Hello TWGarrett If you are having a good pain free day on the day that you are to be examined think about when you are having a bad day and act just like it, if they think you are not in pain they are not going to help you, they will asked you to touch your toes don't do it , and they will try to turn your body to the left yell out tell them you can not do that because on a bad day you cant. I hate to tell you this but become a actor for that day !!!
And having a female there just incase the examiner is a man I hope I have helped you a little.

that's exactly what happen to me. I filled out the paperwork and I was feeling really good, but stated that it was an exeption b/c most other days I couldn't even walk. They do'nt go by how you feel on other days, just that moment, and if you are showing no pain and feeling good, you can kiss ssi goodby.
bigi

Good luck TW...

I am trying to remember my paperwork, and I think what is "unwritten" is that women tend to bring children, so bringing another female ensures that the appointment time will not be filled up with you caring for your children. It states you can bring one person, this is because waiting room space will be limited. My appointment was done in a rented space specifically for this purpose.

You may want to with hold taking your pain meds for the time you are going to this appointment. But please be honest about your condition. These examiners can probably spot a faker looking for a free ride a mile away. The doctors that did my examinations were so kind and I believe did much to assist me to get my disability award.

It was a very positive experience. I hope you have a good experience as well.

Hugs. -daizy8

I would suggest that you ask your rheumatologist (and other docs) for a letter stating as strongly as possible that you have RA and the other conditions, and that you're unable to work, as a result. I'm not sure what kind of paperwork they've asked you to bring, but I'd get copies of lab work and doctor's notes that led to your diagnoses. I'd also suggest that the family member you bring with you be your husband, if that's possible.

Good luck.

Dear TW,

I kept a record of my symptoms as follows and it really shut them up and I got social security! Here's what I did:

I made a list starting at the top left hand side of the page going downward, of every symptom I get, even if I didn't get it every day. Even if it is stuff like "the skin on my elbow feels like it's been scalded". EVERYTHING..
If you have the symptom, list it. For instance, Fever, Dizziness, Memory problems, pain, insomnia, clumsiness, lymph node pain, you name it, put it down, but be sure to start with the worst symptoms first.

Across the bottom of the page I wrote the days of the month. It helps to use graph paper. Then every night before I went to bed, I would rate each symptom I had that day on a scale of one to ten, add up all the numbers and put the total at the bottom of the page over the corresponding day of the month. If you didn't have a particular symptom that day, just leave that spot empty.

After you get your total for the day, divide that number by how many symptoms you had that day. If you had 10 symptoms that day and every symptom got a "misery score" of 8, then multiply 10 x 8. Your misery score for that day is 80. When you get this score, you are ready to transfer it to a graph.

To make your graph, use another piece of graph paper. Across the bottom list the days of the month. Then, starting at the bottom left going upward, put the number zero. Above that put 5, above that 10, 15 and so on until you reach the top of the page and run out of room.

Then take the "misery score" that you got from page one, day one and put a dot over day one at the 80 level. Do this every day and then start connecting the dots. Then you will have a graph that shows the yo-yo pattern your life follows as a result of this disease. Then the Social Security judge will be able to see at a glance how high your misery score is and exactly why.

I also made little notes at the top of page two like this: "Went to grocery on 10-20-10. In bed as a result from 10-21-10 thru 10-23-10 as a result. Your graph will show a rise in your symptom numbers to match.

I was once told by Social Security that it was time for my 5-year evaluation and that besides giving them info on doctors appts, I was to fill out their paperwork. Well, after doing all that, I attached one year's worth of the "Misery Charts and Graphs". Since there's nothing they like better than paperwork, it wasn't long until I got a letter in the mail that said:
"NEVER MIND-WE'VE DECIDED WE DON'T NEED TO REVIEW YOU AFTER ALL!!" Now I ask you, have you ever heard of social security saying Never Mind???

I know I haven't! I know it sounds like a hard thing to understand, but if you just follow my instructions step by step, it will become clear as you do it. If you have any questions, I'll be glad to answer them.

Doctors just love scientific data. If you can show your symptoms in a scientific manner like this, they'll be much more likely to believe you. How many people would go to such detail to make things so clear to them, if it weren't absolutely true?

Imagine that you were the doctor and this woman came to you and started spouting out all these crazy symptoms all at once, it would be hard to get a grip on it. Once you've laid it all out in a nice neat chart, you'll get what you want.

Good luck. Sometimes it takes this kind of extra effort to get the attention of these mammoth bureaucracies. I wish you luck in reaching your goal.

Mizroze