Happy New Year! I can't believe that it's 2015 already, it seems like it just turned the year 2000 and all the excitement that brought and in reality that was 15 years ago! It's amazing how things change in a few short years!
If you would have asked me 5, 10 or 15 years ago if Crohn's Disease was a disability under Social Security I probably would have said no. For me, my flares have always been fairly easy to treat and manageable. I rarely missed work due to actual flares, mostly I missed a day here or there due to the occasional bowel obstruction. Imuran kept my symptoms and flares under control. I was able to have 3 children, exercise, work full-time and live a normal life. I never needed to consider the possibility of applying for Social Security Disability until my bowel obstruction 5 years radically changed my life.
My contact with other Crohn's patients was meeting someone by chance or having a friend or family member tell me about a friend of a friend that had just been diagnosed or was having major problems. Occasionally I would speak with someone that needed support. For me, Crohn's was just this thing I had that occasionally interrupted my life, no big deal.
However, there are many Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis patients that are so sick, they are unable to work. There are days when you physically shouldn't be getting out of bed but you have to in order to support yourself and your family. For people that have to do this, it only makes things worse by causing you to be even sicker. For others finding the right medication is next to impossible so they never feel better. Finally others stop working altogether, losing income and insurance benefits. Crohn's & Ulcerative Colitis are rarely fatal but can cause other life threatening issues like surgery, malabsortion issues, anemia, depression and much else. Medications used to treat the diseases have another list of side effects that can also result in long term complications. Check out this article for more information:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-kaplan/social-security-administr_b_6404952.html
Both diseases are listed as disabilities under Social Security but the approval process can be long and arduous. Denial the first time around is very common resulting in appealing and the added strain of continuing to work while very ill. Friends that I have met through online support groups are trying to petition Congress to add Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis to the Compassionate Allowance list. The Compassionate Allowance list allows those with specific diseases to have their claims processed faster when applying for Social Security or Disability benefits. Once a year Congress adds diseases to the list, the White House must urge the Social Security Administration to convene a hearing. My friends have started a petition to get Crohn's and UC added to the list. They need 100,000 signatures in 30 days. I am asking each of you to sign the link below and forward it to others so that those who need the benefits can receive them.
I am probably not the only one you know with one of these diseases so please sign it so the really sick ones can begin to Live, Love and Laugh with out the added financial pressure on them.
http://wh.gov/igOWD
