As you all may know I just turned 18 years old a little over 2 weeks ago. I have been applying for jobs around my town and cities far away thinking about commuting too, I also considered going to college for Medical Assistant but I just dont think I can. I feel like me not getting a job is a message from God telling me that my body isnt going to handle it because everytime I go out job hunting I am laying in bed for at least 2-3 days sometimes longer then that. My primary doctor is supportive but says that I am too young to let this disease affect me in that kind of way while my rheumatologist is more convinced that I should go ahead and get on disability. I am being tested for rheumatoid arthitis and lupus because both my doctors think I am a strong candidate for those diseases and believe I have one of those along with Fibromyalgia. I have heard that it is very hard to get on disability and I dont know all of the information about it. I am wondering everyones thoughts on it and if I even have a chance. I am on lyrica and have been for like 12 days now and I dont feel any better. I cant go out and do anything because my body hurts so bad. I have lost my appetite and have no energy. Please give me your feedback and let me know your thoughts and experiences with being on disability and the process of getting on disability. Sorry for all the typos, I am on a computer I am not used to and I dont have enough energy to go back and read what I just wrote haha
I just turned 18 as well i got diagnosed when i was 16 years old and yes i am also trying to get on disability so just know your not alone if u ever need to talk just msg me cuz i know how it feels to be young n living with this deases..
Thank you! I got diagnosed when I was 16 as well and am so frustrated with doctors and the pain, its nice to know that someone is in the same shoes as me. I used to look down on disability and said I would never do it but now how I have been feeling and everything, it seems like the best idea. My boyfriend who is 20 and in his 3rd year of College at the University of California Irvine, he will be graduating soon and we are planning on getting married and want children and I just think being a stay at home mom will be hard even just cleaning and eveything. I am encouraged to get on disability now, keep me updated on your case! and good luck girl! we deserve it! being young and having this disease is very hard to handle.
Happy Birthday, I’m so sorry you are having to deal with this at such a young age, it’s good you have a few dr. That support you and are trying to rule everything else out. Take one day at a time, and try and keep your thoughts on positive things.
As far as the disability, everyone does try and work as long as they can, being so young it may be more of a challenge, there are two types of social security disability, one goes on your work history&and you have to have a certain number to qualify, but then there is another that doesnt go on your income history, but every state is different. Google Social security. Gov and just start doing some research, it can take a very long time to get approved, but having a dr. In your corner helps. Keep good records of all your dr.apt.'s
Right now I am fighting for long term disability through my employer, a private company I payed into for 22 years & they are reviewing it now… Say a prayer…
There have been many discussions on here about disability, just search it on your page, it’s a lot of reading & can be frustrating, just keep a notebook of questions & little by little you will get ans.
You can also contact a lawyer in your home town & they are good about ans. questions fo free
There are special rules, I believe, for those under 21 or 22. Go to ssa.gov. There is a link to their disability section and it answers all those kinds of questions.
Thank you everyone for your responses! My cousin actually is on disability she has suffered from RA since she was 8 and is now 26 years old so she gave me her attorneys info who is great! In CA you can get disability at any age so it’ll be even easier at 18 and I haven’t had a job so that helps too. Thank you for the support ill keep everyone updated!
We are both very close with our families and each others families so we would have a lot of support and help and luckily wouldn’t have to think about that plus my boyfriend is always helpful with whatever he can help with
I am very glad that you are seeing a Rheumatologist, everyone with Fibro should, in my opinion. Listen to them, in general they are very wise Drs. Most of them really know what they are doing, even the cautious ones.
I hope that you are feeling better, there is a sub-group of Fibromyalgia for filing for disability and many books have been recommended.
At the top of the discussions page is a place to search, so look up 'filing for disability' and it should bring up all kinds of info for you.
Hope you find a way to feel better, keep that Rheumy, you will need him!
Thank you SK! My primary doctor actually is being very supportive and my insurance Kaiser Permanente helps you file so I am getting all the help I need! I will keep everyone updated with any info on my case!
Jacklyn, it sounds like you have a very supportive family. Never, never let anyone make you think twice about going for what you want out of life. Yes, fibro makes everything more difficult but, as we all know, fibro sufferers many times manage to overcome the odds and do many things that others think are impossible. Good luck with whatever you choose.
No one would be raising my child but me and my boyfriend (future husband) I would get help from them if I need to rest every now and then but I would be raising my child just with extra help if i needed it.
Jacklyn, let me try and help you on this post. Not eating is not good for you. We had a thread about this earlier if you want to reference it. MoMerrill started it. I don't want to go into the specifics but it can adversely affect your body. Some folks suggested trying smoothies or shakes. I would suggest Carnation Instant Breakfast, as they have a lot of vitamins in them. Or even Ensure. Also, if you're eating solid food, put a very small portion on the plate. It tricks the mind, as a large portion can turn your appetite right off. We used to do this for some of our residents at the nursing home who had trouble eating. Smaller portions often worked wonders.
As for the Lyrica, I think it can take a week or two to kick in. I hope it works for you because it can take the edge off the pain and make the day more manageable.
As for disability, I understand that it's easier to be approved by using lawyers. I'm using Allsup, as other people here have used them. Here's their link, if you're interested:
I don't know how good they are as I've just started working with them but they do all of the work for me, which I like. And they called Social Security in order to get info from them and got through right away! I know that had I called, it would have been a looooooooooong, looooooooooooong wait. Or that's the way government offices used to work, don't know if they've changed any.
Allsup charges 25% of the back pay the government says they owe you if they approve your claim. Can't be anymore than $6,000. Can't imagine how or why it'd ever cost that much anyhow. And supposedly they claim that once you're rejected 2 times and get to the hearing on the third time, you've got an 80 percent chance of being approved. Those are good odds. They warned that it can take as long as 2 years to be approved though. That's not true in all cases, some are resolved quicker.
Petunia, the law sets the percentage of back pay that the lawyer gets at 25%. It may not cost the lawyer $6000 to do the work for your claim, or even $1000, but if you get denied, then they get nothing so they are taking a risk, kind of like a personal injury attorney. So, you either do the work yourself and have way less chance to be approved or you pay them something.
I have been reading up more on disability and being 18 and have never been employed and all I have come up with is that I don't qualify and some say I don't qualify until I'm 21. Have you heard or gotten different answers?
plus my boyfriend is always helpful with whatever he can help with