Thanks for the support Anne and Tam - I always know you (and so many here) have my back, and that means the WORLD to me, truly!

Hard to say how it "went" when you get no feedback and the first I will know anything is when I see what the opposing attorney presents us with. Very odd knowing this will be seen by the opposing side before I ever see the results, and what will they make of them??

The voc rehab guy was very laid-back, pleasant, almost hard to remember he was NOT my friend, BUT, he did seem very professional and I can but hope he is truly ethical and unbiased in his analysis. If that is so I should have no worries, right?

The interview was actually a vocational rehab evaluation, to determine my
fitness for my prior employment or alternive employment. It lasted 2 1/2 hours, with one 10-minute break.

The first part was the interview portion, and he asked me to list the Drs I had seen - which is WAY too many. Some I couldn't name, and a few I forgot. He asked about current sx, and seemed to be cutting me off but I told him I had only mentioned those due to TOS, and went on to state my RSD problems and sleep disturbance. I also brought up my treatment for depression. He asked for my current meds, and I had brought a list with me.
He asked about my work history, if my certification was still current (it's not), and what would be needed to bring it up-to-date to be qualified to teach in a public school again. (More math/sci classes, ugh. At the least.) He asked about my ability to do housework, and describe a typical day, and if I'm able to drive. Some questions seemed to be aimed at testing my memory - because he had most of this information made available to him months ago.

The second part was a written timed test - intelligence-type test that had math, language and recognition questions. These included arithmetic, algebra, geometry, comparing/contrasting, similes and metaphors, recognizing same or different in a list of words or numbers, extending numeral patterns, etc. I didn't finish, but made it about 1/2 way down the second page - it was 2 pages total. That some of the math slowed me wasn't surprising, especially since I wasn't allowed to use scratch paper - I'm great at basic math and percents, but algebra and higher than basic geometry have never been my forte. What bothered me most is how some of the language questions stymied me - language has ALWAYS been my strong point - and on a couple I just had to guess finally, drew a complete blank - that is NOT me!

The last portion was another test, only verbal - I was to answer the questions as best I could, trying to answer each one, without rushing but as quickly as possible, passing if I could not answer. The questions got harder as they went. This lasted 30 minutes at least. Some were easy, basic math or language questions. Others were harder as I was to listen an restate a series of numbers or a sentence exaactly. The number series were worst, if I lost the first one or two as I listened to the rest, I was a goner. We were on the 14th floor, and the hospital is nerby, their lifeflight helicopters kept going by the windows which wd distract me for just that crucial second!

Then he asked for me to repeat the numbers he read me, only backwards - that was REALLY challenging. Not sure how many of those I got correct, maybe 50%. Couldn't figure total sq yds of wallpaper needed for a room given dimensions of walls in sq feet. Just blank, couldn't even come up w/ the strategy. But knew immediately author of Sherlock Holmes novels was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. After that I passed on most of the remaining questions, about 7 or 8, then we were done.

That's the gist of it. He didn't ask about what physically my teaching involves that I can no longer do, or about any restrictions my Drs have given me. I asked him if the fact that my Drs have found me totally disabled and not fit to return to work of any kind will be given consideration, and he kind of hemmed and hawed and said he needed to go back, go over "all of this", put it together, and then give it to the opposing attorney. No answer, basically. But he does have to use the findings from the functional capacity evaluation and the psych exam that were done last year ocally, and were in my favor, as was the IME done by their expert, so his results can' possibly contradict those TOO much without something smelling fishy!

Next Friday is the next "phone conference" with the Special Master and both attorneys, and while his final report won't be done, he should have some preliminary results by then, so guess we'll know more then!

Younger daughter had speech contest yesterday after school, she was part of a duet and small-group acting group, both got seconds and will go on to State contest next Friday evening. It was great to be there, she does a nice job! But it made for a very long day along with the voc. testing in the a.m., so today I slept til almost 5 p.m. This is why my sleep is so messed up, now I won't be able to fall asleep tonight, but will be dead tired tomorrow morning. After every busy day it is the same. Wonder if I will ever re-establish a normal pattern?

beth