For the record, this was the third denial, in a chain running back to my original application 2½+ years ago, and came after a hearing two months ago in which I was represented by an attorney, and during which SSA's own "vocational expert" agreed on record with every point we made.

From here there's one more appeal, in which I can send the hearing judge's opinion back for a legal review, after which the only remaining recourse is to sue the federal government. But it doesn't seem right now like that really matters, since--as I'm sure the process is designed to ensure--I've all but bankrupted not only myself but also my mother trying to keep all the financial plates spinning while all this has been going on.

Naturally they dropped this denial notice in my email inbox on a Saturday morning, having somehow arranged to complete the final stage of the five-stage process in the one working day between July 3 (when they announced it was beginning and would take 15–30 days) and said Saturday, so I've just gotten to stew in it all weekend. Tomorrow morning I'll be calling my attorney's office to ask them to file the final appeal, for form's sake, and also to investigate filing for Actual Bankruptcy.

Even though that won't really help, since the vast bulk of my debts are not dischargeable by bankruptcy, because of course they're not. Also, I remember looking into it once before and discovering that it is paradoxically very expensive. But I'll ask anyway to maybe foster a sense of urgency.

Oh, did I mention that the attorney who represented me at the hearing has left the firm in the meantime? I only found that out a couple weeks ago, when I called to ask if they had heard anything. The new one they said will be picking up his case load never called me back. Maybe now I know why!

Also, I started my annual heat-related MS flareup last week, just in time for all this extra bullshit to land on me. I'm on my old pal oral prednisone and my glucose numbers are off the chain right now, and if I'm not showing significant improvement by tomorrow, my neurologist wants to talk IV roids. So that's great too!

I haven't told my mother about all this yet. I'm kind of afraid to. She's still recovering from having a heart valve replaced.

Basically, if you're all wondering why I don't seem to be very creatively active lately, it'll be because (gestures vaguely).

--G.
anyway thanks for letting me whine a bit
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Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.