“But you look so good,” is something that people often think or say when they meet someone with Multiple Sclerosis. However Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, can be a debilitating disease. Social Security recognizes MS as grounds for disability under Social Security Listing 11.09. The Listing requires a person with MS to have:
- Disorganized motor function (problems controlling your arms or legs), or
- Problems with vision (20/200 corrected vision in your best eye) or cognitive difficulties (problems with memory, disorientation to time and place, etc) or
- Reproducible fatigue of motor function with substantial muscle weakness on repetitive activity.
MS can be hard for doctors to diagnose. Its symptoms can include fatigue, pain, cognitive problems like memory loss, weakness, blurred vision, dizziness, and bladder or bowel problems. A person with Multiple Sclerosis will often look just fine. That is why, in the context of a Social Security Disability hearing, it is so important to have an attorney to represent you and demonstrate to the ALJ all objective and subjective evidence that should be put forward. Objective evidence of MS will include MRIs of the Brain and Spine, observations of your treating doctor, and often, results of a spinal tap. Subjective evidence of MS will include many of your activities of daily life and how MS has forced you to make changes.
People with MS need both financial and emotional support. For emotional support a person with MS can lean on their family and loved ones, or contact the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. For financial support, people with MS should apply for Social Security Supplemental Income, Medicaid, and Social Security Disability. Here at Kraft and Associates, we are ready to help you regain some financial security by representing you through the confusing Social Security Disability process.
For more information regarding MS contact The National Multiple Sclerosis Society at 1-800-FIGHT-MS. For more information about Social Security Supplemental Income or Social Security Disability contact Kraft and Associates at 214-999-9999.
