Disability Update
November 7th, 2007 | 
Author: Today was the day. My husband’s Administrative Law Judge hearing took place this morning. Needless to say, we were both nervous wrecks since yesterday. It’s hard dealing with something that you have no control over but essentially decides the course of the rest of your life. Very nerve wracking – and it takes a lot to rattle my nerves.
I had prepared my husband for the fact that his judge could be rude, condescending, harsh, mean and everything else under the sun. According to the after-the-hearing report, the judge was quite nice and friendly. Go figure. Of course, when we met with our attorney last week, she did mention that his judge was a very tough judge and to be prepared. Guess he was having a good day! Must have had his caffeine. 
We went to the hearing knowing that some of his medical records were not up-to-date, thanks to the ever efficient pain clinic office staff. Our question was how could the pain clinic ignore multiple requests for records including requests from the federal government (Social Security) and not get in any sort of trouble? I’m still puzzled over that one. But anyway, because the past year’s worth of pain clinic records are missing, the judge felt that it would be best to leave the case open and schedule a 2nd hearing in a few weeks.
However, the independent medical examiner that is present at the hearing to explain the medical records said that as long as the current pain clinic records show the diagnosis of RSD, then the disability is obvious. A person with RSD is unable to maintain substantial gainful work on a consistent basis – the Social Security qualification to receive disability. The pain will continually interfere with the ability to concentrate. Plus as life progresses and the disease takes over, the amount of medication will be increased. Apparently the judge expressed concern over the various medications that Jerry is already taking. The doctor responded by saying the medications will only be increased as time goes on. There is no cure for RSD.
In fact, I think RSD is a forgotten disease. So much emphasis is put on finding a cure for cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzhiemers etc. but RSD has been around since the Civil War. Our current technology can’t even make a dent in treating RSD. There are no medications designed to specifically treat RSD, there’s no guaranteed medical procedure to eliminate or lessen the pain. Basically, the only option is to trick your brain into thinking the pain doesn’t exist. This is done through medication (originally intended for seizure patients) or through spinal stimulation. The possibilities of someone contracting RSD in a knee is approximately .5% (half of a percent) of all knee injuries. Doctors can’t even begin to explain the disease either. Something as little as a paper cut could cause a lifetime of debilitating pain. How bizarre.
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