Brief Answer:
Some information:

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

Reading your bit of medical history, I am so sorry you have had and are having so much trouble.

SSDI is based on whether or not you can work gainfully. If you have medical problems that can be controlled to the point where you can work, then you would not qualify. If any of your ongoing health problems can be shown to limit your ability to do any kind of work (not just your current work but any work that would sustain you financially) then you cannot qualify.

You CAN qualify if:

1. Your sleep apnea has been shown to not be adequately controllable, leaving you chronically tired, in spite of every adjustment that the sleep doctor has made. The person who might be able to support that with information would be either the sleep doctor who did your sleep study or your primary doctor.

2. If an attempt to treat your depression over time, with multiple attempts at various medications, has been tried and failed, a psychiatrist may be able to support.

3. If your C5 C6 spinal fusion has left you in chronic pain, or with limited mobility that would interfere with any kind of work, an orthopedic doctor or physical medicine doctor might be able to provide information to SSDI for that.

4. If your primary doctor knows your medical and mental health problems and limitations well, he or she might be the best one to put all of this information together to support an SSDI claim.

To start, contact SSDI or go to their web site and apply for SSDI. After completing the application (and they might interview you on the phone) the SSDI staff will contact the names/addresses of the doctors you have told them you have seen for these various problems. You should make sure the doctors you indicate are supportive as they will be replying in writing to SSDI.

Then down the road, if your SSDI claim is rejected, you can then try to refute it by having it reviewed by a judge (with you present).

If the judge rejects your claim, then you can ask SSDI for an independent psychologist or other practitioner who works for them to assess your depression or medical problems.

Your primary doctor who knows your health situation well may be your best bet for supporting your claim with an overall picture of your disabilities. You might want to write a letter to your primary doctor detailing your medical/psychological problems that limit your long term ability to work. I suggest this because your doctor is busy and the information that you can provide him or her is more likely to get into the letter or form they send to SSDI. But the first step is to contact SSDI and apply. And the review of that will take time.

I hope I have provided you with some help. Please let me know if I can provide further information or clarification.

Sending you well wishes.

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