Hi Barb--
Sorry to hear about the stupid social security but good news about the pain stuff. I drove on duragesic once I got used to it, but you do feel a little like mister magoo so I didn't go far! Anyway, I thought you only had to pay into social security for your last three quarters of the last year before your leave? I guess stuff has changed. I know I didn't pay in for the last five years of the last ten I worked, at least I'm pretty sure. I worked for the school system for a couple and they don't take out social security, I worked as an independent consultant for a while and didn't pay in, my last job for three years I payed in and maybe one year before or a little less. I didn't think it was that stringent. Well, I guess maybe things changed. It's so ridiculous they can't consider your current state of health, since it just didn't happen over night, I wouldn't think, and it is indirectly because of problems you have earlier. I have heard that judges almost never make a decision in the courtroom and mine said I would be notified by mail of the decision but my lawyer said I got it once we left the courtroom. I had a really really good lawyer. Anyway, if the judge has any decency at all you should probably get it. They waited almost the full thirty days to notify me, but I got paid pretty quickly after that. You definitely need fetanyl and demerol to get though that crap.
Keep in mind if you have trouble with fentanyl, there is a medicine called stadol, I took it when I was acutely ill, in a nasal spray form. It is extremely strong, but very effective and relatively short acting (two to four hours). I used it for three months when I was on the end of my interferon therapy and then just quit afterward with no withdrawal, nothing. Many doctors don't know about it, they think stadol is only available for injections. It is prescribed for very very severe migraines, but not prescribed often. I liked it much better than fentanyl, fentanyl made me anxious and I felt bad when it started wearing off. Coming off it wasn't great, so I wouldn't stop it if you don't need to, I probably should have just stayed on it, it does work well for pain. My reaction to fentanyl was different than most people's though, I had to only take a half a patch when I first took it because it was too strong and was making me panic of all things.
I hope that your lawyer gets you through this ss mess with minimal stress and that the judge just does what he should do. I am praying for you and your family and sending good thoughts your way and hope so much that you get to feeling better and that something wonderful happens in your treatment and you just get a whole lot better. I wish you the best and hope the new meds make you feel better.
Love, Marji
--Doctors are men who prescribe medicines of which they know little, to cure diseases of which they know less in human beings of whom they know nothing.--Voltaire (1694-1778)
Ills--Sjogrens-Lupus-like AI Disease, Hashis, Vitiligo, spinal stenosis/fusion with plate, salivary/lymphectomies, Diabetes, NAFLD, COPD, RLS, neuropathy, trigonitis, hystero, diffuse brain atrophy
Meds--Plaquenil, Evoxac, Metformin, Synthroid, HCTZ, Estradiol patch, Prosed, Klonopin, Soma, Ultram, Vicodin, Restasis, Albuterol,steroid injections, Protopic & Triamcinolone Acetonide ointments