NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!
No Suicide. That cannot be changed. This can. You have your school history. You have your job history. You have your family and friends and coworkers who can speak for your abilities before your accident.
You need a different doctor. You may need a different lawyer. You need to fight this, and perhaps get a complaint filed against her. To make that kind of assessment after one hour of testing? Irresponsible. Neuropsych is to find out what damage has been done, not see if you match her expectations of damage and to be written off if you don't. External head injury does not have to match internal, brain injury, and any doc that does not know that has no business practicing.
THIS you can fight. Another doc can counteract her report. Your history and performance can counteract her report. A psychiatrist can counteract her report. (but DO NOT go to anyone
she recommends. ) Duh--of course you were anxious, you were trying your hardest to do tasks that your injury no longer allows you to do. What an idiot.
Do NOT let her win. If you give up, she wins. If you kill yourself, she wins. Do NOT let an idiot take away that which you still have. If your lawyer doesn't see this as something to fight, if he won't stand by you in finding another doctor and a valid assessment, then get another lawyer. Sue the first lawyer AND the doc for malpractice, so there.
Do NOT give up. This is just a big abrupt bump in the road. And quite a shock, I am sure, but please, do NOT give up. Please?
Quote:
Originally Posted by andromeda
A couple of weeks ago a neuropsychologist came to see me. She spent the first hour talking to me about my childhood and then spent another hour doing tests with me. I only did 2-3 different tests before she had to leave.
Today I got the report back and I'm quite shocked by what I am reading. She says that, although I clearly have impaired memory and functioning, the test results are not consistent with a mild head injury. After saying that we could not complete the tests because I was "so slow", she suggests that I have pre-existing learning difficulties that are accounting for many of my symptoms. Funny because I obtained a scholarship to private education, thrived in a job that requires utmost attention to detail and have NEVER had any issues with cognitive function prior to me hitting my head.
She has also written that she advises I am assessed by a psychiatrist to look into my 'learning difficulties' further and because I presented as "extremely anxious".
Basically, this means that I now have very little to go on in terms of compensation because of her suggesting my condition was 'pre existing'. My disability benefits are out the window. And nobody is going to take me seriously any more. I also have 'learning disability' on my medical record and I have no idea if that will ever go away.
I'm done. I've had enough. I was counting on a proper assessment to get me the help I need. I was counting on that compensation to help rebuild my life.
I've been trying to think so positively these last 2 weeks. Things were looking up - I'd just found a place that looked promising to live and I was getting the support to move in. No chance of that now. It'll be the homeless hostel for me.
And my lawyer told me all of this at 5pm, right before he's away until Monday.
I thought things couldn't get any worse. I can't do this any more. I really can't. I can't take the pain - the headaches, the dizziness, the nausea - as homelessness and no prospect of an escape. It's just too much to bear now that what little hope I have has been taken away. Not just taken away...thrown in my face. It pains me to say it but I don't see any way out except suicide. I never thought I could feel this much pain.
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