I chose to write about number 3 this week for the writers workshop because I know exactly what I would do with $ 500. I am not sure if I have talked about this yet on my blog but my laptop died a couple of weeks ago and I don’t have the money to replace it at the moment so if I had $ 500 I would put it towards paying off my iPhone so that I would be that much closer to being able to buy a new Macbook.
I paid full price for my iPhone because I didn’t want to switch cell phone companies and T-Mobile doesn’t offer the iPhone but it does work on their network. So I got mine through Apple and just took it into T-Mobile to get a sim card that would fit it. So I have to pay it off and I also want to pay off my car and then I will save and pay cash for a brand new laptop for myself.
I really want to get rid of the the debt that I do have which isn’t much anymore. I still have the credit card with my husband that has a huge balance on it but refuse to pay for it so that will still be there but I don’t want any other debt. I am always scared that I will lose my job or something like that and I would hate to buy the laptop on a credit card and then not be able to pay for it.
Anyways this post has gotten away from me. So if I got $ 500 I would pay off my iPhone.
I really liked this book. Once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down. I truly felt bad for the girl and all that she had to go through. If I had been her I would have stopped talking as well because it didn’t matter what she said or did people were twisting what she said and did. I loved the ending and I also loved the person that she turned into even though she had it so rough growing up. She is a person that I could really believe was a living person in today’s society.
About
When six-year-old Hannah’s brutal honesty is mistaken for lying, she stops speaking. Her family, her community, and eventually, the entire nation struggle to find meaning in her silence.
School officials suspect abuse. Church members are divided—either she has a message from God or is possessed by a demon. Social workers interrupt an exorcism to wrest Hannah away from her momma, who has a tenuous grip on sanity. Hidden in protective foster care for twelve years, she loses all contact with her mother and remains mute by choice.
>When Hannah leaves foster care at age eighteen to search for Momma, a national debate rages over her silence. A religious movement awaits her prophecy and celebrates her return. An anarchist group, Voices for the Voiceless, cites Hannah as its inspiration. The nation comes unhinged and the conflict spills into the streets when presidential candidates chime in with their opinions on Hannah—patriotic visionary or dangerous radical. A remnant still believes she is evil and seeks to dispatch her from this world.
Hannah stands at the intersection of anarchists and fundamentalists, between power politics and an FBI investigation. All she wants is to find her momma, a little peace and quiet, and maybe some pancakes.
One word would put an end to the chaos if Hannah can only find her voice.
In addition to a career as a newspaper editor, publisher, and manager, I’ve written fiction most of my life. The newspaper biz has taken my family and me from Phoenix, Arizona, to small towns in North Carolina and Texas, and from seven years in Washington, D.C., to five years in Asia. Born and raised a small-town kid, I’m as comfortable in Tokyo or Tuna, Texas. I now reside in a small community in Wisconsin where I manage the business operations of a daily newspaper. The variety of places I’ve lived and visited serve as settings for the characters who invade my head.
I’ve had a dozen short stories published in several print anthologies and e-zines, and several articles on the craft of writing fiction. My first novel, Hannah’s Voice, debuted January 15, 2013, and two more novels are in the works for 2013-14.
I also edit fiction and non-fiction books for authors from around the world. It helps that I’m fluent in five languages: U.S. English, U.K. English, Canadian English, and Australian English, plus my native language, Texan.
I was contacted Molly Clarke about doing a post on my blog about applying for Disability Social Security and I thought this post would fit in with my blog and could possible be useful to anyone out there that needs to apply as well.
Applying for Social Security Disability with Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, is a chronic and progressive autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. Symptoms can become debilitating and worsen over time, eventually leading to loss of function that prevents gainful employment. MS comes in multiple forms, including:
Relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS)
Primary-progressive MS (PPMS)
Secondary-progressive MS (SPMS)
Progressive-relapsing MS (PRMS)
Symptoms that accompany each form vary, as does the progressive nature of the disease; however, the Social Security Administration (SSA) recognizes each as a disabling condition that can potentially meet the eligibility requirements for receiving Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits.
Meeting the SSA’s Definition of Disability
To meet the basic eligibility requirements for disability benefits, your disability must be expected to last at least twelve months. Because MS is an episodic autoimmune disease, meaning there are periods of symptom flare-ups and times when no symptoms may be present at all, satisfying this eligibility requirement can be a bit challenging.
The SSA will closely review your medical records to determine:
How often your episodes occur;
How long your episodes last;
How much time passes in between episodes;
What your symptoms are during episodes; and
How impaired you are during your periods of remission.
Because the SSA recognizes the episodic and progressive nature of MS, applications submitted with the diagnosis are typically evaluated first under the MS listing, and then under the “residual functional analysis”, in order to determine if the applicant qualifies.
The SSA’s Blue Book Listing for MS
The SSA utilizes a manual known as the Blue Book to evaluate conditions under standard disability listings. MS appears in the Blue Book under Section 11.00 – Neurological. To meet this listing and qualify for disability benefits, your application and medical records must prove:
You have partial paralysis, tremors, or involuntary movements in at least two of your limbs, impairing your ability to walk or use your hands;
You’ve suffered severe vision loss which cannot be corrected by wearing glasses;
You experience mood disturbances, decreased mental capacity, or memory loss as a result of an organic mental disorder; and/or
You suffer from muscle weakness and severe fatigue resulting from disruption of signals from the central nervous system, a cornerstone symptom of MS.
MS and Residual Functional Capacity
If your MS does not meet the SSA’s Blue Book listing, you may still qualify for Social Security Disability benefits. The SSA will evaluate your residual functional capacity (RFC) to determine the severity of your condition and whether or not it prevents you from finding and maintaining gainful employment.
Your sensory, memory, mental and physical limitations will be evaluated during the RFC analysis. The SSA will also look at your employment history, your education level, and your acquired job skills to determine if you are able to hold a job.
If your MS is found to limit you so that you cannot reasonably be expected to work, then you may qualify for benefits under a “medical vocational allowance”. This means that your MS symptoms do not meet the Blue Book listing but still prevent you from working.
Medical Evidence in Your MS Disability Application
To successfully apply for disability benefits you must provide medical records that back up your claim. Your application must include records such as:
MRIs, EEGs, CT scans, x-rays, spinal tap, and other diagnostic results documenting abnormalities and a formal MS diagnosis;
Vision, hearing and speech evaluation exams, if applicable;
All other medical records related to the diagnosis and treatment of your MS;
Results of mental or psychological evaluations, if applicable;
Documentation of the frequency, duration and severity of your episodes; and/or
Statements from your treating physician(s) documenting your diagnosis, prognosis and functional capacity.
Seeking Assistance
Because filing for disability benefits can be a long and complicated process, you may find that you need to seek the assistance of a Social Security advocate or attorney. A professional will be able to guide you through the process and possibly increase your chances of approval.
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