Hugs madoak, First thing I think of is "Lawyer"....someone who knows TBI....this makes me so mad, that some ding dong is doing this to you and I know how hard you've had to fight, when you should not have had to fight at all....you were doing your job....I just
don't see how they can do this to you...grrr!! Don't give up, there must be lawyers who can take them on..advise you w/o fee unless they win.....I hope!! We're here for you standing right with you madoak!! My thoughts and prayers go out to you!

Madoak- I'm so sorry you are going thru this!!! You deserve to be compincated (sorry I can;t spell anymore- I spelled how it sounds to me) for what happened to you. That is just wrong!! I have applied for Social Security Disability Insurance- because I have paid into it for 35 years!! I deserve it!! But I have been denied twice because they seem to think I can do a job. They have no idea what I am going thru!! I wish they understood everything I lost when my brain exploded!!
Whatever you do don't give up!! I'm not.
I will keep you in my prayers.
Best of luck!!

Thank you for your responses - it really does help a lot. What I have ascertained so far is that the doctor who did the assessment totally ignored the psychometric reports and letter from occupational therapist and BI is not even mentioned at all in the assessment report. Also he put the neck injury down to degeneration that I would have had anyway at my age. (Despite the fact that prior to this I didn't ever have any illness or pain - also did ballet 1x week, horseriding and circuit training 2x week!!!) No more sadly. Apparently I got 5% disability for PTSD (I take it this man has never had it!!). His advice was to avoid stressful places. To say I'm dumbstruck is an understatement. Do you know, I might get a lawyer as I'm so fed up with fighting. Like you Candybelle I worked very hard from aged 16 - and feel I at least deserve a helping hand. Anyway - I'm going to go and calm down now. x

Madoak- I don't know your age or where you are applying for SSDI, but I do know- that the US SSDI recently changed a rule/requirement so that anyone aged 50 or more "should" be approved quicker and or easier. and since you've worked since you were 16 it sounds like you've met the requirement for having worked enough quarters, because I have.
I had a neurophyscilogical (can't spell it) test done at the University of MD hospital (same place that I was in for my brain bleed). The test took over 8 hours and they let me take it one day for about 4 hours, then a week later the rest and it took over 4 hours. It cost almost $10,000.00!! and I failed it terribly! Their recommendation was for me to be on full disability because I am not capable of performing a job. They also determined that I was severely depressed (surprise!!!!!). I also had a letter from the professor of neurology at the University of MD hospital (same doc that saw me while I was there for 2 weeks in ICU in the brain injury department). My family doc wrote a letter, I felt that was beneficial because he has been my doc for 20 years- so he knew me very well before the brain bleed. Since both of us rode horses (just trail riding) we would often see each other out horseback riding, and he knows that I can no longer ride.
Even with that documentation as well as all the hospital and rehab records- still did not matter- I was still denied twice!! So now I get to go before a judge (in person) to plead my case. They cannot tell me how long it will be before I get to see the judge- and after that the judge will have to review my case before he makes a decision- so I have no idea how long this part will take. My husband applied for me for SSDI one year ago (Dec. 1st, 2013 and my SAH was in Jan. 2013).
I am hoping that since I did go back to work for 7 months after my SAH that it will show that at least I tried, but there is no telling!!

******* I did want to mention something that I read about brain injury and depression (not sure if you have that - but I do- big time!!!). I think it was on Synapse.org it said that lots of time when someone with a brain injury is in rehab and starting to recover- they are making improvements so they are optimistic and feel good about their recovery- well then they get into the real world (like returning to work) they start to realize what they are NOT capable of doing and this can lead to depression-- this is what happened to me. To the point- that I was doing great!!!! when I first got home- I was so happy I survived - I could not wait to get back to work- I LOVED my job!!! Well after being back to work less than 3 weeks- my job was taken away and I was put into a position I had never done before!! It was so hard- every day I left work I was in tears!!! and felt like I was going to have a nervous breakdown every single day!! I got soooo depressed. Then in Nov. 2013 I had to have surgery (neck fusion) and went out on short term disability and then long term disability and I have not been back since.
OK- sorry to ramble on, but you know how it is- no one understands what we are going thru but us!!
Thanks and best of luck-
please keep me up to date on your case and how you are doing.

I so agree with your point Candybelle that it was trying to go back out into the world that caused so much distress. I tried to do exam marking in June 2012 and couldn't remember what I was doing. Had two days of hell before I gave up. As it was home based work, this would have been a good way of me generating an income, but I was just not cognitively capable of it. I had some practice papers to do and this should have taken at the most 3 hours - it took me 48 hours of exhausting misery and the papers came back as 'inaccurate'. So I gave up.

On Friday and Saturday I wrote an appeal letter and sent further documents to the tribunal which took a lot out of me but I'm relieved it's done. However, I don't know if I can take it any further myself if I don't succeed due to the stress it's caused me. Apparently no lawyer will go near this government 'health assessors' (I live in the U.K.), so that's not an option either. Anyway, I need to try and focus on something else as it was hard dealing with the family when this distracted. Also, have finally made the decision to have a psychiatric evaluation Friday next with a view to having EMDR therapy and want to give it a good shot so need to be relaxed. Thank goodness for this site - I don't think I'd survive otherwise.

Oh forgot to mention - I am 50. Do you know that on the report about me I was completely written off the doctor saying that at 'my age' I would be stuck with flashbacks, would suffer from cognitive difficulties and would be unlikely to find gainful employment again. So why was I cut off without an income I wonder? Hum....strange!!!

Hugs madoak and Candy, I wonder sometimes if insurance companies, etc, even read any of the documents??? They just turn people down and make you fight them....it's so exhausting....I had the same problems trying to fill out forms....@ 5 minutes I was in tears my eyes/brain hurt so bad I gave up for months. I have had depression since childhood, but I functioned well in my job, until my brain just shut down. Eventually social security sent me to their doc, a Psychiatrist....this has been over 10 years ago.....by then I had tried to work but could not cognitively do much of anything and I became so depressed I lost over 25 pounds....I too had documents showing an abnormal EEG (2 different doctors/both tests showed abnormal in the temporal lobes) neuropsych testing showing problems/but my depression was so bad/anxiety too/it makes me wonder to this day if it was approved not because of BI but because of depression. I have heard people say don't let soc sec send you to their doctors, but for me, seeing their doc helped. I wish you both the best....it's brutal I know....especially the waiting....they want us to give up.....prayers for strength!! Hugs

Cheesecake- WOW!!! I am surprised by your response because it sounds like my case! Both my physc and neurosurgeon told me that was more likely to get approved for SSDI if I was diagnosed as depressed as compared to a brain injury!!! Go freaking figure!! So both of them wrote in their report how I was fine when returning to work with a brain injury- but that because I could not perform the work (because of the brain injury) I became so depressed (which is true) that I am not capable of working. We are still waiting to (hopefully!!!) get approved for SSDI. I will keep you up to date.
Hugs!

Good luck with that CandyBelle - hope you finally succeed.