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Symptoms and work. Am I chickening out?
becdabec09 posted:
I was diagnosed with JRA when I was 3yrs old. I'm now 22 and have a full time job at a furniture store until I can go back to school. I work an average of 9 hours a day 5 days a week. My days off are spread out so I never have 2 consecutive days of rest.
I am so exhausted by the time I get home I don't even bother making dinner, I just head straight to the couch.

This job is taking a toll on my body, and I'm not sure how much longer I can handle it. Do I tell my boss and make it look like I'm trying to get out of doing work? I have no idea what to do. I can't afford to work part time right now.
LadyNerilka responded:
I had to work to pay my bills but was in so much pain that I could do nothing else by the time I got home. So I looked up the options for social security disability where I live. Then took time off work since I couldn't work full time and apply for it at the same time, it's sort of a catch 22 there but I won't get into that mess. I was able to get disability approved almost right away but it took a month or so for the payments to start coming, but I did get back pay. So if you are able to save a little and try for disability that might help. I know where I live you have to make less than $1000 gross monthly to even apply so I know this makes it very hard to live and try to transfer over to disability, but if you can find a way to do it it might pay off in the end.
becdabec09 replied to LadyNerilka's response:
Thanks! I have thought about trying to see where that would get me. I'm just scared that I won't be approved since I'm only 22 years old. I've had RA for almost 20 years so who knows. At least I will try to look into it!
LadyNerilka replied to becdabec09's response:
I'm 25. I got my first disability check a year and a half ago.
Born_to_be_blonde replied to LadyNerilka's response:
How long have you had RA? How severe is your RA? I was diagnosed October of last year and I work full time. It takes everything ive got. My house is a mess, I never see my family or pets. I only have enough energy for either my family or a job and financially I have to have a job. I make over $1000 a paycheck but not much more. My doctor has me listed under moderate to severe RA and we havent found a mix of medications that work for me yet. I would really love to work part time and spend time with my family. I havnet looked into disability because I am college educated and only 27. Do you think I could qualify?
ladyferfy replied to Born_to_be_blonde's response:

I was friends with someone who worked as a disability manager and she told me that the more education you have, the harder it is to get disability.

She said that I would never be approved (I'm not looking into that right now), because I have a master's degree and they would come up with other job situations even though I work at a desk job all the time. I am 32 if that helps you out.

explore4days replied to ladyferfy's response:
I call BS that those with more education get less approvals from SS disability.
A few requirements basically
being out of work 6 plus months;
inability to work...even part time.
A Residual Functional Capacity Form filled out by your doctor and you will help get your approval the 1st time.
The better records the easier it is, and diagnosis letters help but are not necessary.
It took me 9 months to prepare to file because I did everything possible prior to filing to improve my odds of approval. A Residual Functional Capacity is definitely worth the time.
I feel it was the reason for 1st time approval.
For the record I am 42 with RA/ Scleroderma/Raynaudes and chronic back pain. I would give anything to be cured of any 1 let alone my laundry list. However you know when it is too much. I reached my too much last year, and it was not an easy decision. But in the end my body made the choice for me. Once approved there is a 2 year wait to get medicare coverage.Another hurry up and wait.

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