I have just been diagnosed…
I spent just about everything I had to get to that point…
I am fighting LTD policy from last employer…
I have a good insurance policy with Mayo in network until my cobra runs out...
I will probably lose my house…soon…real soon…it is over mortgaged a little and TN is a short state and the process is in motion...

Looking for direction to start planning this journey…
My wife has been out of the workforce for 4 years…she was just offered a job…will be starting
I am a veteran….I have tinnitus that is louder than the jets I used to work on…is there anything $ there?
I have created a mountain of debt in the last six months, and blew out the little 401k…
I can still drive and get around….I am sure I can generate a few dollars…

But, I understand a few dollars and not going to help me….probably hurt me….

Starting down this road….

Have you filed for Social Security Disability yet?
http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/pr/compa ... 11-pr.html


Are you a Veteran from wartime ?
http://www.veteranaid.org/

I hope these are helpful !

I have not filed for SS…I have a company paid Long Term Disability policy that denied me days before my trip to Mayo…I have to appeal…this is much better than SS as I would get 60% of my last salary…

It is a 24 month period of defined as 'own job' for disability, then goes to SS definition of disabilty…and at that time I think they make you file for SS to have SS pay some of the amount.

Veteran…I am a VEAP…Vietnam Era Veteran…but served in US and Europe…not Asia

hi bayou..

sorry you are going thru this... in the beginning its so overwhelming.. im so sorry for your need to be here!!
a few suggestions if i may?? please consider filing with the va, anyhow.. this will not only keep you busy for years, it might work.. a lot of pstd is being considered for folks that were not in vietnam, per se.. and certainly ear problems and back and walking ect.. does not have to be "in country".. only for agent orange, if im understanding correctly.. i know vets that have never gone over seas, that are receiving benefits.. not only will it possibly help with some income, but you might get some medical relief as well, its a looooooooong process.. but worth it, if you win...

can you not have ssdi and your long term disability together.???. that is a long process too.. (and we got it on the first try... but it took over year and a half for them to see us.. we got lost in the shuffle..). but again every little bit helps..

i would also suggest talking to an attorney or two!!.. maybe bankrupt attorney on keeping your house.. there are ways around losing it. depending on your area and the house ect!!.. and also an elder care attorney, as far as protecting anything you might be able to save.. for your wife and for you!! there are ways around that too.. setting up a trust and being able to move things around at different times, as needed..

i know things feel really bleak right now ,but once you get a lot of this in place, hopefully it will give you some peace!

good luck and take care...
cindi

I noticed the link I posted earlier doesn't work but this one should, this is a fast track to SS for certain reasons but worth looking into , http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/pr/compa ... 11-pr.html


Cindi, As to the VA I don't think it matters if you are in US as long as it is wartime and that person was in 1 day of that time, I am sure if I am wrong I will be corrected.

irene , not for sure here either... i do believe war time is key in many things and where you are makes no difference...

just know that for any agent orange issues we had to prove he was in vietnam proper... if only for a day.. you had to prove you were "in county"... they even have zones and numbers pertaining to that zone...(hubby was).. thats what i was referring too.. sorry if i was unclear!! or mistaken,, which could happen easily!!! LOL

one good thing i did hear today, was that friend, who had fought the good fight for years with the va for her hubby and lost her hubby, 5 years ago AND got turned down by them, a gazillion times. got a notice last week, that they were reopening her/his case, as he died from heart problems, related to ischemic heart decease.. i have found too, that if you are in that list of 12(?) or so.. diseases that they accept now, for agent orange.. you can go on fast track also.. Parkinson is one!!

so dont throw any paper work away, even if it a huge box, like mine!!
you never know when the rules might change..

Your state may have state employees whose job is to work with veterans. I'd do some research (like ask another vet for a reference if possible) on the BEST person to help you. Yes, they are all trained to know the same VA info. but in reality, if you talk with several different people you will get several different answers.
What I remember from researching this for my dad was:
- if you served DURING wartime, you should apply for A&A benefits, doesn't matter where you were stationed
- if you have < $80,000 in cash assets (this doesn't include your house or 1 car) you are likely to get A&A
- you should also apply for medicines and dr. care through the VA
- the A&A people are completely and totally different from the medical VA people, in other words, you will have to go through 2 entirely different sets of red tape
-be very, very patient, do lots of followup, keep copies of everything
- hopefully you still have your discharge papers. If not, once you get a VA or state VA person to help you, they can get a new copy of discharge papers or at least the info. on those that you will need for the mountain of forms you have to fill out.

Very good ideas others have given you already - elder care atty & bankruptcy atty. Also, sounds like you may be eligible for Medicaid (have to have < $2,000 in cash, though. Leave no stone unturned trying to get financial assistance.

So sorry for you dx and situation. Hope you get some positive results and please post here if/when you do - you may be able to help someone else in the same situation as you are! Take care, Lynn

thanks to all of you!

I can see that I need to start all of this now…this will take care of my goal to make things easier for whoever will be caring for me…

I did not serve in Vietnam…but I see that I would be eligible as a 'wartime' vet….don't really understand the eligibity with income from SS or LTD….and I spent a good bit of time on it….but I see that I should do all of this….it will set the groundwork for those that 'need' to do it for me later…I had not seen that veteran help site before…

My son has been telling me to fill for my hearing and tinnitus…I also see that I might be eligible for clothing allowance from a surgery that USAF did on me….time to get that done too…my son was discharged unable to reenlist due to medical issues that the USAF didn't correct the right way at the right time…he has a couple of medical ratings and a small disability pension…I believe it was the DAV..that helped him get the paperwork done and worked as his advocate…

So, I see that I need to file:

LTD appeal - doing that now
VA medical for ears and clothes - file now
VA pension when that becomes necesary (so I should get paperwork ready now while I can)
VA A&A when that becomes necesary (so I should get paperwork ready now while I can)
SS when LTD makes me in 24 months (so I should get paperwork ready now while I can)

Find:
Tennessee State Veterans office
Elder Law Attorney

thanks again….I am sure I will learn of more….I see I have plenty to do

Here are a few links for VA and Elder Attoriny in TN, I hope thye help !


http://www.state.tn.us/veteran/

http://lawyers.findlaw.com/lawyer/pract ... &HBX_OU=50

BC -

A good resource for finding elder law attorneys is naela.org.

I hope you can find someone to get you good advice on LTD vs. SSDI. Most people I know who are still working and who get diagnosed with neurodegenerative disorders file for both right away -- as soon as they get their diagnosis. I think the reason they apply for Social Security Disability right away is so that Medicare will kick in two years later. (I don't know if this is 2 years after you apply for SSDI or 2 years after your application is accepted. Usually the applications are accepted retroactively.)

Robin

robin,

very good point about medicare…I am coming to that conclusion, also…file everyting so medicare will be available sooner...

I am waiting…still…to get my diagnosis paperwork to file my appeal for LTD…was supposed to be here today…

I will start working on the SS as soon as I get the disablility workup paperwork from mayo..and all the other stuff….VA, A&A…VA medical for ears, clothing for something else they screwed up…I have a lot of governement paperwrok to fill out

Robin, I second your recommendation for the elder law attorneys on naela.org. The standards for membership are very high and every NAELA attorney I know is excellent.

Julianne

I think I found a couple of elder lawyers that I like from their websites….thanks…

then…

I am really in a pickle…if that is the right word…in a fix…for sure…

I am reading on the lawyers website…she has written articles published…good stuff….for example…

If I go to her an tell her I want to get advice to do things myself…while I still can think them through…she might have to…she might be obligated to break the attorney trust…that I would have had before this diagnosis….to decide for me that I am not able to decide for myself…or if I bring someone with me and then they decide that I can't decide for myself anymore, they can petition….and…etc….yikes…

then….everyone is going to believe that I am delusional…because…get this….that is one of the key features of the disease….

I can remember when I was blissfullly unlucky…I am not feeling very lucky right now

I am being destroyed on every level that I can think of…and people on the outside think that makes one delusional….if what is happening to me…was happening to someone without the medical condition….the last thing they would be called is delusional…maybe…it would be said…that they were being attacked from every direction…

One of the things you are going to have to do is decide on a person you can trust. This is probably the one most important thing you are going to be doing in the next weeks. And you will need to give up a little autonomy. If you take that person with you to the attorney, you can have the attorney help you decide what course is the best for you.

Have you thought about seeing a counselor? Sometimes a counselor can help you sort out the options you have.

Good luck, BC.

Smiles, Nan

ok…I am not delusional…

I called Alz assoc….and asked for counseling help….I was told that someone would get back to me in 24 hours….that 'would' have been 2 days ago…but…remember…if I shout to loud…too often…or too soon….then I would be delusional…

Every system that I know…including me….is failing me…(that might be stretching it…this forum isn't failing me)…it sure feels like it…but now….even the institution of whining….will be dangerous for me…it will try to protect me….from me…wow…sounds delusional

okay….so here is the state of mind where….the patient…justifies the futility of trying….with the feeling of …I'm okay…you're all screwed up….

I just need a few breaks….soon…

my house will go into foreclosure next month….long term disability insurance owes me…I got diagnosed almost a month ago….don't have paperwork from doctor…to file appeal with LTD company….yet….

everything is …..not yet….

I have no ….yet….left….I don't have tomorrow….

yet….has to be today….frustration….

folks…it really is just all normal…in a wierd way