After 27, yes, that is twenty seven, long and dreary months in which I have spent hours on the telephone, hours of frustrations tracking down clerical staff in doctors offices, getting records, getting doctors to write letters (have you ever tried to get a doctor to write a letter? If you haven't you just cannot imaging) hours of meetings, frustrations and enragements like you would not believe-having lyme rage really hots things up-I have finally been granted a fully favorable decision in my Social Security Disability hearing.

I cannot believe it. The hearing was on May 16, the judge handed down his favorable ruling on June 2 and I got the thing in the Mail on June 10. Can you believe it.

Now I can pay some doctors bills. I have said that I want to be cremated and my ashes devided into little portions, each portion put into elegant mini-urns and one each sent to each of my doctors with the notation that "since you have gotten everything else this man had in the world he thought you should be entitled to the rest".

Of course by being cremated I am going to have the last laugh on those microscopic swine and trailer trash, the Boris and Myrtle Burgdorferi clan. Just as they are all having a bit of brandy to celebrate the final doing in of this touch old coot, they are all going to be incinerated and go up in smoke. They do not like heat.

In any case, now I can go from living a life of genteel desperation back to living a life of genteel poverty. There is much to be said for a life of genteel poverty. My experiences of the past years makes me very grateful for such a condition. Things could be worse-I know. I have been there. Cheers. Thomas Parkman
 

But maybe you want to donate your body to some lyme research for autopsy, if there is such a place.
 

Stella

[This message has been edited by stella marie (edited 11 June 2005).]
 

Like my dad says, whether you're rich or whether you're poor, it's always good to have money.

It is a astonishing accomplishment to fight your way through the system when you're so sick.

Victory over the barbarians! Death to bugs! Fight on, mighty warrior of the starving class!
 

Now maybe you'll grace us more often with your presence?

Take care,
Carol
 

Congratulations! That is wonderful news. Now you can concentrate all your time and energy to trying to beat this damn disease!

It is a wondeful victory for you. All your time and effort paid off. It's hard to get the system to agree to disability benefits. Bravo!!

Barb
 

That's great! What a relief!

Heather

P.S. These women are celebrating in the rain for you. I thought it was a cool picture.
 

Have a drink on me! A soft drink, that is! LOL!
 

You ARE a jolly good fellow!

Hip Hip and all that. So glad for you.

Sending all joyful thoughts and wishes,
Ann-OH
 

There was a beautiful rainbow in the sky Tuesday afternoon.
I just knew it was a sign that something good was going to happen soon.

As the saying goes, "All things come to him who waits" ....and works very hard, is persistent, tenacious, obstinate, etc, etc.

Happy for you!!
Cheers indeed!!
 

Trails
 

I went to two lawyers, including a former administrative law judge. One of them dropped me like a hot potato when I mentioned the word lyme disease. The other, the judge, did not really want to give me the time of day. I then went to a SS representative (not employed by the SS) and this non lawyer, who knew what the rules were (he had worked for them for 33 years) took my case on a contingency and won it.

So you do not need to trust (?) lawyers. I have seen stories of people going to a hearing and their attorney showing up to meet them for the first time 45 minutes before the hearing. So the rule there is:

BE VERY CAREFUL. Cheers. Thomas Parkman