SS Next Step – Seeing Their Docs???

    • Anonymous
      August 8, 2010 at 1:44 pm

      Greetings GBS Family,

      As I posted in another thread I have filed for SS Disability. I have been notified that they have set up appointments for me with a orthopedic doctor and a psychologist. Questions… 1) why do you think they sent me to an orthopedic doctor? 2) how do I present myself to him and shrink? Do I sound educated or play along. One friend said not to be too knowledgeable as they might think I am scamming the system. But I know many of us here have learned to be their own advocate. I’m looking up info on this doc as he has been at a spine hospital before. In my report to SS I commented several times that my back hurts and of course my whole body.

      I am excited to be seeing SS doctors and wonder since they are sending me to them that I have a chance of getting SS on my own soon?!?!?!

      Any advice/comments are welcome, please ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Anonymous
      August 8, 2010 at 1:59 pm

      Social Security sent me to 2 Drs. One for a physical and the other for pulmonary. I guess they took the neuro at his word. The physical dr said he couldn’t do the physical because of the CIDP and the pulmonary said he had just seen me. He was my regular doctor. What a waste of time. All you can tell them is the truth. Hopefully someday they will start to understand this crap. Good Luck, and God Bless.

    • Anonymous
      August 8, 2010 at 5:51 pm

      Well that’s great news! Praise the Lord! I think that an orthopedic Dr. & shrinks are about the only Drs. SS has, they think Neurological disorders are orthopedic in nature. It boils down to they haven’t got a clue! Like Pat says, just tell the truth.

      When I was sent to the SS shrink, he did my Functional Capacity Evaluation, I never got out of my chair, but Praise the Lord I failed that test, which helped me get my SSDB. 2 yrs. later I had another FCE, it took most of a day, I failed this one too, was so physically exhaustied that I spent the next week in bed.

      I am praying for you girl,
      Love, smitty

    • Anonymous
      August 10, 2010 at 7:27 pm

      As to the ortho ‘issues’? That is something that HAS to be ruled out. Plain and simple. Key to the ‘diagnosis;, would be: Blood tests [especially IG type tests and the other special things ‘immune’ they test for]; Nerve conduction tests [deterioration of normal nerve velocities etc]; spinal fluid tests [again for signs of inflammations and specific ones]; MRI’s and X-rays [w+wo contrasts showing up any other ‘physical damage’ that mite have caused nerve issues]; and lastly progression-especially in regards to ‘reflexes’- W/us? You should be losing ‘reflex’ a lot! or Heaps.
      The shrink ‘functional capacity’ aspect is to see if you are psychomatic in any way. When they ask me my mental state? I always reply: as well as can be expected under my circumstances! [and leave IT at that!] Sometimes, slyly I insert, a normal person shouldn’t have to endure this much pain. Yet? I am. I am never asked any more questions in this quarter.
      How your diagnosing doctor writes up HIS opinions about your case is crucial to how soon or easily you mite get approved. It mite not hurt to seek a top-dog type neuro to evaluate you? But it’s a gamble? Because this other doc mite say ‘it’s all in your head’. AND IT WILL GO INTO YOUR FILE, whether you like it or not. I’m going to have to go thru this soon? I am sort of going to love/hate the process… But, it’s essential for the long term. Sigh!
      I’m crossing my fingers and eyes for you! [My toes don’t work anymore!]
      Keep faith in yourself and what you KNOW to be right – then? Slog on.

    • Anonymous
      August 12, 2010 at 12:30 pm

      Thanks homeagain for your information. I am familiar with the tests you mention that a neuro would do. Have had them over the years but only in one part (like left leg or right arm). I do not have any reflexes and haven’t for the past 14 years. I am unemployed and cannot go to a neuro so this ortho doc will have to do. As far as the shrink part, I have been to therapists for most of my life and have always been on antidepressants. I have a sister with severe mental illness so it could run in the family. I could only wish my symptoms were psychomatic. Thanks for crossing your fingers – my toes/feet are also numb.

      Smitty – thank you so much for your continued support ๐Ÿ™‚

      I’ll keep this post updated!

    • Anonymous
      August 12, 2010 at 1:32 pm

      I am pulling for you, too! You have dealt with enough and enough is enough!
      Do you remember a weather man in OKC, Dan Threlkeld?
      He is chief meteorologist for KJRH 2 in Tulsa, now.
      I just learned that he was diagnosed with GBS a couple of weeks ago, following gall bladder surgery! You can google him & watch a video of him on the web in pt.

    • Anonymous
      August 12, 2010 at 6:00 pm

      I’m sorry for my nasty remark I made “The oprtho doc & ortho specialists don’t have a clue”. My Lawyer was with me at that hearing, I was awarded my SSDB. Praise the Lord!

      Love, smitty

    • Anonymous
      August 13, 2010 at 12:16 pm

      Hi Smitty,

      No problem with that remark… it is mostly true! So after you went to their docs did you receive a determination? Just trying to figure out the timing on all this.

    • Anonymous
      August 13, 2010 at 2:15 pm

      Chrissy, I too had to see two SS doctors. One for pulmanary evaluation and one for a comprehensive physical exam. I had my neuro send them a letter to let them know if I had to do any unassisted walking or hopping or knee bends that it was up to them, but if I fell because of this type of exercise that they would be responsible for any damages. I was not given that part of the exam. The pulmanary test was done by the same doctor that had already failed me on that portion and questioned why they sent me back. He also failed me. Got my lump sum check last week from SS. I feel the truth is all you can tell them. I explained that I have good days. I have bad days, and I have terrible days. I was shaking pretty bad that day do I considered it just a bad day.

    • Anonymous
      August 13, 2010 at 2:40 pm

      Hi Pat,

      Congrats on your SS payment! How long was it from when you went to docs that you found out you were awarded benefits? I go Monday to ortho doc and Sept. 1 for mental exam (which I should easily fail with the truth for major depression).

      Thanks so much for your input and support! Everyone on this forum means the world to me ๐Ÿ˜€

    • Anonymous
      August 16, 2010 at 11:24 am

      Congrats on your SS! love, smitty

    • Anonymous
      August 16, 2010 at 11:30 am

      I must have received a determination from my visit to their shrink, the test I never took, but failed. It’s been a long time & I have too much brain fog. I’m praying for you girl.
      Love, smitty

    • Anonymous
      August 16, 2010 at 7:49 pm

      Visit with the SS doc for physical exam today was extremely simple. He checked a few things like banging the heck out of my knees to determine I have no reflexes. He told me to walk on my toes… NOT. He told me to walk on my heels… NOT. He had written notes on the form that goes to SS and he read them to me and I agreed it was correct. I tend to over-talk myself and actually stay fairly quiet as I was very tired – I woke up 15 minutes before appt. time and got there looking really bad and I got a migraine while I was there.

      Next is the psych appt. on Sept. 1 and with my background of depression that shouldn’t be any problem to go into the dark, deep recesses of my mind.

      Oh, as it turned out this doc was mainly an internist/general doctor so that probably was good (better than an orthopedic). AND, I was so good that I didn’t correct him on his pronunciation of GBS *LOL*

      Keep your prayers coming, please.

    • Anonymous
      August 18, 2010 at 11:31 pm

      I am keeping you in my prayers !!!
      I would rather you get it than some illegal Alien !!!

      God bless You,
      Drummer Dude

    • Anonymous
      August 19, 2010 at 11:27 am

      Chrissy, it took about two weeks after I saw the doctors. But please remember it took 5 months before they scheduled me for those doctor visits. Good luck.

    • Anonymous
      August 19, 2010 at 11:49 am

      Drummer, Thanks for your prayers!!!

      Pat, I do not have CIDP (or I have never been diagnosed as that – haven’t had insurance for years). The first thing on the list for reason for applying is Sensory Pheriperal Neuropathy (the last crappy neuro 3 years ago said this). Second is depression. It has only been a month or so since I started this process so they have me going to their docs very quickly! I have stuck in my head that ‘I go forward with the Grace of God’ and I won’t lose that thought! Sept. 1 is my shrink appointment.

    • Anonymous
      August 19, 2010 at 1:14 pm

      I replied on this on another site, but two weeks. It took 6 months to get doctor appointment, but 2 weeks after the appointments to get approved. Good luck.

    • Anonymous
      August 19, 2010 at 1:19 pm

      Congrats on the first Dr. visit behind you! One more to go, & it will soon be behind you too! I can not begin to tell you the blessings & miracles God poured out in the last few days around me. I’m praying for you too. What an awesome, & generous God we have!

      Love, smitty

    • Anonymous
      August 31, 2010 at 10:14 am

      Tomarrow is your last SS Dr. appointment. Good luck! Praying for you girl.

      Love, smitty

    • Anonymous
      August 31, 2010 at 10:33 am

      Yes, smitty, tomorrow it is… I’m also wondering about fiing for bankruptcy???

      I’ve been trying to get any kind of job and that hasn’t happened. This is all so very depressing on top of already being depressed. What to do :confused:

    • Anonymous
      September 1, 2010 at 12:54 am

      There have many older posts in the GBS and CIDP Forums that have really good ideas about how to handle disability evaluations. One thing most did stress is not dressing up–don’t look too well. Twice I was asked why I had on a vivid burgundy sweater. As if wearing something “happy” meant I wasn’t really ill??

      Psychologists may try and throw you off center by asking some very personal or totally irreverent questions. They mainly want to check out your mental status. You probably do feel down from having to go through all of this.
      Most disability docs are hired to evaluate people for an illness not in their field of expertise.
      Good luck”’

    • Anonymous
      September 1, 2010 at 12:46 pm

      Thanks limekat for the advice! I went to my appointment with no make up on (very scary), dirty jeans and dark t-shirt. Some questions almost made me laugh but I made sure I didn’t. Best one was what if you were in a theatre and it caught on fire – I had to admit right away that anxiety filled my thoughts, then I said I would run if I could (told her I can’t run at all). Also, I think it helped my case, unfortunately, that I do have a sister who is mentally ill and has been all her life. My depression probably started at 5 years old when she went wacko at age 13.

      The doc stated she would send in her report in a couple of days and that I was depressed… duh ๐Ÿ˜ฎ

      I feel strangely confident that this will go through – ‘I go forward with the Grace of God’ has been my motto.

      Thank you everyone for helping me through this process. I will post as soon as I know something.

    • Anonymous
      September 2, 2010 at 6:18 pm

      Congrats on completing your SS Dr. visits! They are behind you! I feel very confident that you will be awarded your SS! Praying for you Girl!

      Love, smitty

    • Anonymous
      September 24, 2010 at 2:42 pm

      Half way there…

      Talked with disability determination people today and was told that one of their in-house review doctors has approved my mental exam. Apparently it still goes through more reviewers. Someone still has my physical part to review. I was also told that it is almost the end of their fiscal year so they will be working faster to get cases through. The guy I talked to agreed that I should be watching my mail box for the next 2-3 weeks. Oh and he also commented that I am doing exactly what a lawyer would be doing.

      Keep the prayers coming!!!

    • Anonymous
      September 26, 2010 at 5:56 pm

      Chrissy,
      Have you heard from SS yet? I hope all is going well.