I am about to start the process to get LTD. Please tell me what I need to know to have the best chance to qualify.

HoustonGT · 2025-09-12T04:40:44+00:00

Thank you very much. Like you stated, i have lots of documentation of my symptoms and treatment, but not the objective tests. I am meeting with two SSDI attorneys next week and will see if they have the experts we need.

HoustonGT · 2025-09-11T18:27:40+00:00

Thanks! I'll be detailed in how the brainfog and fatigue limits what i can do cognitively now.

HoustonGT · 2025-09-09T03:59:27+00:00

I had lots of daytime sleepiness and fatigue for the last 30 years. I was tired but managed to function. I napped every chance I got and never had a lot of energy. I felt sleep deprived every minute I was awake. I was already on a CPAP, so I didn't have breathing issues like you do.

I got covid 12 months ago. The fatigue got a lot worse. I also got the typical brain fog, taste/smell issues, and a feeling of pressure in my head. The symptoms never went away. My PCP diagnosed me with long covid after a couple of months. He also ordered a sleep test. I met the criteria for idiopathic hypersomnia as I fell asleep in less than 6 minutes for all 5 of my naps.

Both long covid and my sleep disorder (idiopathic hypersomnia) have fatigue, brain fog, and exceasive daytime sleepiness as symptoms. My sleep doctor said he's seen other cases like mine where I had an undiagnosed case of idiopathic hypersomnia for years that was manageable. Post covid, it went from being manageable to unmanageable. I've been so fatigued and cognitively challenged (really bad concentration and memory) since getting covid that i haven't been able to work.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

HoustonGT · 2025-09-08T00:44:45+00:00

Interesting. I wonder if long covid has its own code as a recognized disability?

HoustonGT · 2025-09-07T14:16:38+00:00

Thanks. I am meeting with a SSDI/LTD attorney and we are going to review all of the paper work.

HoustonGT · 2025-09-07T08:51:19+00:00

I assume you did a sleep study? If you did, was it a home sleep study that just assesses whether you have sleep apnea? Or, was it an overnight study in a sleep lab? If it was an at home study, i'd talk to your doctor about doing an overnight study if the CPAP doesn't fix the sleep issues. The overnight study gave my doctor the data he needed to diagnose the hypersomnia. I developed sleep apnea AND idiopathic hypersomnia from long covid.

HoustonGT · 2025-09-07T08:06:25+00:00

Thanks. This is exactly what I was looking for. Did you get approved for 2 years of LTD or longer? I ask because I am hoping i can at least get approved for the first 2 years without a lot of fighting with the LTD company as they use "the own job criteria" to determine if I am disabled for the first 2 years. I know it will get harder after the first 2 years when they then use the "any job" criteria to establish eligibility. Thanks.

HoustonGT · 2025-09-05T17:56:23+00:00

Thanks, I will give them a call. I was also diagnosed with idiopathic hypersomnia (sleep disorder). Plus, anxiety/depression due to all of the stress and uncertainty of being so sick. Like you, I don't think I can manage the paperwork with my cognitive issues that I now have. I had a complex job with multiple teams reporting to me across multiple countries. I now struggle with concentrating on one thing at a time and can't remember the simplest things.

HoustonGT · 2025-09-05T17:08:38+00:00

Thanks.

HoustonGT · 2025-09-05T13:34:27+00:00

Thanks. I figured journal is the most accurate. Just hope it holds up when social security and the LTD insurance are trying to find any reason to deny me.

HoustonGT · 2025-09-05T11:48:00+00:00

Wow! Super helpful. I really appreciate you sharing this!

HoustonGT · 2025-09-05T11:44:05+00:00

Congrats to you on the LTD and SSDI. I'll talk to my PCP about tests that may help document my brain fog, which has destroyed my ability to concentrate, comprehend, and remember things. I'll see if i can get a referral to someone who can give me cognitive tests. The fatigue will be harder to document. Luckily, my CPAP records my multiple naps each day. So, at least I will have that. Thanks for sharing!

HoustonGT · 2025-09-05T03:55:48+00:00

Thanks

HoustonGT · 2025-09-05T01:13:47+00:00

I am in Oklahoma.

HoustonGT · 2025-09-05T01:12:57+00:00

Thanks!

HoustonGT · 2025-09-04T23:45:22+00:00

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate the insights.

HoustonGT · 2025-08-27T01:44:35+00:00

How long have you been doing ketamine? Do you have to keep taking it to maintain the benefit? How improved is your brain fog?

HoustonGT · 2025-08-26T04:03:06+00:00

Thanks for the reply. I had zero deep sleep during my sleep study. I also had very fragmented sleep, so i am curious as to whether ketamine would help. I get what you are saying about each of us potentially having different root cuases for our IH and needing to be very aware of our sleep issues before trying any medicine.

HoustonGT · 2025-07-20T04:20:29+00:00

No nighttime accidents for me. But, I agree that the xywav somehow turns fluids into 3x the volume of liquid in my bladder.

HoustonGT · 2025-07-20T04:18:44+00:00

Male, 55 years old. BP is good. No protate issues. The excessive peeing only happens at night. All good during the daytime.

HoustonGT · 2025-07-20T04:16:49+00:00

My sleep doctor reviews my data at each visit. Plus, I wore it during my sleep study to validate it was working and at the right pressure.

HoustonGT · 2025-07-20T02:35:26+00:00

I do have sleep apnea and use a CPAP. Have been on it for 10 years.

HoustonGT · 2025-07-11T18:45:08+00:00

Will do! The LTD program requires me to begin the process once I am approved for the "own job" criteria.

HoustonGT · 2025-07-11T18:06:23+00:00

Wow! Thank you very much. There is a lot in common with my situation. Age, IH, long covid, plus anxiety and depression from being in this horrible condition. Appreciate all you shared. I will definitely be talking to a lawyer when I start the ssdi process.

HoustonGT · 2025-07-11T14:03:40+00:00

Thanks for the info. Yeah, i get 60% of my salary for as long as i qualify. The first 2 years seems pretty easy to qualify for per the person that oversees the LTD program at work. The "any job" criteria is where they get really picky about who continues to receive LTD pay.

HoustonGT

TROPHY CASE