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Stage 4

My question is, in July of 2018 I was diagnosed with stage 4 emphysema, chronic bronchitis and severe asthma, I know there isn't an exact time from on how long it took to get to this point, but ssi may insist I prove I had it at least in December of 2017, do to my filing date for disability, to gain full benefit of the 45 plus years I paid in, only medical records I have start in 2015 from a heart attack , and 2017 showing spots on my lungs, any ideal of some time frame it takes to get into the stage of copd I'm in now

  1. Hi johnmark - Filing for any kind of disability can be a frustrating endeavor, so you have my sympathy. They will probably require medical records at the very least, so hopefully your doctor can provide some or at least attest to his/her opinion on how long you've had COPD/asthma. Since it varies with every indivitual, it's impossible to state a time frame. This article about the stages of COPD may be helpful to you - https://copd.net/clinical/new-to-staging/

    Please let us know how you make out. I wish you the very best.

    Regards,
    Lyn (site moderator)

    1. Hi johnmark and thanks for your post. I agree with the comment by Lyn (above). Your physician should be the best person to assist you in filing your claim. But, you also will need to have some insight as to the process. I looked around on our COPD.net website and found we have several articles on Social Security benefits/disability. Perhaps these articles will provide you with some additional insight: https://copd.net/?s=disability. Please be sure to keep us apprised as to your progress.
      Good luck!
      Leon (site moderator)

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