The symptoms of Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and inflammatory bowel syndrome can range from minor annoyances to totally disabling conditions. About a million Americans are affected.
Crohn's primarily strikes the young but can occur at any age. Although many people with this condition lead productive lives, some can only function with severe limitations. Abdominal pain and chronic diarrhea are the symptoms that are most likely to interfere with working.
Long-term loss of appetite and weight loss are common effects of these diseases, due to an inability to absorb nutrients. Fever and joint pain are frequently reported, and there may be hospitalizations and surgeries as the disease progresses. Steroid medications are often required, with side effects that can be disabling themselves. When medications and dietary changes stop working, there simply is no cure for Crohn's or ulcerative colitis.
Although I obtain detailed information from medical providers, experience has shown me that people are often reluctant to discuss symptoms such as incontinence and loss of bowel control. Medical records may not tell the whole story, and a claimant's testimony at a hearing is very important. As with other chronic diseases, a patient may become depressed, and this impairment too must be considered by Social Security.
These cases are often won by presenting detailed testimony about unpredictable daily symptoms. How much time would the claimant have to spend away from a workstation? Does the person need constant proximity to a rest room and frequent breaks? Testimony about pain and fatigue can also prove the impossibility of full-time work.
Remember, a few good days now and then is not the same as being consistently "available" for full-time work.
