Christine and Minnie,

I am just coming on my one year anniversary from the first surgery (and disability date). I applied in May and was approved last week. I also am processing disability payments for my boys and my wife will qualify for disability payments because one of the children is under 16 years of age. There are programs available for retraining into different kinds of work that are easier to accomplish than what you were doing. Also, even after returning to the same work or completing training for a different type of work, you can receive the payments for up to 9 months. I researched quite a bit from the social security website and the lady I worked with in-person was very helpful indeed.

I am anticipating a voc rehab program through the state coordinated with social security that will pay to retool me as an Oracle Database Administrator. I had to go through a day of psychological and intellectual testing and they have agreed to put together a package through the local job service group, the rehab group and social security. Be sure and ask about the Ticket to Work process as well, Minnie.

Ed

SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023