TerriT
11-02-2007, 07:49 PM
The story till now.
In May 2005 I posted about my employer, a local Sheriff's Department who put me leave when they found out that I was on pain medication. I worked in Master Control at an area county jail. My job was to run doors and security from the control room for 8 years and I had been taking pain meds for the last 6 months with no complaints about performance. The shift sergeant was in the room with the LT when they talked to me and I asked him directly if he had any problem with my performance and he said no. I was put on paid leave for two months then my sick time and vacation time was almost gone. In mid July they let me come back to work by putting me in the records department, scanning records into the new computer system. During this time they were trying to decide if I could work my old job or maybe stay in records. I was sent to a uro they chose who just talked to me and that didn't even know what Elmiron is. He told them that fentanyl was a heavy duty medication and there was no way I could function on that medication and his opinion was that it was an outrageously strong medication for IC. I was then told in early October of 2005 that I could not resume my job in Master Control and they decided that I could not work in records either. They said that since they handled "highly sensitive information" and had to use government based computers to input and process work, I couldn't be trusted to work there either because people don't function well on pain medication. Most of the stuff they told me through the whole ordeal was ignorant, even though I provided them with all the information from several sources. They almost seemed surprised that I could put a sentence together. I was put on unpaid medical leave ie if I got off the meds and the happened to have a job for me I could come back within a year. They in their ignorance offered to send me to rehab to get off of the meds. They really believed I was addicted to pain meds and didn't really need them and it didn't help that the ignorant people who I worked with said that too. These people run a Sheriff's Department? One minute you are their best employee in your position ( yes I was told that even as they were trying to get rid of me) and the next you are gone. I saw this happen to many people who worked there. I couldn't believe some of the crap that Admin. did to employees. It was almost the better you are at your job the more they try to find something wrong.
I started applying for other jobs. I had been a 911 dispatcher for 8 years before I married and moved to the Portland Metro area. By March 2006 I was having more problems including symptoms of Fibromyalgia which was diagnosed in September 2006. I had to cancel testing and interviews due to medial problems. I was hoping if I waited awhile I might start getting better but the Fibro got worse and I am exhausted most of the time. I finally came to the decision it wasn't going to get better and I applied for SSD in March of this year. I sent them a urination log that I did over a three day period while I was applying which they told me helped a lot, yeah right! I waited 3 months since that seems to be the soonest most of you have had to wait for a letter. I finally received a call for my worker asking some more questions. She told me that it was taking so long because I have so many specialists, my primary care doctor, urologist and Pain Management doctor plus the first idiot uro I went to before I found a good one. I also had gone to a Rheumatologist for the fibro diagnosis, who told me I am already on the meds for IC that he prescribes for fibro. Then on top of that they want to know about every doctor you have seen even if it isn't part of your claim. I have had three surgeries n the recent past, gallbladder and two hand surgeries one of which I had at the same time I had my little toe fused. (I kept knocking my little toe out of place until it wouldn't go back all the way). I needed to get it all done before my cobra ran out. They had to have information from them too. I wonder if they don't get that info too, so that when they your claim is processed, they can say that alot of the medical problems you have had don't constitute a disability and they can average it all out and feel that since a lot of the information doesn't apply it makes the real complaints seem insignificant.
In August she told me that it was finished and I should receive the determination in a few days if it wasn't pulled for review. The next day she called to tell me that it was reviewed and they wanted a psych eval for my depression. I went to that on October 3rd. They got the report the first of this week and I received the denial letter today. I was hoping that it was taking this long because it was going my way. They told me there is no reason why I can't go back to my Control Room Monitor job with my training and such. Duh they made me resign they don't want me back! Here I am, 51 yoa, who has worked since I was 16,with IC. Fibromyalgia, Depression and probably Chronic Fatigue, though the psych. told me that it was a symptom of all of my other conditions too. I am also developing memory problems, if I get sidetracked from anything I usually don't remember what I was doing before. IE I went to check what brand water heater we had so I could look up parts on the computer. I went to get a pop from the fridge on my way back and forgot all about the water heater. I remembered the next day and had to go back and look again because I couldn't remember the name. Don't even interrupt me during a conversation because I won't remember what I was talking about before and I am having problems spelling words I know. I have to bring up Word to figure out to spell simple words such as except, I kept trying to spell it eksept or something close. I sometimes have to stop and think when writing a check how to fill it out otherwise I may leave out the word hundred on a check for say $535.00 or forget how to write out the change amount. This was also all in my application. This was also one of the reasons I finally came to the conclusion I couldn't work anymore because I can't remember things I know I wouldn't remember new things I am taught.
I am happy for all who received a positive decision right away. I will contact a disability attorney on Monday and start the review process, hoping I can get it on the review with an attorney.
My poor husband is about to have a heart attack from stress because we are behind on bills. I was making about $50,000 a year so it really hurt. I told my case worker that I would much rather be working and getting $50k a year than being sick and filing for disability that will pay me maybe $1,300 a month based on my last SS yearly report.
Ok there is my rant. Now back to the battle.
Terri
In May 2005 I posted about my employer, a local Sheriff's Department who put me leave when they found out that I was on pain medication. I worked in Master Control at an area county jail. My job was to run doors and security from the control room for 8 years and I had been taking pain meds for the last 6 months with no complaints about performance. The shift sergeant was in the room with the LT when they talked to me and I asked him directly if he had any problem with my performance and he said no. I was put on paid leave for two months then my sick time and vacation time was almost gone. In mid July they let me come back to work by putting me in the records department, scanning records into the new computer system. During this time they were trying to decide if I could work my old job or maybe stay in records. I was sent to a uro they chose who just talked to me and that didn't even know what Elmiron is. He told them that fentanyl was a heavy duty medication and there was no way I could function on that medication and his opinion was that it was an outrageously strong medication for IC. I was then told in early October of 2005 that I could not resume my job in Master Control and they decided that I could not work in records either. They said that since they handled "highly sensitive information" and had to use government based computers to input and process work, I couldn't be trusted to work there either because people don't function well on pain medication. Most of the stuff they told me through the whole ordeal was ignorant, even though I provided them with all the information from several sources. They almost seemed surprised that I could put a sentence together. I was put on unpaid medical leave ie if I got off the meds and the happened to have a job for me I could come back within a year. They in their ignorance offered to send me to rehab to get off of the meds. They really believed I was addicted to pain meds and didn't really need them and it didn't help that the ignorant people who I worked with said that too. These people run a Sheriff's Department? One minute you are their best employee in your position ( yes I was told that even as they were trying to get rid of me) and the next you are gone. I saw this happen to many people who worked there. I couldn't believe some of the crap that Admin. did to employees. It was almost the better you are at your job the more they try to find something wrong.
I started applying for other jobs. I had been a 911 dispatcher for 8 years before I married and moved to the Portland Metro area. By March 2006 I was having more problems including symptoms of Fibromyalgia which was diagnosed in September 2006. I had to cancel testing and interviews due to medial problems. I was hoping if I waited awhile I might start getting better but the Fibro got worse and I am exhausted most of the time. I finally came to the decision it wasn't going to get better and I applied for SSD in March of this year. I sent them a urination log that I did over a three day period while I was applying which they told me helped a lot, yeah right! I waited 3 months since that seems to be the soonest most of you have had to wait for a letter. I finally received a call for my worker asking some more questions. She told me that it was taking so long because I have so many specialists, my primary care doctor, urologist and Pain Management doctor plus the first idiot uro I went to before I found a good one. I also had gone to a Rheumatologist for the fibro diagnosis, who told me I am already on the meds for IC that he prescribes for fibro. Then on top of that they want to know about every doctor you have seen even if it isn't part of your claim. I have had three surgeries n the recent past, gallbladder and two hand surgeries one of which I had at the same time I had my little toe fused. (I kept knocking my little toe out of place until it wouldn't go back all the way). I needed to get it all done before my cobra ran out. They had to have information from them too. I wonder if they don't get that info too, so that when they your claim is processed, they can say that alot of the medical problems you have had don't constitute a disability and they can average it all out and feel that since a lot of the information doesn't apply it makes the real complaints seem insignificant.
In August she told me that it was finished and I should receive the determination in a few days if it wasn't pulled for review. The next day she called to tell me that it was reviewed and they wanted a psych eval for my depression. I went to that on October 3rd. They got the report the first of this week and I received the denial letter today. I was hoping that it was taking this long because it was going my way. They told me there is no reason why I can't go back to my Control Room Monitor job with my training and such. Duh they made me resign they don't want me back! Here I am, 51 yoa, who has worked since I was 16,with IC. Fibromyalgia, Depression and probably Chronic Fatigue, though the psych. told me that it was a symptom of all of my other conditions too. I am also developing memory problems, if I get sidetracked from anything I usually don't remember what I was doing before. IE I went to check what brand water heater we had so I could look up parts on the computer. I went to get a pop from the fridge on my way back and forgot all about the water heater. I remembered the next day and had to go back and look again because I couldn't remember the name. Don't even interrupt me during a conversation because I won't remember what I was talking about before and I am having problems spelling words I know. I have to bring up Word to figure out to spell simple words such as except, I kept trying to spell it eksept or something close. I sometimes have to stop and think when writing a check how to fill it out otherwise I may leave out the word hundred on a check for say $535.00 or forget how to write out the change amount. This was also all in my application. This was also one of the reasons I finally came to the conclusion I couldn't work anymore because I can't remember things I know I wouldn't remember new things I am taught.
I am happy for all who received a positive decision right away. I will contact a disability attorney on Monday and start the review process, hoping I can get it on the review with an attorney.
My poor husband is about to have a heart attack from stress because we are behind on bills. I was making about $50,000 a year so it really hurt. I told my case worker that I would much rather be working and getting $50k a year than being sick and filing for disability that will pay me maybe $1,300 a month based on my last SS yearly report.
Ok there is my rant. Now back to the battle.
Terri