Fill out every question on the forms in detail
and be descriptive about your condition and how it affects your
life.
Ask someone who knows you well to review your
responses in order to be sure that you have expressed the full
extent of how your condition limits your ability to work.
Include a daily disability diary that you've
kept for 30 to 60 days (see below for specific examples).
Include a record of all medications and medication
changes, how often you take each medication, and any reactions
you may have.
Express the full extent of your symptoms to
your treating physician and follow all medical advice.
Include a record of how often you go to your
doctor or clinic, how much time you spend traveling to and from
your appointments, and how much time you spend in the waiting
room.
When something is wrong, do not delay in notifying
your healthcare provider immediately so that he or she can enter
it in your medical records.
Make sure to include all medical evidence about
your condition.
Have your primary treating physician do a complete examination
and write a letter explaining your condition in detail, and include
this documentation.
Provide articles from medical journals or publications as evidence
of required treatments, prognoses, etc. Also check to see if any
instructional documents describing your chronic illness have been
prepared by your local or national support group. These can be
very helpful to Social Security examiners who are often unfamiliar
with genetic disorders, such as immune deficiency syndromes, cystic
fibrosis, and hemophilia.
If your initial application for disability benefits is denied,
appoint a representative to get copies of all medical and non-medical
evidence in your Social Security file. Your ACCESS advocate can
help with this.
About Your Disability Diary
Write in your diary every day, keeping track of every aspect
of your condition much like the doctors or nurses do when you
are in the hospital.
Write about how you feel physically, not what you think is
wrong. Keep your entries short and factual. Non-medical information
may prevent you from communicating your condition effectively
to Social Security examiners.
Examples of pertinent medical information are:
weight (weigh yourself every morning);
temperature (record it both in the morning and at night);
bowel movements (how often, their consistency, and any difficulties);
fatigue (how often you must sleep or lie down to rest);
headaches (describe them);
nausea and vomiting (the frequency, time, and amount);
side effects from medication;
difficulty walking, sitting, standing, or moving;
pain, swelling, or stiffness in joints or muscles (pay particular
attention to pain; describe it and what makes it better or worse);
tingling, numbness, or weakness in hands, feet, arms, or legs;
any problems you have with seeing, hearing, speaking, concentrating;
any problems you have with grasping, lifting, or carrying objects;
anything that aggravates your condition (e.g., fumes, dust,
humidity);
difficulty breathing (wheezing, coughing, gasping for breath);
coughing up blood or sputum (describe the color of the sputum);
loss of appetite or difficulty in swallowing;
any time you undergo therapy of any kind (physical, respiratory,
infusions, etc.), whether it is done by you or by another person;
any time you are unable to perform normal daily task, for example:
I could not get out of bed this morning without having my
caregiver pull me up and brace my feet so they would not slide.
I had to rest twice today and had to use a shower chair while
bathing. I could not walk from room to room without stopping
to catch my breath. The pain in my back was shooting down
my legs, and I could not sit or stand for longer than 10 minutes
at a time. I had to take Percocet (2 tablets every 4 hours)
through the whole day and had to use ice on my joints.
Write down how often you go to your doctor or for any treatment.
Note how long it took to get there, how far the drive was, and
how long you waited to receive treatment. Take your diary and
write down your doctor's instructions. If you are not able to
write things down, have a family member assist you. You should
keep the diary for 30 to 60 days. Since the Social Security examiner
handling your claim will usually never see you, this diary is
the only way to give him or her a true picture of what you go
through on a daily basis. Your daily disability diary can be submitted
as medical evidence in your case.
This resource was developed in 2004. Some of the content may be out of date or no longer relevant. PHA is working to update and re-organize this guide. We apologize for any inconvenience.
The
information provided on the PHA website is provided for general information
only. It is not intended as legal, medical or other professional
advice, and should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultations
with qualified professionals who are familiar with your individual
needs.
