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Thanks everyone. I've let my doctor know that I won't be returning to work. I'm looking into lawyers to help me figure out whether I have a chance with LTD. There's a very good chance I'll be denied based on the pre-existing condition exclusion. If that happens, I'm not sure how much of a case I have for appeal.
The hardest thing is figuring out whether I should apply for SSDI, or try working part time for a while first. The benefits are based on average salary over the last 10 years, and since I've only been in the workforce the past 5 years, my SSDI benefit amount would ultimately go up as long as I made more than I did in college. I'm not sure what to do at this point. I'm aware that at 31, it's harder to get approved. Plus I would really like to try working part time eventually.
At this point I think I'll wait a few months, see what happens with my upcoming diagnostic tests, talk to a lawyer, and make a decision in the spring. I definitely need more rest, and time to get used to navigating the world in a wheelchair (my chair arrives in about a week, hooray!), before I even think about working again.
The hardest thing is figuring out whether I should apply for SSDI, or try working part time for a while first. The benefits are based on average salary over the last 10 years, and since I've only been in the workforce the past 5 years, my SSDI benefit amount would ultimately go up as long as I made more than I did in college. I'm not sure what to do at this point. I'm aware that at 31, it's harder to get approved. Plus I would really like to try working part time eventually.
At this point I think I'll wait a few months, see what happens with my upcoming diagnostic tests, talk to a lawyer, and make a decision in the spring. I definitely need more rest, and time to get used to navigating the world in a wheelchair (my chair arrives in about a week, hooray!), before I even think about working again.