Sorry Follks,
My leg is hurting like hell so I tried to go to bed. No luck with the sleep. Thanks for the cover Don; it's always good to have someone covering your 6 o’clock. Please don't ignore what legalmania said about this back surgery. I have a close friend here; as a matter of fact she is the lady I used to work for. She is only 42 years old and she has had 3 major operations on her neck and upper spine that I am certain of. She may have had even more. We worked together in a floor covering store that her husband owns. She was the store manager but no body ever told me what my title was. Anyway, this job requires constant heavy lifting, constant standing and walking on a concrete floor. There have been times; we would have to stand around in the show room with bargain hunting customers for 2 or 3 hours at a time without sitting down. You can't just walk out on a customer. She had gotten to the point that she was always dropping stuff. She couldn't even hold on to a pencil to write because her hands and arms would be numb. She has had 2 of those fusion surgeries, what ever that is and the last one she had before I had to quit was surgery on a collapsed disk that was pinching a nerve. That happened about a year before I had to quit and she is still in terrible pain all the time and her hands and arms still go numb. Before I left, she dropped a box of fancy ceramic tile trim that cost the store about $600.00. Her husband has hired 2 replacements for me because she can’t do any heavy lifting and that job takes 2 people most of the time. Anyway, be very, very particular about what you let them do to your back

Thanks, rlj1959

sorry if im stealing your "Posting Rlj".it goes to show you no matter whose posting it is we all are here for each other.so again sorry.But i just want to thank you folk on the tip.all i can say is "Gulp"well i thought my was minor,just a quick routine task

No need for an apology Don. I have been doing some really hard thinking about my whole situation after reading all the post in this forum and other forums about SSDI claims. I have come to the conclusion that every bit of this screw up between me and SSA is my fault. When I first applied for SSDI, I was shooting in the dark, I did not research it, I did not provide all the medical records pertaining to all my medical problems to SSA for the initial claim as I should have. I actually had no idea what I was doing from the start. I believe if I had done all this, I wouldn't be in this predicament. I have read where other people have done the research and they did have all the records and proof to justify their claim and they were approved immediately. Some even without a consultative physical. Although I did sign several forms giving SSA permission to get my records from the VA. This was not enough. I should have had all the records in my possession when I first filed in order to back up my claim. I am going to start a new thread offering advice to those who are about to start their nightmare with SSA.

Well, more bad news. My lawyer sent me an RFC form (I think that’s what it's called) to take to my doctor at the VA today. My doctor told me that an MD or any other medical personnel employed by the government at a VA hospital are prohibited by federal regulation from signing any kind of medical document other than for internal use only by the facility they are employed at. He wouldn't fill out the damn form. I guess I'm screwed again by government regulations. Any body else ever heard of such? I haven't told my lawyer yet because I got back from the hospital late. I’m going to call the patient advocate at the hospital tomorrow and see if she can help me. If it ain't one thing, it’s fifteen.
Forgot to mention this. My knee is still infected, not bad but infected. My doctor decided to weight for a while to see if the infection would go away with oral antibiotics. If not, then they would go ahead and replace the knee again.

Update:
I called my lawyer today and believe it or not, he actually answered the phone. I told him what my doctor said. The lawyer said my doctor is terribly mistaken. He sent me a copy of a VA Directive stating that VA MDs are required by law to complete this type of forms for veterans as long it is not intended to cost the VA anything. He said the VA is very strict on paying for something that SSA is supposed to pay for. Anyway, I'm sending this VA Directive to my doctor along with the RFC form and hopefully he will do it.

your right "Rlj" if its not one thing its fifteen!! found out today that i may have to have another operation ,this time to my neck.not only do i hope its "WC'but they put it down as and addition to the first one(and over site on there part).but im going to be on my back with no income(WC,SSDI,unemployment).even welfare cant help.see i do feel what your going through.cant even sleep or ea over this.i stand to loose everything i worked so hard for,what are we to do friend

I hate like hell to hear that Don. I really can't think of anything we can do accept pray and DO NOT GIVE UP. I do know that legalmania is very well rehearsed in the legal part of this. It's like I said in another post, after I sat and thought about my situation with SSDI. I went at this blindfolded. No research, no medical records in hand when I first applied. I have come to the conclusion that it's all my fault. Well the lawyer is at fault too because he failed to let me know why SSDI turned me down to start with. I realize that yours and others like you are different simply because SSDI doesn’t want to accept the facts. Don't forget Don; be very, very careful what you let them do to your neck. Like legalmania said, sometimes it can do more harm than good. Always remember, we are all behind you.

RLJ,

If your VA doc is still adament in his belief after you instruct him of your lawyers info, you could also point out that he could write the exact same info on a VA form/blank progress note.....then you get the info you need and he can keep to his 'rule'

It frustrates me that so many of us have difficulty getting our docs to be detailed enough in their notes. I understand they are under a time crunch, but neglecting to adequately document so we cannot easily get the benefits we are entitled to directly adds STRESS, which is no good for any medical or psychological condition. Hurting a patientthat way violates their oath to do no harm.......so tell your lazy doc to fill out the damn form !

It bothers me even more that it's a VA doc giving you the runaround. How about some respect for our vets !

hey thanks for the tips"Rlj"&"Legal",if i dont have the surgery to my neck then what should i do instead

Hi Don,
It may be to the point that you have to have the surgery in order to keep functioning. If so, make sure that you totally understand the risks involved. If you do decide not to have the surgery because of the risk and you think you can get along without it. I would then ask the doctor to put in writing that the surgery could very well make your situation worse and that you are not willing to take the risk. I would then take what the doctor writes to SSA AFTER I MADE COPIES. I may be wrong but this may help with your SSDI claim. I do know that you definitly need to keep SSA updated on changes to your condition. Legal may be able to offer better advice but just hang in there.