Hi Tink's Mom--MOST people are denied the first time they apply for SS disability benefits. It took my husband two years to get his approved. It went all the way to the third appeal, before a judge, before he was approved. What is funny is that once we were before the judge, and the Social Security doctor read off my husband's illnesses, it took all of about 5 minutes for the judge to approve the claim and we were out of there. We had to hire a lawyer who specializes in Social Security claims. The lawyer got a chunk of the back pay, but if the claim hadn't been approved, he would have gotten nothing. I've heard that if you try to do the appeals without an attorney, you probably won't be approved.
I wish you luck in your pursuit!