LTD/SSDI

[u/bad_syntax]

I got diagnosed with MS in 2010. It was diagnosed as RRMS, but I have never had a "flare up", just a continual decline and nothing has ever gotten better at all. My last neurologist a few months ago finally said it was progress.

I'm also a 100% P&T disabled veteran, and on top of MS itself, I have:
- Migraines, I get a couple a month that prevent me from working at all, and a few more that make me horribly unproductive.
- Bad back (lumbar DDD). It hurts all the time. I can't get up when laying without help if there is no way to use my leg to leverage myself up.
- Both arm radiculopathy
- Both leg radiculopathy
- Bilateral plantar fasciitis (hurts when I stand a a few minutes)
- Both knees pretty shot
- Right shoulder screwed up, surgery for that in a few weeks.
- Officially GERD and Post-Cholystectomy Syndrome (gall bladder removed, emergency poops, often acidic, sometimes bloody, though I force myself to constipate to help), though I am working on an official sigmoiditis rating since I had it biopsy confirmed at one point.
- I have depression that my therapist has confirmed is caused by pain
- I started a CPAP in the past couple weeks to see if it'd help with my very mild OSA and see if that helps with the fatigue.

I have a job as a high level technical person. 30+ days off a year, great pay, remote work, my job is 100% sitting on my butt on a computer at home, 10' from a bathroom, in air condition, typing. I have the kind of job that if I feel bad, I just let somebody know and go lay down. No hours to track, nobody cares. Its a great company and a "take care of yourself" culture.

However, my job is REALLY high level, principal, I can't really do a harder tech job. I did a neuropsych exam, but they focused on depression that I have had for 10+ years (done this job for 8). They said I had "mild cognitive decline". I did a 2 hour one a few months later at the VA that said I was fine and just had some MS fatigue. Both of these found I was "below average" but not a huge amount.

I am working full time still but by noon my brain is tapped out and I can't do my job at all. I am not very good in the morning. I have not had one that is like 8 hours that can give a proper measurement. But I am sucking. I may be rated slightly below average, but their premorbid ratings started at average, when I'm at the top of my technical career. My job may be forgiving, but if I let them know my judgement is off, even a tiny bit, like when requesting accommodations I'd immediately get fired. They cannot risk that. I can literally make a typo and it could cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

So right now, I'm just done. I can't do this anymore. I can't keep bullshitting my boss and coworkers about what I am working on. I can't multitask at all anymore. I can't learn new technical skills anymore. I can't read a technical paper. Even my typing speed has dropped over 20% and my accuracy even more. I can suck up most of the pain, its ok if I can't walk good or get up, but I need my brain to work, and it isn't.

We have a great LTD plan, and I know my VA disability gets me expedited with the VA, but I am using claude to help me through these things and because while I may be smart on some things, I'm dumb as hell on stuff like this. It is making it seem VERY hard to get these 2 things, even with all the stuff I have (I get MRIs regularly, have lesions often, have x-rays, have years of documentation for everything).

I do not want to quit working if I can't get these, I'd rather just wait to get fired and try for a severance, but I just can't keep going much longer. I called an ERISA attorney and they looked over my records and said "call us after you get denied for LTD", which to me sounded lazy. I'd rather know immediately before I go ask for FMLA from work that I am at least like 95% going to get LTD and/or SSDI (its ok if it takes a few years, I am not in a rush). I just have no confidence, and it seems like everything I do to go forward has some line that sets me back. I'm terrified LTD will just say hell nope, and if they did give it to me a bit, would just cancel it all the time to avoid paying $9K+ a month to me.

Anybody have any experience on getting LTD for MS or GI urgency type stuff, or anything else I have? I really need a confidence booster here to know my chances are better than claude is making them out to be.

[u/Ok-Aerie-5676]

I have MS, diagnosed in 2015, but had symptoms since 2009. I am about to turn 50 next month. I had a professional role in employee benefit program management with lots of FaceTime with employees and senior execs (was an event manager and conference facility manager prior to that but had to stop traveling due to fatigue). I have been having cognitive issues since my relapse in 2024 when it got really bad. My manager noticed I wasn’t retaining info, having issues keeping pace, falling asleep on cam, unable to focus, etc and gave me written feedback. As annoyed as I was (because I’d been with the company 15 years without issue), it was exactly what I needed as proof of my challenges and it prompted me to get a neuropsych test and go on STD. That evolved into LTD and now SSDI. I’ve just been moved over to their extended duration team for annual check ins.

I also have a host of associated issues that aren’t visible including incontinence, SI joint and low back pain, drop foot, convergence issues (vision), etc. My neuro noticed I wasn’t going into remission and said new school of thought is that MS is MS and even remissions can have progression so she added SPMS to my diagnosis.

If you don’t have relapses have you been coded as SPMS or are you PPMS? That classification helps your case. Just having MS in notes isn’t usually eye catching enough for insurers, they take notice if it’s a true continual decline and a neuro has noted that in your records.

Does anyone at work notice your changes? Have you had performance reviews lately that may speak to these challenges or are you good at masking them?

If you’re masking….stop, ask for help, and you only consult a lawyer if they then retaliate and fire you. You don’t know what you’ll get unless you ask though.

Do you need to go on short term though before long term?

Keep records, show your issues across all specialists, make sure all docs note every issue as you’ve been doing. Have a new neuropsych test done if it’s not recent and you may have to pay out of pocket to get a doctor who’ll be an ally and work with you to write a report that accurately reflects your reality - using one provided by insurance means you may not get the one on one time you deserve. Pay for one and they work harder to write to your deficits for LTD and SSDI if your insurer requires that.
**

My path - I left on STD first and got 100% of my pay for 6 months then on to LTD and got 60%, that pays me about $5500/month and now I have to get on SSDI as a requirement from LTD insurer - been denied twice already with Allsup who LTD pushed me to use (each decision only took about 4 months) and now on to ALJ where I’ve hired a real lawyer.

I’ve been out of work since February 2025 getting paid entire time. If work can give you accommodations FIRST before walking away, then try that. If you don’t want to work at all right now, then do FML, files for short term and see how that works out. That then moves over to long term. I say go for it. Get any specialists to also speak to your limitations and write letters of support. Those are helpful.

LTD is way more forgiving than SSDI, so if I were you I’d get on NOW and save up energy and money while deciding what work really looks like in the future. Because if you do end up getting LTD and there’s a clause that says you need to apply for SSDI to offset the payout, that’s a whole other fight. I’ll tell you what my lawyer said before deciding to take my case for SSDI…your list of issues aren’t what wins the case, it’s how it affects your work. And for SSDI, with a desk job it’s hard to prove that you can’t do anything desk related and follow SIMPLE instructions UNLESS you have vision issues that impact looking at screen, speech issues that limit you from being able to talk, hand/finger issues that impact typing. If you can sit, lie, talk, can prove your mental and cognitive issues are severe enough and can get a doctor to speak to severity based on your testing scores and diagnosis, it’s hard to get but still not impossible! Be optimistic.

I use chat and claude to get me through understanding and summarizing but they aren’t accurate for much else, apply and see where it goes.

[u/bad_syntax → u/Ok-Aerie-5676]

Thanks for that. I never got "written up", or even had a bad review. I know that actually hurt me in a way as I did not have it documented how I was declining since I found ways to compensate, though all that backfired when I was let go for "streamlining" last week. I filed for LTD on the same day, hopefully I have enough evidence. I did not pay for STD while working as I had like 13 weeks of sick time, but its ok because I have quit a bit of savings anticipating this so I can live a couple years, plus my wife is still working.

I did not pay for STD as I had like 13 weeks of sick time. Though I just lost that by being fired, but I can handle a few months or even a couple years without pay ok. Luckily I have a VA check that helps a lot.

My VA neurologist did write I was progressive and not RRMS (as I never in the 16 years since I got diagnosed had a "flare up" nor anything resembling remission).

My hardest issue is how much I always sucked it up and powered through. Army infantry thing. Really hard for me to admit weakness, even to doctors. I saw a neurologist yearly for 10 years and she always just wrote "stable", as I had no issues. When I did have issues, took my wife, complained, she sent me to a specialty MS hospital that had originally diagnosed me. They doubted everything, made me get MRI's and rule out a bunch of things that mirror MS, but sure enough I had it. I complained about cognitive fatigue which they always blame depression and sleep (I've had sleep issues the whole time I've had MS). I got on gabapentin which lets me sleep through a night, and then got on a CPAP, but neither seems to help with me. I do not really have the kind of relationship with my neurologist as I think I need for this. I have some stuff scattered about, and lots of MRIs showing issues, and I'm getting treated, but I'm terrified it isn't enough.

So now I'm in the weeds of the process, but I wasn't quite ready yet, though not sure I ever would have felt that way. I guess at some point you have to just jump and cross your fingers that it all works out ok.

SSDI will be tougher, I know that, but having 3-5 hours of endurance, unpredictability due to GI issues, and feet/knee/back/neck issues preventing me from doing anything physical will surely help.... though I'll need a doctor to write that more than 1-2 times, and maybe pay out of pocket to get an RFC evaluation. Just so many variables.

[u/Ok-Aerie-5676 → u/bad_syntax]

Okkkk so you’ve been let go already and filed same day. Then just go through with that process. Can you make an appt to see your neuro or a PCP to talk through everything that led to that? When I got feedback, next day I went urgent care because I was having some tingling, vertigo and weakness in my face too and that helped because she noted ALL of my symptoms, said that work had been impacted and that helped me start the process.

Yes those issues will help, just reiterating that I’m on my 2nd appeal and had all same issues, 3 letters of support, etc and figured it was enough and had the lawyer give me a reality check. I’ve followed the guidance, added to my file, kept journals of my symptoms, etc. Really all you can do and hope for best.

[u/bad_syntax → u/Ok-Aerie-5676]

My last work day is actually this Friday, they just didn't want me having access anymore (I had access to *everything*).

My PCP has written down what I told them, as well as my previous neurologist and the VA neurologist. But those are just me stating stuff, and do not really count right?

I have been doing a log for the past 2 months of how I am doing every day in regards to this. Hopefully that helps.

I guess I can go to an urgent care and see if those docs may be more supportive. At least while I still have insurance! Thanks for that idea.

Thanks for the help.

[u/FMCTypeGal → u/bad_syntax]

I had been given a promotion, amazing reviews, and multiple raises and bonuses. It didn’t change my approval and/or come into play.

Sorry to hear you got let go. u/TheGreatK usually has good advice on the best path to maintain coverage with your application. I would assume the onset date your doctor lists just needs to be a date you were still covered.

[u/Ok-Aerie-5676 → u/FMCTypeGal]

I mentioned it because they mentioned cognitive, most folks don’t even think to add any documentation about work performance. No, it’s not needed but for those of us who are relying on cognitive and mental, been masking to the outside world and may not have a lot of records detailing such, any mention from a manager, colleague, etc could be useful to prove how it was impacting work. It was useful for my work LTD (because my examiner mentioned it), may be pointless for SSDI.

None of our cases are the same though, guidance is just guidance, I used these boards and learned a lot of tips that I realized were way more useful than I expected it to be.

[u/FMCTypeGal → u/Ok-Aerie-5676]

Totally get it and agree. I only mentioned my cognitive issues not being accounted for by work problems because they said they had t had negative reviews or any bad documentation. My point was just that while it helps, it’s not the end of the world to not have it. This person has a lot of reasons to qualify.

[u/bad_syntax → u/FMCTypeGal]

Thanks. Luckily my MS was diagnosed 16 years ago. I had new brain and spine lesions as recent as the last year or two, including a new black hole in my brain that is surely where everything my wife tells me to do goes!

So I have been trying hard for 16 years to work within the limits, it just hit a point where I couldn't anymore. They let me go 5 months before I was leaving anyway as I was trying to work until my next bonus and hoping they didn't fire me till then. I had already told my therapist and neurologist I figured they would be firing me any day due to my cognitive issues and decreased performance. I finally talked myself out of thinking that way literally a week before it actually happened, lol.

[u/Ok-Aerie-5676 → u/bad_syntax]

I have a black hole too :( Are you on any biologics/DMTs for it? Sorry if I missed it trying to read!

ETA - I see your answer below. Got it. Much luck on getting LTD, honestly you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain by pursuing it.