Experience with receiving disability payments

Experience with receiving disability payments - PCa with chemotherapy

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PHD1993 - 29 Jun 2006 03:46 GMT

Interested in getting feedback from any group members that have applied for
either short-term or long-term disability payments through their employers
or Social Security disability payments.

RRP May 2000 with PSA 0.5. Orchiectomy Dec 2002 after PSA returned with
level of 0.24. Started chemotherapy using Taxol (3 weeks on, 1 week off)
Apr 2006 with PSA of 1.2 and a PSA Doubling Time of 59 days. FMLA medical
leave and short-term disability due to the effects of PCa pain and
chemotherapy started in April 2006. Looking to continue with long-term
disability (through my employer).

Comments, thoughts, suggestions?

Thanks,

Sam Hutcheson (PHD1993)

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Steve Kramer - 29 Jun 2006 15:30 GMT

> RRP May 2000 with PSA 0.5. Orchiectomy Dec 2002 after PSA returned with
> level of 0.24. Started chemotherapy using Taxol (3 weeks on, 1 week off)
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Comments, thoughts, suggestions?

Don't know your age, your company's retirement plan, or, for that matter,
details about SSI disability.

However, I'm sure you know your FMLA is only 12 weeks (accrued) in any
12-month period. So, if you've been off since April, you are running out
and won't have any more FMLA bennies until April 2007.

I assume SSI disability is available, with a lot of paperwork and that it
will be insufficient to take care of your daily needs. And then, you have
to worry about health insurance differences in leaving your company and
going with SSI.

I hope you've already looked into these options. SSI can be a pain or it
can go through like greased lightening, depending often on the gem or the
jerk you get at the first inquiry.

When you find out, a report would be beneficial to several people here. I
don't think I've seen a report on how well SSI responded to the needs of the
terminally ill PCa patient undergoing disabling treatment.

Signature

PSA 16 10/17/2000 @ 46
Biopsy 11/01/2000 G7 (3+4), T2c
RRP 12/15/2000 G7 (3+4), T3cN0M0 Neg margins
PSA .1 .1 .1 .27 .37 .75
EBRT 05-07/2002 @ 47
PSA .34 .22 .15 .21 .32
Lupron 07/03 (1 mo) 8/03 (4 mo), 12/03, 4/04, 09/04, 01/05, 5/05, 10/05,
2/06, 6/06
PSA .07 .05 .06 .09 .08 .132 .145
Non Illegitimi Carborundum

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Clarence Crow - 30 Jun 2006 02:56 GMT

<snip> A whole lot of Yank stuff....

>When you find out, a report would be beneficial to several people here. I
>don't think I've seen a report on how well SSI responded to the needs of the
>terminally ill PCa patient undergoing disabling treatment.

SK
As I still run a Business albeit part-time, I had to get "theatrical"
to get awarded a Part Aged Pension from our esteemed and confused Govt
Welfare Office on June 19, 2005. In a couple of months I managed to
increase the "Part" from 30% to 50% (buys up-market baked beans now)

Now, as it's the end of our 05/06 Fiscal Year today, June 30, 2006, I
have to do the whole "theatrical" bit again, with perhaps the wife
pushing me in a rented wheel-chair as I flail about uncontrollably.
(may even attach a drip, for added effect!)

We're aiming to jack the "Part" percentage up to in the 80-90% range.

Do you know of any "schemes" apart from "tins"?

Keep at it!

-- Reader to complete...
-- Please reply to this ng as my email adress is fake:

-- Regards

-- CC

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Jim - 29 Jun 2006 20:31 GMT

I received Social Security disability with my first application. No
problem.
The lady who took the information when I applied for Social Security
said that I should put in for disability considering all my medical
problems. She gave me an envelope of forms to fill out. I did not
send thetm back so I received another batch a month later. These
I filled out and sent in.
My oncologist told me that when they see that the person is on chemo
therapy the approval is pretty much automatic.
It means an extra $300./month but every little bit helps.

Jim

>Interested in getting feedback from any group members that have applied for
>either short-term or long-term disability payments through their employers
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
>Sam Hutcheson (PHD1993)

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juniper - 03 Jul 2006 05:50 GMT

> Comments, thoughts, suggestions?

Thanks for writing, Sam. My husband went on short term disability in
March. After several weeks of that he went back to work part-time. He
had already started chemo, which he had bad reactions to, Hair usually
falls out on Taxotere after months, no 2 weeks. The tried three times.
Only got one does in him due to severe allergic reactions. As I said,
he worked part time and was getting disability. Right now he's in RT
in another town, so is back on full time disability until the RT end.
The problem I have is that I don't know if his fatigue will ever go
away. We need to be putting in for long term disability in case he
needs it, but who would sign for it? All his doctors minimize the
situation.

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