Feeling stuck and unsure
Hi all,
I'm Carli, 37 F. Diagnosed finally in December of 2021. Looooong journey to get here, and now I'm struggling.
I took a new job in January. It is remote which is good as I'm still not acquiring antibodies from COVID vaccines and haven't been able to get Euvsheld in my smaller rural city. I know I need to be careful to avoid infection, after all everytime I refill my med it makes me certify I understand this.
I used to be on Humira once a week. With the new job and new insurance, they are refusing anything other than every two weeks. I'm also in Meloxicam, but, honestly, by week 2, I'm a mess. I just asked for a steroid pack to get me out of this flare, and I haven't had to do that since 2021.
I'm the breadwinner of my family after my spouse was injured in a car accident. But, I'm struggling to even put one foot in front of the other lately. I'm currently interviewing some chronic illness counselors as I need to do something.
At what point do I try for disability (in the US)? Sitting hurts, standing for a long period isn't possible, and the exercise I get often results in a flare the next day.
I'm really struggling.
Hi
,
So sorry to hear that it was such a long journey to receive a diagnosis but I am glad that you have finally got some answers!
Congrats on the new job! I am trying to find something remote as well as going back into an office environment is a little worrying with being immunosuppressed and I'm not sure if my vaccines took well either!
Sorry to hear that you are in the middle of a flare as well, I hope that ends soon! What I found helped me get out of a nasty flare was meeting with a physiotherapist who gave me some light stretches to do that helped get me my mobility back. Have you met with one before?
I'm not from the US so I can't give you specifics about the disability application process there but I have heard from American members of this community that they have been able to successfully apply for it.
Here is a link to some information about applying for disability benefits that I hope you will find helpful.
https://ankylosingspondylitis.net/resources-ssdi
I hope you are able to get out of this flare and get the assistance you need soon.
Sending love,
James (Community Member)
I'm sorry it has been so challenging for you.
As we wait for others to chime in on their personal experiences with applying for disability, I thought I'd share this article that may provide some helpful information:https://ankylosingspondylitis.net/resources-disability
Sending you all my best, Doreen (Team Member)I'll specify my flare I'm talking about. I like to do mini hikes and I've recently started have issues with my Achilles tendon. I had a sudden plantar fasciitis issue on my left foot prediagnosis that was only resolved with surgery, so I'm feeling apprehensive.
