Saturday, October 3, 2009

Open Thread – 10/3/2009

Today I have some great personal news to report.  I received a finding from the Social Security Administration yesterday.  After over two years of fighting, my SSDI disability appeal finally reached a judge.  He reviewed it and determined that my case is so obvious that he ruled in my favor without requiring a hearing.  It will probably be a couple months before I actually see any money, and I’ll still be very poor, but the abject poverty in which I have lived for three years, the times I have had to stretch one pork chop into four days of meals, will finally come to an end.  In addition, I will get Medicare and will be able to attend to some pressing medical issues I have neglected for years, because I lack the ability to pay for the care.  As overjoyed as I feel over this news, I can’t help but feel for the many thousands of people in the same boat.  The SSA’s policy to deny so many obviously valid claims and to take so long dragging their feet before resolving them (I first applied in 2007.) is both unconscionable and responsible for tremendous suffering.  This policy has existed for a long, long time, but Bush and the GOP exacerbated the problem by stripping the SSA of the employees who review such cases.  I guess the GOP hoped that we would die quickly, making our claims moot.  Sorry!  I lasted!!

I’ll be offline most of the day, I think.  My computer has a restore feature that, in the event of a failure will restore my system to the state when I bought it.  However, I’ve made many changes since then, all of which would be lost.  That utility will also back my computer up to DVDs to restore it to its present state, and I’m going to run that procedure today.  I will probably be sitting here swapping disks for several hours.  Have a great day!!

Today’s Jig Zone puzzle took me 4:55.  To do it, Click Here.  How did you do?

Here’s some humor for you.

3palin-rogue-book

Sound off!

10 comments:

Annette said...

Wonderful news Tom, I was trying to remember how long it took.. I think it was about 4 weeks, maybe 6 when I got my lump sum, then I started getting my monthly..

If you are having it deposited you get it a lot quicker.. I do know that.

I am happy for you, I know how it felt for me and it was such a relief and like a load was off my shoulders when they gave it to me.

Annette said...

I love the cartoon.. I am stealing it to share on Facebook....lol

Randal Graves said...

Dude! Great news!

Distributorcap said...

i am so happy for you!

this is great

TomCat said...

Thanks, Annette. I'm counting the days. My policy on the materials you find here is "Thou shalt steal"! However, I would like a hat tip. :-)

Thanks, Randal and DC!

The CDM said...

HOLY SHIT!!! First off, congrats on your breakthrough, I know how you feel so to speak.

Here's how I know, my dad is going through a VERY similar ordeal with the VA over a kidney issue. He was discharged from the military after they did a dye test on him. They saw he had one kidney and forced him out, but there's still a matter of that dye test. Right now, my dads is awaiting the news on what the end result is going to be with his claim. So far, things are looking very good. After my dad pleaded his case, a lot of questions were asked by the judge. The kind f questions you'd only hear if you knew he was going to rule in your favor. Fingers crossed on this one.

Congrats again!

TomCat said...

Thanks CDM. I hope that your dad gets the favorable ruling he deserves.

Unknown said...

As someone who had to go through the SSI Disability bullshit I can personally feel for what you went through Tom.

the walking man said...

Yeup I remember that feeling of having gone through the system and coming out whole. Good news brother.

TomCat said...

Thanbks, you two. You understand because you've been there.