Do I qualify for disability?
I have osteogenisis imperfecta type 1. I have had it my entire life. I have always been quite normal though, with the small side note that I break easier than most people my age. In high school I was extremely active. I was a dancer, actress.. etc.. I fell and hurt my tailbone. Because I break things like fingers and toes often enough, I assumed that I had just bruised my tailbone and that it wasn't a big deal. The pain went away after 3 months. Then, a year later I started having lower back pain that was almost debilitating. Usually after activity... I saw numerous doctors.. no one could figure out what was wrong other than that I needed to lose weight... After 3 years I finally saw a doctor who looked into it. I got x-rays. I have spondylolisthesis L5 S1. This is what was causing my chronic back pain. It has been 3 years since then and I am in pain management. I have a grade 1 1/2 slip... with osteopenia (decreased bone density) and degenerative disks. I also have scoliosis and arthritis in my lower back. The arthritis has been spreading to my fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, toes, knees you name it. I recently hurt myself at work (I have a job that requires me to do heavy lifting, it's the best I can get atm... and I have been there for a while now) and I have been having new pain in the upper middle spine, right where it starts curving. I am constantly in pain.. I am stiff, I walk funny, I can't move.. I feel like an old lady. I'm only 24 years old and no one understands.. sometimes my doctors don't even understand. My pain management doctor seems to understand but says they can't do anything to help me.. apparently doctors don't like to do surgery on the spines of people who have osteogenisis imperfecta. I don't think I can do my job anymore. It causes me so much pain and I seriously believe that the job I am doing is causing my problems to get worse at an accellerated rate. Do you think applying for disability the people will just dismiss me because of my age and seemingly healthy appearance.