Short Term Disability

Holdtight
Holdtight Member Posts: 151
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I am new at this short term disability thing. I was collecting short term disability through the State and suddenly they cut me off telling me I ran out of funds. This was so unexpected - in turn I applied for long term disability and was told it could take up to 6-mos for them to even consider me. I am currently having bad side effects after only my 3rd chemo out of 12. I am being hit with co-pays everytime I go to the doctor with them sending me for all kinds of tests trying to determine why I am getting right shoulder and back pain to the point I want to run out in the middle of the street screaming help. I lived from pay check to pay check I have not more money. It's rediculous I am now out of money, sick as ever and I don't feel like I can work until the side effects are addressed. Does anyone on here know anything about funding available until long term disability kicks in. I don't know what I'm going to do. I didn't know they just cut people off like that. Thanks.

Comments

  • butterfly23
    butterfly23 Member Posts: 256
    #2
    Hi
    When I was first diagnosed, my dr. said to immediately to to s.s. and try for full disability. I did right away, I was also told it could take up to 6 months, well they approved me right away, it did take 6 months for a check. I got nothing for 6 months, they don't even give you a retro check. Luckily I was able to work part time for the first 6 months, until the checks started coming in. I don't know how they expect people to go 6 months without a check, seeing as most people live paycheck to paycheck! I'm not sure who to call for help, hopefully on this site can help you.
    Karyn
  • PamPam2
    PamPam2 Member Posts: 370 Member
    #3
    Ideas
    Hi. Sent you a pm with some ideas.
  • WinneyPooh
    WinneyPooh Member Posts: 318
    #4
    Stage IV get approved right away
    Stage IV are put on a fast track and get paid right away, you must be out of work five months before you get a check and yes, they pay no back pay, When was the last time you worked full time, they will consider you disabled back to the time you were able to work full time so lets say, you cut back on your hours back in May due to the illness and you really have not worked but 15 or so hours per week since then, they will consider those months as if you were not working, make sure you let them know that the cancer treatments have made it impossible for you to maintain full time employment and you have not worked full time since you became ill, this will help. I stopped working full time in may when i was DX, and applied in June I got my first check in October, I had missed a lot of work prior to DX so my real stop date for Disability was set in April, So you can see how important it is to let them know when your work was effected. This will help you get a check sooner.
    Now once you get a check you can work, part time as long as you donot make what is considered meaning income which to the government is about $700. I hope this helps. You can also start your own business, which you can earn more because of deductions, but becareful not to log to many hours or they may consider you not disabled.
    I hope this helps
    Winnie
  • WinneyPooh
    WinneyPooh Member Posts: 318
    #5
    WinneyPooh said:

    Stage IV get approved right away
    Stage IV are put on a fast track and get paid right away, you must be out of work five months before you get a check and yes, they pay no back pay, When was the last time you worked full time, they will consider you disabled back to the time you were able to work full time so lets say, you cut back on your hours back in May due to the illness and you really have not worked but 15 or so hours per week since then, they will consider those months as if you were not working, make sure you let them know that the cancer treatments have made it impossible for you to maintain full time employment and you have not worked full time since you became ill, this will help. I stopped working full time in may when i was DX, and applied in June I got my first check in October, I had missed a lot of work prior to DX so my real stop date for Disability was set in April, So you can see how important it is to let them know when your work was effected. This will help you get a check sooner.
    Now once you get a check you can work, part time as long as you donot make what is considered meaning income which to the government is about $700. I hope this helps. You can also start your own business, which you can earn more because of deductions, but becareful not to log to many hours or they may consider you not disabled.
    I hope this helps
    Winnie

    shoulder and back pain
    I too had really bad shoulder and back pain due to the stress of Chemo, and I have not had Chemo in about 6 weeks due to awaiting Liver Surgery which never happened ( thats another story), The back and shoulder pain have all but gone away.
    The pain meds they give you will help so ask for them, and if you can only take 1/2 pill to avoid constipation,
    if you are in a Mary Jane freindly state applie for it, it is so much better than all the nausia med and pain med. You will feel better than you ever believed you would. I am not in a Mary Jane friendly state so, i suffer most of the time.

    Don't feel ashamed to use it, it works and it is a crime our government can't see the benifits it has for us cancer patients.

    Now Go run naked in the srteets if you want, you have cancer noone will blame you.
    Live, Laugh, And Grow
    Winnie
  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    #6
    WinneyPooh said:

    shoulder and back pain
    I too had really bad shoulder and back pain due to the stress of Chemo, and I have not had Chemo in about 6 weeks due to awaiting Liver Surgery which never happened ( thats another story), The back and shoulder pain have all but gone away.
    The pain meds they give you will help so ask for them, and if you can only take 1/2 pill to avoid constipation,
    if you are in a Mary Jane freindly state applie for it, it is so much better than all the nausia med and pain med. You will feel better than you ever believed you would. I am not in a Mary Jane friendly state so, i suffer most of the time.

    Don't feel ashamed to use it, it works and it is a crime our government can't see the benifits it has for us cancer patients.

    Now Go run naked in the srteets if you want, you have cancer noone will blame you.
    Live, Laugh, And Grow
    Winnie

    LTD
    In order to be considered total disabled or long term disabled you have to be out 6 months, that is wny there is not retro. Most people have STD that covers the short term until the long term kicks in.

    I can't afford to go on SS, I have become the bread winner in the family so to speak, so one foot in front of the other, as Mama says.

    What state do you live in?
  • Holdtight
    Holdtight Member Posts: 151
    #7
    WinneyPooh said:

    shoulder and back pain
    I too had really bad shoulder and back pain due to the stress of Chemo, and I have not had Chemo in about 6 weeks due to awaiting Liver Surgery which never happened ( thats another story), The back and shoulder pain have all but gone away.
    The pain meds they give you will help so ask for them, and if you can only take 1/2 pill to avoid constipation,
    if you are in a Mary Jane freindly state applie for it, it is so much better than all the nausia med and pain med. You will feel better than you ever believed you would. I am not in a Mary Jane friendly state so, i suffer most of the time.

    Don't feel ashamed to use it, it works and it is a crime our government can't see the benifits it has for us cancer patients.

    Now Go run naked in the srteets if you want, you have cancer noone will blame you.
    Live, Laugh, And Grow
    Winnie

    HI!
    Thanks I love your upbeat spirit. When the Phillies win on Wed. night I am going to find Mary Janes garden (no its not regulated yet here need to go to LA for that) (I'm in NJ.) and dance naked in the streets. They'll all want to catch the disease when I'm finished. LOL. The shoulder pain is unbelievable It is driving me out of my mind. I need to get on stronger pain meds for sure. Vecondin maybe I'll have to ask. What pain meds are you on? How did you get rid of the pain did they have to cut back on your chemo the oxy maybe. I asked if it could be the liver causing the pain in my right side and he didn't seem to be overly concerned b/c there wasn't pain when he pressed on my stomach. Who knows. I went through a bunch of tests to see if there is anything showing causing the pain but I won't know until this thurs. if anything showed up. Well thanks again keep me posted on what's happening with you. Have a good day.
  • Holdtight
    Holdtight Member Posts: 151
    #8
    butterfly23 said:

    Hi
    When I was first diagnosed, my dr. said to immediately to to s.s. and try for full disability. I did right away, I was also told it could take up to 6 months, well they approved me right away, it did take 6 months for a check. I got nothing for 6 months, they don't even give you a retro check. Luckily I was able to work part time for the first 6 months, until the checks started coming in. I don't know how they expect people to go 6 months without a check, seeing as most people live paycheck to paycheck! I'm not sure who to call for help, hopefully on this site can help you.
    Karyn

    HI!
    Thank you Karyn I need to call them tomm. to see what the status of my long term is. I hope all is well with you today. Hugs
  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    #9
    Holdtight said:

    HI!
    Thanks I love your upbeat spirit. When the Phillies win on Wed. night I am going to find Mary Janes garden (no its not regulated yet here need to go to LA for that) (I'm in NJ.) and dance naked in the streets. They'll all want to catch the disease when I'm finished. LOL. The shoulder pain is unbelievable It is driving me out of my mind. I need to get on stronger pain meds for sure. Vecondin maybe I'll have to ask. What pain meds are you on? How did you get rid of the pain did they have to cut back on your chemo the oxy maybe. I asked if it could be the liver causing the pain in my right side and he didn't seem to be overly concerned b/c there wasn't pain when he pressed on my stomach. Who knows. I went through a bunch of tests to see if there is anything showing causing the pain but I won't know until this thurs. if anything showed up. Well thanks again keep me posted on what's happening with you. Have a good day.

    Shoulder pain
    Yes, your liver can make you right side hurt and especially your shoulder....straight from my ONC, he asked me to watch out for it and let him know if I had this pain.

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