Social Security disability info
 

In case this will help someone in making decisions on whether to file I did a little research.

Disability is available if:

1. You have enough credits from earnings (depending on your age, you must have earned 6 to 20 credits of your credits in the three to 10 years before you came disabled).
2. A physical or mental impairment that is expected to prevent you from doing "substantial" work for a year or more or result in death.

It is worth it to go to your local security office and talk to a social security case worker there. Some offices require an appointment so you should call before hand.

Hope this helps ~

Hugs ~ Ruth

Thank you Ruth. It was thoughtful of you to "do the research" and share with us.

Sending love and hugs,

MaryJo

As an attorney who also had to help several family members through this process, do not get discouraged with an initial denial. Very frequently, requires an appeal. There are Social Security Disability lawyers out there who are very good at this process and whose payment comes out of the SSD award. Just thought I'd put in my 2 cents.

I worked out of the country for 12 years and was a SAHM after that for 10 years ... imagine my surprize to find out that at age 52 I have to work another 6 years before I qualify ...DOH! I just have to hope and pray I wont become disabled. Methinks working out of the country was not such a good thing...thanks Ruth!

thanks for the info, i'll print it and file away for future use.

http://www.ssa.gov/disability/profes...ltListings.htm


This link brings you to the diseases that would get you immediately approved for social security disability. Not all breast cancers are deemed eligibility for ssd. In my case Inflammatory bc was considered one of those diseases, and I was immediately approved without an attorney or an appeal. Check out the list and also search the rest of the site. It will give you the information you need.

ipsilateral internal mammary nodes
 

In looking at qualifications for disability for BC, it refers to "internal mammary nodes".

Can someone tell me what nodes this refers to? I know it means on the same side, but still not clear.

I had five positive nodes on BC side, are these ipsilateral internal mammary nodes?

I'm not looking for disability, just definition.

Sassy,

Breast cancer in the mammary nodes would be considered local recurrence, as opposed to distant recurrence in the organs.

The axial nodes are in three layers, bascially in the arm-pit area. Then there's the neck nodes. The internal mammary nodes fall in between in the chest, or the thorasic cavity.

I believe that "ipsilateral" means on the same side. Internal mammary nodes can be on either side, although it's more likely that a recurrence in the mammary nodes would be on the same side as the breast cancer.

Joan

Thanks Joan. My nodes were axial--in the arm pit area, and I know somewhat about the neck nodes. I was not familiar with internal mammary nodes.

(I think the internal Mammary nodes run close to the center of the chest.)

Thanks for the information. I sent in my application just a couple of days ago - supposedly by the 17th, and I put it in my mail box late on the 17th. (I've been having problems keeping track of time - late last night I called my oldest Sister in Taipei and was completely not sure if it was still July or August - turned out it's already the end of September.)

I've told my church members that I am damaged goods from head to toe. There are still three brain tumors inside of my lateral ventricle. My left side weakness still bothers me. Both of my ankles are swollen and make me tired easily. And I just can't stop worrying about cancer in the lower abdomin area (liver? uterus? ...)

I've just signed up to work for a temporary service in town. Let's see if I'll get any phone call next week.

By the way, Typhoon is hitting Taiwan. Please keep the people on that island in your prayers. Thank you.