Howdy all,
I posted this in a buried forum but I wanted to post this more visibly as I could use some advice.

I assumed that the entire time I'm on chemo-rad tx that I'd be covered under short-term disability.

My radiologist put "Not applicable" for "date patient was totally disabled unable to work". Being a programmer, I need my mental faculties and I have to admit, I have neither the brainpower right now nor the physical stamina to go to work every day.

Does anyone have any experiences with this?

TIA (Thanks in Advance)

Joel

My husband had an income protection policy (he is self-employed but would get payments from the policy if he was unable to do his exact job) and the waiting period for benefits began the day he began treatment. He is now back to work part-time so he gets a reduced payment. His medical oncologist was the most helpful re/ establishing that he could not work or needed to limit his work. It really depends on the nature of your job (and possible accomodations, consequences of making mistakes, and the nature of your symptoms). He is a psychologist and seeing patients when you're on fentanyl, have mouth sores, mucusitis, radiation burns, cant' talk and you might doze off would likely result in your patients needing more therapy!

Hi Joel, don't know if you talked with your doctors or their coordinators first but if not, that might get them to reword their diagnosis to meet your needs. We also found the MO office much more in tune with the patient. If your RO doesn't have the time, check with your ENT office. I believe at each of my wife's doctors, it was one of the assistants that wrote up the forms and had the Dr sign so it may be worth while to give them a call or discuss face to face at an appointment. I find it hard to believe that a doctor wouldn't consider chemo and radiation therapy as qualifying for short term disability.

Joel,

So are you currently still working? If not when did you quit?

I posted this on your other thread before I read your treatment schedule.

Joel,
I'm a programmer also and don't see why you wouldn't be able to concentrate. Working allowed me to block out the fact I had cancer by keeping my mind occupied. However, you will probably be too sick to work at least after the first couple of weeks. I didn't have have chemo but did work the first two weeks. Day 9 the radiation knocked me off my feet and I was down for the count and on disability until I returned to work 3 weeks after radiation.

I can't imagine my your doctor would have filled the form that way. Maybe he is waiting for the treatment to make you ill before he will put you on disability? Let us know what happpens.

Take care,
Eileen

P.S. If you are still eating food in week six, you are doing a lot better than most of us.

Today is the first day of week 7 for me. I was hit by the Cisplatin and radiation on about week 3. However, how it he me was just that I'd get up just fine, eat breakfast, then WHAM, I'd be back down sleeping for another hour. Then up again for a few hours and WHAM, down sleeping another hour.

That's pretty much how I've been this entire time. I wake up and feel strong but within an hour to four hours, I'd be wiped out.

I talked to my RO today and she said, "The form from Guardian asks the date you are totally incapacitated (unable to work)" and you are not totally incapacitated so I have to put Not Applicable.

I told her that I'm wiped out from fatigue from the radiation and she said, "Hey, you drive here, you haven't lost much weight, you walk to your treatment room, You're not in a wheel chair, so you're not totally incapacitated."

She said that I should also send this form to my MO and my ENT to fill out.

So now I'm looking up Guardian (the disability insurer) and trying to find two new forms to send to these two.

Can I ask who your Short Term Disability company was? And who treated you for RAD? Also, did you send the forms to all your docs? Any info and insight is greatly appreciated.

Joel

P.S. regarding the food, yes, I posted in another location and noted what I did along the way but, quite frankly, I (and a 2nd opinion ENT I saw last week) think it was just luck, sadly.

Sadly because, of all the things that frustrate me most, the treatment and the pain we all go through (I've had a smaller share of it) hasn't seemed to change all that much in 20-30 years.

Thank God for this site!

Hi Joel,

Sounds like your RO is a real joy. Pam's STD was through Madison National Life. We gave them four references (ENT, RO, MO and the hospital). I believe the information was that they needed two doctors and could have a independent exam but it didn't go past the forms from the doctors. I think they had provided us with a form and I made copies and I called each office to see who needed to receive the forms, talked to them, then hand delivered to them since we were within walking distance getting treatment each day.

Looking at one of the blank forms, the closest question they had was "Date patient became unable to work due to this impairment?"

My wife's situation was a little different, when she had her first diagnosis, surgeries and treatment she didn't have STD insurance and was out of work on family medical leave and her accrued vacation time for six months. She returned to work part time, went to full time for about two months (during which her company had open enrollment where she signed up for STD) before her her diagnosis changed when the cancer metastisized. I think there was a 30 day waiting period before the STD kicked in and was valid for six months that just ended last month. She was approved at the same time for Social Security Disability and there is a six month waiting period that the STD covered and we are expecting her first SSDI later this month.

Insurance companies are not fun to deal with (sounds like some RO's too) but I find it difficult to believe you wouldn't qualify. This is why you have been paying for their insurance. Keep at them and good luck. Be sure to let us know how it is going.

She was treated at the University of Minnesota Fairview Hospital. Her RO, MO and ENT were all associated, meeting each Friday on the tumor board. Not sure if that is the same everywhere.

Joel, which doc is your main one right now? I rely on my ENT as my main doc. Thats who does all of my paperwork. You see plenty of doctors, ask another one to do what you need on the paperwork. Your RO doesnt sound like they have the best bedside manner.

Best of luck with your treatments.

My RO did my short-term disability, but he was also the one to tell me to take off work immediately. They put down the day I was completely incapable of working on the first dya of treatment. I was off two weeks before that for others procedures and what not.

I would find a "friendly" PCP and get them to certify you totally unable to perform your duties.

I think my insurance company was UNUM. We are put on disability immediately anytime we are out of work for more than 5 days. I know it was when I had the laryngectomy. When I had radiation 4 years before that, it was my RO who signed the form. I was driving myself to rad appts and also to PT 3 days a week throughout the entire treatment and lost very little weight. My RO would have been willing to put me on disability from day one but I had planned on working and would have if I hadn't developed a rampant case of thrush and a high fever. I also had back pain from a winged scapula.

Your RO sounds like a nut. How sick do you have to be before he will put you on disability. Very few people work through radiation and chemo. Have you talked to any of her other patients? Are they getting disability? Can you talk to a case manager at the insurance company to find out what they consider 'disabled'. How about your company representative? I'd fight this. This makes no sense.

Take care,
Eileen