Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobby17
My psychiatrist and many psychiatrists deal with pain management issues for people, maybe yours isnt trained in it. Mine didnt want me going to a pain management doctor and getting hooked on more pain meds then i really needed, since i had so many other problems.
So pain management is an ongoing thing for my condition. Thats been taking place for the last 11 years
I cant go see my ortho surgeon every few months just for checkups. They only want you back if your having more problems.
Even my own doctor has said that surgery should be a persons last option.
Point is 1 year after my surgery, they said i was disabled. 12 years later i sure as hell cant be in better health then i was a year after surgery?
maybe your disability isnt neck or back related, thus you dont understand about dealing with this type of problem.
I dont have a clue as to who would even want to hire me for a job, when i really cant stand or sit for long periods of time. And i certainly cant do any of the jobs i once did in my life.
I wish that i was better and could just go back to doing the job i loved.
maybe ss should just remove neck and back problems from being on the list of disabilities.
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Most 'pain management' doctors I know of (and I worked as a health care professional and have experience as a patient at 4 different pain clinics) are interventionists. They tend to do injections (like trigger point and nerve block). They don't tend to write prescriptions for ANY meds, never mind ones that anyone could "get hooked on."
As you mentioned, there are many psychiatrists that work in the pain management field. They often have expertise in helping patients deal with pain. They are not commonly known for their expertise in evaluating orthopedic and neurological conditions. Some people chose to see an orthopedist or a neurologist to evaluate conditions of an orthopedic or neurological nature.
I don't believe anyone here recommended you continue to follow up with your orthopedic surgeon. Surgeons do the pre op consult, cut, do the follow up, and say goodbye. Orthopedists and neurologists follow people for ONGOING issues.
As it happens, my disability IS neck and back related. TOS, RSD, occipital neuralgia, multiple disc issues, fibro, depression. I was a hospice nurse. Like you, I wish that I could go back to the job I loved.
I'm concerned from some of your comments that you might think I am asking you to 'justify' your disability 'status'. I hope that I haven't offended you......and I want to be CLEAR that I'm not questioning your level of disability AT ALL.
I have no problem believing your issues are still causing you disability.
I have no problem believing that the review process is stressful. I'm pretty sure that I won't enjoy it much when it's my turn.
My goal in responding in this thread is to try to help you de-stress over this.
SOME people DO get better.....maybe not great, but better.
SOME people improve to the point where they are no longer considered disabled. Doesn't sound like YOUR case is going that way, but for SOME on SSDI, it does get better.
SOME people DON'T get any better, but they don't provide the medical documentation to PROVE that they ARE still disabled.....and they find themselves without a monthly check.
Part of minimizing the stress of the review process is "getting" that SSA is OBLIGATED to try to figure out who is still disabled and who isn't. They aren't TRYING to make your life worse.....they are just trying to make sure the government doesn't throw away money. The SSA tells us that not providing adequate documentation that were are still be treated by an appropriate medical professional implies to them our conditions might be improving.
I don't plan on 'implying' that to the SSA. Unless WC starts approving reasonable treatment or a miracle happens and I DO improve.
Arguing that SSA shouldn't ask for that proof doesn't help with the review process. Sending extra info that doesn't prove disability doesn't help. While I can't IMAGINE paying the bills for $54,000 worth of meds.....submitting bills for meds doesn't prove disability. Submitting documentation about the need for and the effectiveness of those meds could help prove disability.
One of the posters over on the RSD board, with a dx list similar to mine, has been able to get back to work after a new tx worked for her. She's NOT "all better", but she IS markedly improved.....and now able to work. Her WC paid for the experimental (and VERY expensive) tx. My WC is still refusing to pay. Same initial dx's, but one of us is totally disabled and the other is not.
The SSA understands that happens. When it's my turn for review, I understand that I have to PROVE to them that I am still disabled while someone else with the same dx might not be.