More Social Security Disability stuff- I am approved

Now I know it can be done on a more personal level. When I had my phone interview at the time I applied, the caseworker asked me if I would like to set up auto-deposit for when and if I was approved. He suggested that it might be a quicker way to find out my approval status than waiting for the letter in the mail. Well, it was true that it was faster. I assumed my bank must have made a mistake until I looked up the transaction and discovered it was a direct deposit from the Social Security.

What I suggested a ways back is true. As it turned out, I have more than one thing going on that has impacted more than one limb. But the important thing is that what I have limits my ability to have a sustainable gainful employment. What I also want to say relates to attorney input, or even to those folks out there who help you in the application process. I would suggest it is worthwhile to attempt to do this on your own. I am not sure I see any way that anyone could have helped me do this any easier than it turned out, and I had a case that spanned more than 10 years with two workman’s comp cases thrown into the mix.

It takes a bit of organization, and it takes good record keeping all along the journey your illness or injury may take you. Keep copies of all your doctor records along with dates and who did what, when. Keep all reports. Turn it all in when you apply. Be truthful and complete in all answers. Be patient. I made my claim on July 10, 2010. I had my Social Security doctor exam on 12/2/2010. Money went into my bank account on 02/17/2011.

Usefulness of Nerve Conduction Studies in Neuralgic Amyotrophy?

I have seen studies suggesting similar things before. this study suggests that the usefulness of nerve conduction testing may be questionable for NA because some of the lesions may be at the nerve roots and not at the plexus sites. This could be why my nerve conduction tests were not really that much of a help to me. My insurance covered them back then. Not now.

http://journals.lww.com/ajpmr/Abstract/2009/11000/Sensory_Nerve_Conduction_Studies_in_Neuralgic.9.aspx

Social Security Disability with Neuralgic Amyotrophy

http://www.injury-and-disability.com/2010/11/parsonage-turner-syndrome-and-social-security-disability-benefits.html

This site suggests that a NA sufferer successfully negotiated the rigors of the Social Security Disability system to be granted disability status. Originally they were declined, but an ALJ Judge decided the combination of impairments with the side effects of required drugs created a disability.

More tremor and twitching comments

A while back, I had noticed that my tremor had returned to particularly my right hand. This was especially noticed while holding a cup of coffee, or even later at rest after setting down the cup. Red flag, I know- at rest tremor can usually mean Parkinson’s and that does concern me. And, I have to admit, the possibility I have MS still is a concern too. So many overlapping symptoms, how do you pick what is right, or what to ignore? Is there a doctor in the house? Seriously, if there is and you would like to add your comments- or email me?

You might ask why I do not ask my own doctor, and if that concerns you- I will say “been there, done that, where is my t-shirt? “ Doctors I have run in to either do not know much about this, or are not willing to say what they really think once a test comes back. Besides that, the days of my good insurance coverage are done. My current insurance is poor to say the least, but I have to have something, don’t I?

Back to the tremor, this seems to come and go just like the twitches and- well, I was going to say my strength, but recently my strength has failed to return as it had been. I must be lazy. You know, I was just on a site NeuroTalk Support Groups where I noticed a MS sufferer talking of fatigue that got worse at the end of the day, or worse when stressed and made others suggest that she was lazy. I have gotten that too, from doctors. This is another reason I seem to not value what they think about my condition at this point. Anyway, as I was saying about tremor, it has come and gone.

First, I thought that Propranolol was helping, but no matter how I increased the dose, tremor would still break through. Then, when I dropped that I thought it had been zapped by magnesium. That worked at first and also seemed to increase my strength. Now that has stopped also. What now? Well, a couple of weeks ago during my tremor increase; I noticed pain at the side of my neck. I thought, here we go again. I thought of breaking into my prednisone stash but it is limited. I decided to first try DHEA (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dehydroepiandrosterone). So far, I have seen the pain in my neck disappear first, and rapidly following my hand tremor. Why? Who knows? It is probably only a coincidence. But my arms also shake less when I use them. None of it makes any sense.

Glaucoma updates

I guess now new research has suggested that glaucoma is more of a degenerative nerve disease than simply an eye disease and new treatments may be directed in slowing the actual degeneration of the optic nerve. Hmm. Maybe it was not as far fetched of an idea as it seemed that my particular degenerative nerve disorder could impact my optic nerves?

http://www.nytimes.com/ref/health/healthguide/esn-glaucoma-ess.html

On my mind. . .

So anyway getting back to every little pain and soreness. . . From the start of my Oct 2006 event, I have had a pain in my mid-back area on the left side. It is about at the base of the rear ribcage area. It has been a tender spot in the years since my right scapula went south (literally). Doctors have assumed (since they know nothing of the bilateral tendencies of NA or the fact that it can involve other plexus sites) that the soreness was simply due to my body trying to rebalance itself against the losses of my right side. What has changed recently is that this tender spot is not just noticeable in movement. I feel a general ache type sensation on the left when I take a deep breath. Glancing at imagery on the web of the diaphragm location, it is at least a possibility that this tender ache type area is at least close to my diaphragm since I see that the diaphragm takes a dip down as it nears the back of the ribs. It may also just be a sore muscle that is aching now because I am taking more deep breaths that usual. Anyway, I guess if it is just a sore muscle my question would be as to why it has not gone away in more than two years. This is just another weird thing I may not ever know for sure.

One other thing that has bugged me for a number of years is my left hip. Back prior to either of my more recent events in 2001 or 2006; I had a sore left hip. In fact it was one reason I chose to get an automatic transmission car in 1999. It was just getting too hard to use a clutch with my left leg getting harder to move with ease. This also has not healed since. There have been times it felt almost better, but recently it has seemed to slip a bit. I have to lift my leg into the car. If I stand too long, it feels like my leg is just being dragged after me. I have a bit of a limp going when walking now. Some have noticed this and asked if I have leg pain. No. There is not real pain most times. It just feels weak.

Are either of these related to HNA? Since they have not healed I have to think they must be related. It bothers me. It makes my temper short. And that bothers me more. But, I do not look sick. That is all that matters to some. And I guess that bothers me even more.

Is Social Security Disability in your future?

This is something I had not considered at the start of my NA/HNA journey, but after the three attorneys I consulted during my recent Worker’s Comp process were surprised I had not already applied, I thought it worth mentioning.

One thing that you should know is that the social security folks seem to need to know that more than one limb is impacted for them to agree you are disabled by anything. That and you have to demonstrate that this impacts your ability to perform basic tasks that might be associated with paying work or just everyday living. To show this, it is important to document everything that has happened to you so you can demonstrate how this impacts your everyday life. Documentation is the key in this. My documentation amounted to a good inch thick stack of paper reports and doctor notes that go back almost ten years. They also have a list of all of the doctors I have seen and when I saw them. Social Security is free to contact the doctors you provide information for, so it is possible that their complete list of documentation exceeds what I have at this point.

That documentation should refer to impacts you have on more than one limb. The right arm by itself is not enough. The right leg alone is not enough. But if you can show that both arms are impacted or that you also have leg involvement, you will have better chances of your claim not being rejected out of hand. If a doctor anywhere in your past ever made note of a different limb being involved, make sure you have a copy of that in your file. In my case, the original mention of my other arm being involved was important, even though the conclusions this doctor came to ended up being incorrect. In my case, there was another doctor who mentioned that involvement later, so I have two independent doctor notes about other limb involvement. What made this difficult for me was the Workman’s Comp system. My claim only mentioned my right arm. When I brought up the potential that my left arm was involved, they said they could not look at it unless I filed a claim for it. At that point, I was tired of the system and it was only a minor issue to me, I decided not to file a new claim. But it was important enough that two other doctors made note of it. Do not discount those fleeting mentioned items. They could be the difference in being denied or not.