[thursday]

I always post in the TOS forum but I wanted to write about my experience here because in reality, on my doctor's reports, it says

IMPRESSION:
1. Bilateral upper extremity RSI.
2. Mild median ulnar neuritis.
3. Rule out TOS.

I had a disabiliy determination evaluation this tuesday at the request of the Dept. of Social Services for California because I applied for Medi-CAL (at no one's request, I just want to have general medical coverage). The very quote I included above seemed to have rubbed the examiner the wrong way. He said, "So what's you're disability?..What is RSI?" When I told him: Repetitive Strain Injuries, and then he met my bewildered look with one of his own.
"Repetitive Strain Injury isn't a medical term. That's a cause. Your doctor's notes give me no medical diagnosis of your actual disability."

Let, me back up just a tad, when I got into his office, he had no idea who I was b/c he didn't have my files at first. Once he got them, it was obvious this was the first time he had looked at them. So he took all of 3 minutes to review/ skim and then launched into a hurried interview. I was still shaken about the lack of proof he had that I have a diagnosis and I feel I didn't answer his questions really well. The actual "examination" felt las routine as a ride operator's schpeel iat a theme park. It was standard health stuff like heart rate, b.p., reflexes- but nothing really intensive with the arms. He did notdo any Adson's, Tinel's or Phalen's tests. He didn't do anythingthat I had done at my QME that invlolved precise, recorded measurement. When he did palpation, it seemed like it was too light and brief for anything to be detirmined. There were other things he had me do that seemed to be tests to rule out other additional disabilities. And at the end he wanted me to do windmillswhich I didn't do entirely.

All in all, it was a rotten exam. I feet like my doctor, this whole time, has been lazy and its going to affect me on this state disability determination ruling done by another lazy doctor. I hope I can appeal it if it turns out as bad as I think it did.....