retire was the best decision I made. I understand how you feel.

Seems silly because I have heard this saying so many times, but "when life hands you a bunch of lemons, make those lemons into lemonade"  It helps.

I get to spend more time with my family.  I get to spoil my dogs and kids more because I am not working, I get quality time to spend with my wife and family.  I also get the satisfaction and feeling of success when I can help other Veterans in their walk with benefits.

I don't know I may sound like a broken record and just a voice full of cliches and sayings, however, really think about things.  The good outweighs the bad at the end of the day and that fact keeps me going.  Hang in there bro. "One day at a time" .  Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

[diver]

Hey everyone I need some help with ideas to help a 23 year retired master gunnery seargunt. This person became an mcjrotc instructor for 16 years. My kids have an njrotc in their high school and this marine moved to my state to fill an opening and instruct here. He was at the school for 13 days. At one point he was telling the kids that he felt that single parent family's was very difficult and that he makes a point of being there for the kids to help them at another time he was telling the student chain of command about how each person have subconscious bias feelings that make you think or do things. He used as an example that he served 2 tours and how later when he was home he went to a gym and was working out when he had noticed an arib looking man walk in with a duffle bag. He noticed the man did not go to the locker room to change so he kept an eye on him because it was strange. The man was fine and was doing nothing wrong. He pointed out to the students how he did not mean to but he did. The point he said is regardless what you may think as a leader you have to put your beliefs aside and make impartial decisions. Then he did say something about trump. I don't know what he said about him.

Well one student felt uncomfortable about the single parent family comments because that was her family.  The student went to another administrator and complained.

The school filed a report that the student was in tears and crying about the fact she felt attacked. They also said he was racist because of the gym story and he talked about politics. 

The student came to my niece and told her that she did not state any of that and that she was very upset about what the school did. The school interviewed some students who said the questions where directed to get only one answer. They talked to master gunny and like a veteran said I tell the kids not to lie so he will answer the questions. They asked him if he told a story about an arib. He said yes. They asked him if he talked about single parent families. He said yes and they asked did he talk about trump. And again he said yes. That was it. No questions about context or any fallow up questions. 

This marine has not had 1 reprimand in 39 years. The school board had a close door meeting and made the determination to fire him. 1 hour later 6 students me and the other njrotc instructor  (a retired navy captain) and my sister made our pleas for a second chance. They fell on deaf ears the board did not even have the guts to list his vote they added it to a general vote. 

I have come to find out some other things about the school and other veterans. This year one administrator during the first assembly named all the new instructors. She left off the captain.  This same administrator had an assistant athletic instructor fired because he showed up to school in uniform one day for his daughters jrotc promotion.  

I need your help! we are trying to come up with a plan of attack to get the master gunnys job back because he is great and the kids need him. I need ideas and group's in the Seattle area that can help.

 

Thank you very much 

Diver