Quote:
Originally Posted by daylilyfan
I imagine I will have to go through one of these.
What worries me, is that I can lift up my service dog, who is 42 lbs - but it feels like my muscles are being ripped out. It is not something I do often, but I do put her up on a table to trim her toenails. I help her up - I don't just lift her from the floor. I could probably lift her all the way up if her life depended on it, I could do it once, but I don't think I could do it a second time unless I rested several hours in between.
I carry 12 packs of pop from my car to the house, but have to hold them up close to my body, and I do one, then a couple hours later, I do the second one.
My problem is the PAIN keeps me from doing things. I don't have enough atrophy that I absolutely cannot lift anything - it just hurts so bad, I don't other than in my home PT exercises... then I limit myself to a bag of sugar lifted a few times.
So - my worry is that I have worked hard to keep some strength - but even a gallon of milk causes me a LOT of pain... I could only lift one of those for one or two times, then I usually lay down. In fact, I usually buy milk in half gallons so I don't have to lift a gallon. Laying down does not help the pain - but it keeps my arm from swelling, and any exertion causes me to be very tired.
I am very worried that a test like this will show me to be able to work, when I am not. I have a terrible time doing a few dishes, or doing a couple errands etc.
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You hit the nail on the head. My wife's right arm is crippled from RSD. She is right handed. The RSD has spread to her legs and other areas. She knows that if she does not move about her condition will worsen so she does and pays a price. For example, she loves her gardens and was planting today in the heat in which she is not fond of. She rigged a small towl with a small icepack to wrap around her neck to keep the heat down. This pack was very small and not cold but slightly cool. She is now suffering because of this. Not only are her musles and joints sore from simple crouches and bending over but her neck is sore from a towl with 4 icecubes in it. It's not that you can't put one foot infront of another it's the repercussions that come along later that a test like this will never pick up on, jot down and report to one sort of insurance company or another. This test may work for some but to be used in a SSDI hearing, the chance that a gizmo hooked to your appendages spewing data to some knucklehead who then submits to a judge who then dismisses a firm diagnoses and 8 years of recorded suffering for some machine is absolutely too risky to take. Also, this test would be given by someone who has never ever met my wife, knows her condition etc. This test does not see my wife suffer every single day from the least amount of effort like taking a shower.