Greg,

Please email me privately; I have the name of another e-group that gives great advice on disability and Social Security. I'm sure things are different considering you are dealing with the military, but the responses I've read so far are right on target - consult an attorney who specializes in disability insurance issues. If you haven't done so already, apply for Social Security Disability. Expect to be denied; then appeal and be denied again; then you should go in front of a judge for a decision. That's just the way it is, and attorneys who deal with Social Security Disability will handle your case free of charge until you are approved; then they receive a percentage of your back-due benefits, and it's nothing close to the 30-40% that attorneys usually get.

Also, start documenting everything! Have copies of your sleep study, the doctor's summary, the letter from the military that said you were "unfit for duty" and the one which denied you being disabled. (That in itself is ridiculous, but it's what those of us with "invisible" illnesses have to face all of the time.) Also, if you have any telephone conversations concerning this, either immediately write down the date, time, and as much of the conversation as you can OR state that you will not discuss the issue over the phone; everything must be done in writing. (This is probably the best way since a lot of us with narcolepsy can't remember much of what was just said.)

This might seem paranoid to you, but take it from one who was screwed out of her long-term disability insurance... Do what you can to get what you earned!!!

~Chris in Iowa.