Our client was 43 years old when he was unable to work due to complications from his extreme obesity.  He had an enlarged heart, congestive heart failure, and hypertension.  He was short of breath with minimal exertion and had other complications as well.  He weighed over 400 pounds when he stopped working.  Within two years, he lost over 100 pounds and was able to return to work.  The administrative law judge found that during the “period of disability” the claimant could not perform even work which required him to sit all day, but that once he lost weight, his conditions improved.  The claimant received back benefits for the two years he was unable to work.

This individual was 56 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  She underwent surgery and radiation and received ongoing treatment with tamoxifen.  Although she initially returned to work, she found she could not continue working.  She developed a painful abscess at the wound site and Major Depressive Disorder and did not return to work for nineteen months.  The administrative law judge found that the claimant was disabled for the nineteen month period of disability because her wound had finally healed with minimal residual pain and her depression improved sufficiently for her to return to work.

Our client was 46 years old when he underwent a bowel resection and the placement of a colostomy bag.  After the surgery, he was unable to return to work as a warehouse worker or any other work.  He did not have money or insurance for continuing medical care and removal of the colostomy bag. Two and one half years later, a charitable organization arranged for the reversal surgery with removal of the colostomy bag.  Although initially he had complications with wound healing, he was fully recovered within six months of the second surgery.  Although the client was not yet working, at the hearing, the administrative law judge found that the client was disabled from the time of the first surgery when the colostomy bag was placed until six months after the removal of the colostomy bag and reversal surgery.

Our client was diagnosed with Charcot Marie Tooth Disease, a hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy with muscular atrophy, which was diagnosed in 1989.  She was also diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.  This is a progressive disorder and at the time that our client stopped working, she had foot drop, and increasing atrophy and weakness in her lower leg muscles making it difficult for her to stand, balance and walk.  She was also experiencing body aches and pain that were attributable to her progressive disease process as well as her Fibromyalgia.  Due to painful hand movements, a consultative examiner for Social Security opined that she should avoid repetitive use of the left hand, including gripping maneuvers.  The Administrative Law Judge found that our client could perform less than the full range of sedentary work due to her physical limitations and associated pain and was unable to perform sustained work activity on a regular and consistent basis.  The Administrative Law Judge found the claimant disabled.

This client was 47 years old when he became disabled due to uncontrolled brittle Type 2 diabetes, uncontrolled hypertension, peripheral venous insufficiency, and diabetic neuropathy.  He had previously worked as a certified nursing assistant.  He also had complications associated with the uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension such as syncope, multiple hospitalizations for ketoacidosis and dehydration, chronic kidney disease and coronary artery disease.  In addition, the claimant was obese.  Due to the combination conditions (impairments, as Social Security calls them) he experienced extreme fatigue, difficulty walking, rapid heart rate, muscle weakness, headaches and frequent, severe, drops in blood sugar with associated syncope.  The Administrative Law Judge found the claimant disabled.

We recently won disability and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for a 27 year old with a history of attention deficit disorder/hyperactivity disorder and bipolar disorder, schizoaffective type.  She had a very limited work history due to her mental illness.   She had been fired from numerous jobs because of an inability to learn even simple tasks.  She was also fired for her “attitude” with customers while trying to work as a cashier.  The claimant was receiving medications for her mental illness from a primary care physician due to lack of funds.  Social Security sent her to two of their own psychologists for evaluations.  Both psychologists found that she had marked  limitations in her ability to adapt to changes in a routine work setting and to accept criticism from supervisors.  The Administrative Law Judge also had her evaluated and tested.  Again the psychologist who saw her thought she was essentially unable to maintain attention and concentration for a period of two hours without interruptions from psychologically based symptoms.  The Administrative Law Judge found that she was disabled as of age 23, when she filed her application for disability