posted 08 October 2004 14:49            

10-8-04:
Still going thru it 4 yrs., 2 months later...2nd time around like you.

1. Make sure your SSD specialized lawyer can represent you in FEDERAL COURT!

My lawyer of almost 4 yrs. in Nov. quit/withdrew from my case after my 1st lyme dr. appt. At this time, he finally told me he could NOT represent me in federal court; another lawyer would have to do this!

It was mutually agreed for him to quit me; I was not happy with him, and I was doing all the work!

He waived his attorney fee, plus his travel fees for my 1st case, & the overnight postage/copying his office did! So it was very mutual and amicable.

2. Since he quit me, I read ALL the info in both my cases that he returned to me.

I painstakingly noted EACH exhibit page numbers w/important info only:

date, drs. name, & what was important ... rashes that no one acknowledged as lyme; memory problems/concentration, when various things were diagnosed, etc.

Then I wrote the chief ALjudge in Des Moines who had sent me a letter 2 wks. prior to my lyme dx.

IMPORTANT NOTE TO THOSE REFILING 2ND CLAIMS:
============================================
(He stated they were sitting on my 2nd case NOT working it up and NO 2nd ALJ hearing UNTIL Virginia's Appeals Council decides on 1st case there 2 yrs. then. They were using Hallex rule that I showed on page 10 of tincup's posting.)

Found out later, has to be out east 2.5 YRS. BEFORE they even look at it...if then!

YESTERDAY'S UPDATE: My Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin's office Des Moines asst. contacted Virginia's AC legislative liasion rep.

I had received a letter last wk. from AC stating they had received my REQUEST FOR REVIEW and the date RECEIVED would be put in line for review .. another 18 - 30 MONTHS! Another 1.5 - 3 YEARS! Disgusted!
=======================

AC left phone message for him. My 2 cases are being COMBINED INTO ONE CASE!

So he has a call into them again to make sure my date is first date of June 02 they recd. it....not Sept. 04 when I wrote Des Moines ALJudge to REOPEN & REVIEW my 2nd claim. ----------------------
====== -- NOW IT IS ONE CASE -- NOT TWO!
Yippee...that's progress for me!

EDITED 10-8-04:
Just reread my DENIAL letter on my 2nd claim reconsideration....the one I didn't receive until 6 months after the fact, which states:

"If the appeals council decides to REMAND your client's prior app for a NEW hearing, your prior and current app may be CONSOLIDATED FOR THE NEW HEARING. We will send you a NOTICE OF HEARING at least 20 days BEFORE the date of hearing to tell you its time and place".

BOTTOM LINE: I had thought when I heard they were combined; that they had ruled "favorable" to win. NO...looks like they are planning a NEW HEARING for the 2 combined cases! Darn..not over yet! Betty

PS - an online never-met friend went all the way to FEDERAL COURT; took her 9 YEARS! Judge had told her lawyer he was going to deny this prior to hearing. But they had an independent dr. present. When the judge asked this dr. if she could do sustainable work, he read the treating drs. written medical reports, and said NO...she was approved because this dr. was there & stated in his medical expertise of other drs. reports!

DO NOT GIVE UP FIGHTING; you have to go to hell and back to be approved.

Yes, chronic fatigue was approved 3-5 yrs. ago, but even that on mine w/12-15 other things didn't budge them.

Did you have RFC, RESIDUAL FUNCTION CAPACITY, test done by your treating dr. & rheumatologist ... needed!

plus MFC, MENTAL FUNCTION CAPCITY, tests done by your psychiatrist & psychologist ... NEEDED!

Each of above goes thru SSD's process of 8 things you can/NOT do: sitting, standing, walking, bending, crawling, & 3 others I can't remember! This is your best chance for medical documentation.

Although I had a rep from SSD in Des Moines come & talk to our fibro/fatigue support group. He said they DO NOT USE THESE ..

they are done by SSD/DDS's ON STAFF MDS who never see you but use the submitted drs. skimpy medical reports on all of us! wrong!!

My case will be an example later when I find out if they used them or not! Betty, Iowa

posted 09 October 2004 14:58            

NOLO'S GUIDE TO SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY
536 Pages
Getting & Keeping Your Benefits
David A. Morton, III, M.D.
Nolo Press - 2nd Edition, 2003

This book is essential for anyone dealing with a long-term or permanent disability. It is especially useful for professionals who deal with clients/patients who may be seeking SSI or SSDI benefits. While it deals with the technicalities of a bureaucratic system, the materials are presented in an easily understandable, and non-technical format. Samples of all the major forms used by the system are presented with guidance on how to complete them. Excellent glossaries are placed throughout the book. There is an explanation of what Social Security Disability is, proving a disability, appealing a denial of benefits, as well as a complete listing and descriptions of illnesses covered by Social Security.

Upon completion of the course you will be able to identify:

posted 19 October 2004 14:45            

I just copied Shelley's below link & put it on page 10 of my posts where her 300 other conditions, similar to this link, are.
Great job Shelley. Betty G., Iowa

shelley
Frequent Contributor
Posts: 1500
From: columbia,sc
Registered: Mar 2003
posted 19 October 2004 00:30
www.geocities.com/lymeart3/misdiag-links.html#disease

This link is from Natl. Institute of Health's MEDLINE LIBRARY...very detailed & also by Art Dougherty, Calif., 2001.

I personally have used NIH's medlineplus area to find all illnesses, meds, and a dictionary for EACH illness...really has helped me & user-friendly! Betty G.

posted 19 October 2004 16:32            

So here's to Betty. (Best of health to you!)

This article is Part One of the 48 page booklet,

"But You LOOK Good: A Guide to Understanding and Encouraging People Living with Chronic, Debilitating Illness and Pain!"
http://www.myida.org/lookgood.htm

posted 21 October 2004 15:11            

After reading the below, MD tests ALL 16 BANDS also, and they accept most health insurance coverages; less out-of-pocket for you.

IGENEX labs, Calif., does NOT accept health insurance; so you pay a LARGE sum out-of-pocket expenses.

In my case, if Igenex participated in Bc/BS, I would have only paid $21 vs. $134 !!
FYI only...

Here's what I got from MD LAB LYME SPECIALIST today/yesterday:

"Dr. Tilton, thank you for your permission to post the info on message board you furnished me for the fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue support group folks I correspond with.

I and others will be calling MD for the info you mentioned. Betty

Wed, 20 Oct 2004 17:20:55 -0400 Richard Tilton wrote:
Yes, you may post my notes. Call the lab and they will send you some info.

Dr Tilton

On Wednesday, October 20, 2004, at 12:03 PM, Betty Gordon wrote:

Dr. Tilton, thank you so much for the email back!

So MDL tests on all 16 bands of WB..IGM/IGG! Good. I want to verify this. I'd read online that MD is a participating health
insurance lab. So I want to send more business your way; but wanted to make sure the testing there was all 16 like IGX's is.

I had heard that MDL and IGENEX were the 2 top-LYME testing lab facilities we have in the USA.

I was recently dx on 7-12-04 by IGX using their WB tests...they are NON-participating health insurance; I paid a lot out of pocket for this. I hadn't heard of MDL at the time of my recent testing...learned of your company on the lyme message board.

I'm a former fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue support group leader. As I learn more about lyme testing/illness, I forward emails to those I still correspond with so they may be tested too with RELIABLE, accurate testing.

With your permission, may I post your below note on 2 lyme message boards. They asked me to check MDLabs out to see if they test all 16 bands or not. (My clinic had me retest using Mayo Clinic...they test only 5 bands there and said I was negative.) I'm learning about the differences and quality of reputable lab results.

Do you have any "free" info your company can send me? Thanks! We teach each other about our illnesses.

PS - (we have 1 phone line; I'm in bed until 11-noon daily, then on internet for 2-4 hrs. straight researching. That's why it's easier for folks to just email me on results of any questions so I do NOT waste your precious time with "busy" signals!) Betty

Richard Tilton wroteTue, 19 Oct 2004 18:53:35 -0400 :

Ms G:

Thank you for your inquiry on Lyme Western blots. MDL reports ALL bands on a blot which meet the intensity standard, regardless if they are included in the CDC recommendations.

We also report out 2 interpretations; the CDC interp as well as the Alternate Interp (which I developed and published).

I suggest that you request some of our publications and other literature on Lyme Western blots as I do not know your specific question and would not wish to provide such a detailed answer in an email. Thank you

Dr RC Tilton

Dr Richard C Tilton
Medical Diagnostic Laboratories
133 Gaither Drive, Suite C
Mt. Laurel NJ 08054