Multiple Sclerosis

Guest Post- Applying for Social Security Disability with Multiple Sclerosis

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.

Submitted by: Molly Clarke
http://www.socialsecurity-disability.org/blog

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Mulitple Sclerosis Update

Mulitple Sclerosis UpdateIt has been quite awhile since I have written and update about Multiple Sclerosis and what has been going with that.  I had an MRI at the end of August and it showed that I am still 100% stable which is amazing for me.  The MS has always been very active in me so that fact that I have been stable for about 4 years or so now is huge for me.  I know it has everything to do with the Tysabri and that makes it all worth it for me.

While I was at my doctors appointment she asked me is I wanted to get tested for the JC virus, which for those people who don’t know it is what cause people on Tysabri to get PML.  I told her no because I won’t stop taking Tysabri so I really don’t want to worry about it if I do have the JC virus.  She did tell me that if and when I do have another relapse I will have to get the test done to rule out that  I haven’t developed PML.  My chances of developing it now that I have been on it for about 4 years is really low so I am not worrying about it all.

Other than that there hasn’t been any changes.  I still have ups and downs when it comes to how I feel and things like that but that is pretty normal.  So there isn’t much else I can say.  I am stable and doing pretty well.

If you have any questions please let me know!

MS Tuesday-Depression & Anxiety

I am going to talk about depression and anxiety which are two  Multiple Sclerosis symptoms that have be living with for the past couple of years.  Growing up never had an issue with anxiety and what issue I did have with depression I was able to control and I didn’t have to take medication for it.

About two years ago I had to get on medication for depression because I literally could barely function at work and I was always on edge.  After I started the medication it helped but I noticed I could no longer handle things that I used to love to do.

For example I have always loved being alone.  My grandparents went on a cruise for 10 days last month and I was so anxious because I was home alone most of the time.  The day after they left I literally sat in my room because I was so anxious.  I also found myself checking the door locks a hundred times where as when they are home I never check them unless I have to get up and let one of the cats in.

I believe that in my case my depression and anxiety are cause by the MS.  I know that not everyone with MS will have both of these symptoms and that some people who have these symptoms but not have MS.

Before I started on Tysabri when I would have MRI’s to check and see what the disease was doing I always had active lesions but I rarely had any symptoms.  I believe that while I at the time didn’t show any outward symptoms that those active lesions are what caused my anxiety and depression issues that I currently struggle with.

Right now I take Zoloft for the depression and I don’t treat the anxiety because I have learned how to talk myself through it.  I also have found that removing myself from the situation that is causing the anxiety is a great way for me to cope with it as well.

I received the book called “It’s Not All in Your Head: Anxiety, Depression, Mood Swings, and Multiple Sclerosis” by Patricia Farrell.  I can’t remember the site where I was signed up and got the book for free but from the little bit of it that I have read it can’t wait to read more of it.

I would recommend the book to anyone with MS or anyone that has a family member or friend with MS.  Once I am finished with it I will for sure write a review and I think I will give it away to someone with MS.

In the end I want people to know that is you have developed anxiety or depression that you aren’t alone and don’t be afraid to ask for help.  At first it was hard for me to ask the doctor about it and start the medication but the more I learn about MS and what it can cause I understand why I have had to go on medication.

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MS Resources

This week I decided that I would post some Multiple Sclerosis resources that I have found and that I use on a regular basis.

Tysabri
Avonex
Now I am sure there are ones I haven’t listed or haven’t found so if you have one you like please leave it in a comment and I will update this list with them.
Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Margaret Margaret

MS Tuesdays-Medications That Don’t Work For Me

This week for MS Tuesdays I am going to talk about the  medications that I have taken to treat MS and why they didn’t work for me.  I have tried quite a few of them and I hope that people that this might help someone who is having a hard time finding a treatment that may work for them.  Please don’t base your choice for treatment on this post because just because something didn’t work for me doesn’t mean that it won’t work for you.  My best advice to research them and then with the help of your doctor go with the one that you both think will work the best for you.

I have taken 3 treatments other than the Tysabri that I am taking right now.  I have taken Avonex, Betaseron, & Copaxone.  I am going to talk a little bit about each one and how the effected me while I was taking them.

  • Avonex- I started out on this medication when I was diagnosed at 15.  Let me just say that this medication I took on and off for years because it was the one medication at the time that had the least amount of shots a week that you had to take.  This medication was rough for me to say the least.  They say it has flu like symptoms.  The best way to descride how the medication made me feel for the whole weekend after I took it is my skin literally hurt to have anything touch it.  It didn’t matter if I took the Benadryl like they told me to.  Every week I was sick all weekend and as time when on they said the reaction should get less and less but for me it got worse every week.  Like I said I tried this medication for years on and off because it was only taken once a week unlike all the other treatments at the time that are taken multiple times a week.
  • Betaseron-This medication is taken every other day.  So one this medication was literally sick everyday of my life because I never got used to the side effects of this medication as well.  This medications has the same side effects as Avonex has.  This one had an autoinject so that I could give myself the shot but me being me I couldn’t push the button I would sit there for an hour and in the end someone would have to come and push the button for me.  I hate giving myself shots and since no one else wanted to give me shots this medication did last long either.

Here is the link to where I talk about all the interferon treatments they have.

  • Copaxone-Now this medication isn’t an interferon so they thought that this one should work for me.  This medication is given through a shot everyday day.  Now this really didn’t work for me because I couldn’t give myself shots.  I think I tried this one for about a year but towards the end I wasn’t taking it regularly because all the injection sites would get red and develop hives.  I will also say that at this point in my treatment I was being a stubborn teenager and I just wanted to ignore the disease and act like it wasn’t part of my life.  Here is the link to the original post where I talk about all the possible side effects of this medication.

There are more than just these 3 medication out there for MS and last year the did release the first pill you can take for MS.  If you want to read more about that you can go and read this post where I wrote about it before.

The best advice I am give anyone is to research treatment options and then with the help of your doctor pick the one that will work best for you.

If you want to know more information or want me to write about something please let me know in the comments below.

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Margaret Margaret

My MS Meds

I am not sure if anyone would be interested in the medications I currently on for my MS but I am sure there is someone who would be interested to know what is working for me right now and all the things I have tried that hasn’t work for me over the 11 years I have be treating the MS.  For this post I am going to talk about the medications I am currently on and what I am taking them for.

Tysabri-I am currently using this to treat the MS.  I have been on it for over 3 years now and even though it is dangerous I won’t stop taking it because it is the only MS drug that is out there right now that is controlling the MS.

Baclofen- I take this three times a day.  There are some days that I may only take it once but depending on pain & how I am feeling I may take it all 3 times.  I use this for the spasms I have and I also use this because of my back injury.  If I don’t take this at night I wake up stiff in the morning and in tons of pain.

Zoloft(sertraline)-I take this once a day and it is my antidepressant.  Depression runs in my family but I also think that the MS has made mine worse and also made me super anxious.

Loritab- I use this as needed for pain.  I get 20 pills a month and I usually use them all but  most of them are use the weekend and week after my infusion because that is when I tend to have the most pain.

Fiorinal- I use this for my migraines.  I have had migraines since I was in 5th grade.  Most of the time if I can catch it at the beginning I can stop it from getting super bad but on days that I don’t catch it or it doesn’t respond to the usual things I have to take 2 of these.  The thing I love about this medication is I can still function at work while I am taking it.

I also use things such as Benadryl, Tylenol, and Ibuprofen almost daily.  If you have any questions about any of the medications please let me know.  Next time I am going to write about what MS treatments I have used and why I stopped using them.

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Margaret Margaret