Chronic Pain Support Group
Physicians and professionalsdefine pain as chronic if it lasts longer than three to six months and is persistent. It's distinct from acute pain that is a direct result of injury or trauma. This support group is dedicated to those suffering from chronic pain. Discuss treatments that have worked for you, find advice for your specific experience, and find support. You're not...
I've been having a hard time with the bad leg lately. It's starting to have worse pain and it is no longer able to function for 4 hours at a time without ripping pain developing in the back of the thigh and in the calf. Also, both legs are weak and getting weaker. I had a blow out with my former pain doc's NP and decided to discharge myself. I detoxed off all pain meds and I was doing really well for 3 months. There were countless work days I didn't even need a pain pill to perform the job, even on the hard 4 hour job on Monday. Then things started getting really bad and 3500 mgs of Tylenol was no longer working for me. It's now back to where I have to take 1 Norco to work on Monday, and one after I get home. I take one on Sunday night too. Then I stay on the couch elevating my leg the other 4 days to control the pain. The pain is still there, I just bare it and prevent flare-ups by not using the leg at all. I had an easier life taking 3 Norco's a day, but I do not want to be dependent on them anymore. The new pain doc is trying some new things. She is trying Gabapentin again, and a new muscle relaxer called Baclofen. She wants to send me to physical therapy. I want to try physical therapy too. But all it took for me to go into a flare on Sunday was to walk too fast on one job site.
Walking too fast, too far, bending too much, or using the brake pedal too much while driving sends the leg pain and dysfunction over the edge. I'm hoping that at least the physcal therapists can document how dysfunction I really am. If they put me on a recumbent bike for 5-20 minutes, they're gonna be wheeling me out of there in a wheelchair. At least they can document this. That it takes 5-7 days of compete inactivity to get the little leg strength I have left to come back to 100 percent. This new doc is not one to prescribe opiates, but she agreed to give me 15 Norco's a month after the second office visit. I can manage with that, even more so if I quit my Janitor job. But the idea of another 8 years of living life with my leg elevated to prevent pain is not doing my mental health any good. They're sending me to a third vascular surgeon after a few months ago, another one told me they cannot operate on me and that the pain and swelling is for life. Then they discharged me immediately. This is like an 8 year long nightmare. I was getting ready to try and drive again and make money again. I have credit now and all ready to do it, but there is no way I can drive in this much pain.
I have never had this much trouble with the leg. I even need a pain med after a 2 hour visit to the doc's or from going grocery shopping. It's like my progress is going backwards. My INR is high so can't be clots. I also have a huge bulge behind my knee when I walk and a bulging vein that looks like a balloon that is about to pop. It's like the circulation is blocked. I hope some of you are doing better. Do you think physical therapy will document my disfunction and then discharge me if they can't help me?
SSDI or SSI.. Even when a impairment is in the Listing Of Impairments. It takes much more than being diagnosed. Many people are surprised to find out being diagnosed with cancer alone is not enough for approval.
Under each listing are specifics of what is required to meet the listing. Unfortunately, many claimants do not understand that each of the requirements must be meet. They see one thing that applies to them or they think because their diagnosis is listed it means automatic approval.
A claimant does not have to met a listing to be approved. But, often those that met a listing are approved at application. DDS adjudicators do not have the leeway or experience Administrative Law Judges at the hearing level have .
It is vital you get a copy of your medical records and read them. Doctors do not write everything patients say. Doctors also make mistakes when taking notes. Be sure you discuss the details of how your Impairments affect your ability to perform Activities Of Daily Living with your doctor's at each appointment. Be sure you look for this info in your medical records. Some doctors do not take good notes and some do. Doctors that type on laptops usually do not write detailed information in medical records.
Psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, etc do not have to give patients copies of their medical records under federal law. All other doctors and other providers do have to give patients copies of their medical records under federal law. They can charge for the copying of the medical records. All claimants must sign forms giving SSA permission to obtain copies of their medical records. Even if claimants give SSA copies of medical records they have. SSA still requests copies directly from medical providers. It is a matter of credibility.
SSA sends claimants to doctors that perform Consultative Exams for SSA when more medical information is needed. It is never a good idea to depend on these exams for approval. It is common for these exams to Not be supportative of claimants.