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HI Jay, I am surprised that the application went through although you had a number of things happen to you. If they granted the disability based on PD then I believe the regulations require you to be under a physician's care. Certainly private insurers do. They may have surmised that your depression plus the fall and the Electoconvulsive Therapy courtesy of Maytag were the cause of your disability. Jay, if you indeed have PD which by your description is likely I hope you will get to a competent neurologist and at least listen to his/her recommendations. The issue of the health insurance (that you didn't have ) is a tragedy of the US system of health care. As has been stated by many people here on the list PD is treatable and while there are potential side effects of the medications most of us have concluded that they are worth it compared to the state we experience when we are not taking them. Pramipexole is now available for use with or without sinemet. While it is not known for certain it is felt that the agoniasts like pramipexole are less likely to induce dyskinesia. And even if you need to take the sinemet quality of life is much better even with the development of dyskinesia. I presume you now have Medicare or Medical Assistance or at least are eligible for them and the financial issue should not be an issue. Jay- I want to wish you good luck. Charlie Jay A. Henkelman wrote: > > CHARLIE WROTE: > > >JAY, > > > >I have swallowed the can worms hook line and can. > > > >What did you claim was disabling you? Did you have a diagnosis when > you > >went into the exam or just symptoms? You reported that they sent you > to > >a psychologist. Was there any claim of any other disorder in > addition > >to or instead of PD? > > > >It sounds like there is some important information missing. Were you > >previously diagnosed with a disabling condition of any kind? You > baited > >the hook with the issue of why you had not sought help- now reel me > in. > >Can you fill us in?? > > > >Charlie > > > >CHARLES T. MEYER, M.D. > >Middleton, WI > >[log in to unmask] > > Charlie, > > Short of composing my autobiography, I will attempt to illuminate the > facts > as to what transpired. To impart a convincing rationale for same is > where > the challange lies. > > First, a little history is in order. My first symptom appeared in the > Fall of 1980. I remember this date because I had just opened a > consulting > business in Honolulu. Because I was a faster typist than my > secretary, I > would often just "bang" things out instead of trying to explain what I > needed. Ever so slightly, I noticed a loss of dexterity in my right > hand > when typing. I would assume, at least for the majority of souls, a > gradual loss of dexterity would be perplexing at minimum. > However, not so for me. Why? Well, it's quite simple to explain. > Also > that same Fall of 1980, I was "introduced" to a lady friends Maytag > clothes > dryer rather abruptly! (you know, the dependability people) > As I was reaching over the dryer in an attempt to recover an article > of > clothing that had fallen behind it, I became "one" with this machine > as > 220 volts entered via my left arm and exited out the top of my right > foot. > Many people claim to experience the "tunnel" with white lights etc. as > part > of their near-death experience. Not me, however, I had July 4th in > September. A personal "light show" with compliments from Maytag! > I was "stuck" to the dryer for approximately 10 to 15 seconds while my > brain produced this light show in protest. I was finally thrown off > to > join the living once again. The only tunnel that I ever experienced > as a > result of that happening was the inside of a CT Scan. Coincidence or > cause? Is there life on other planets? > > As years progressed, so did my symptoms. It never occured to me that > my > symptoms may be the manifestation of a diseased brain. Up until 1993, > my > symptoms were confined to my right side/upper torso. The progrssion > was so > slow that I just learned to compensate with my left side. But now the > symptoms were resembling a palsy. If this wasn't caused by the Maytag > Man, > maybe when I flipped my 280Z in 1977 or when I fell 100+ ft. on the > Oregon > coast back in 1978. Chiropractic? Acute stress? Because I never > considered the possibility of disease verses injury, drug therapy was > never > a conscious option. > > Early in 1995, almost overnight, I began to drag my right leg, gait > problems, equilibrium, slower than slow, drooling, more depression, > fatigue, etc., etc. All these additional symptoms became part of my > life > within a six month period. > > By this time I had sufficient debilitating manifestations of Mr. PD > that I > no longer could function adequately in making money so I stopped! > Because of the very limited knowledge I had of Parkinsons, it became > suspect but not yet obvious to me. At that time, I still had not seen > a > physician partly because I no longer had insurance as well as being > apprehensive and choosing denial/avoidance over a formal diagnosis. > During > the next couple of months and 100+ hours of learning nearly everything > I > could about Parkinsons, I SELF-DIAGNOSED being totally confident of > having > the disease or some atypical symptomatic variation of same. > > Also early in 1995, I applied to SS for disability. After having gone > through 80% of the application process, my moderate depression went to > the > severe mode. I just dropped the ball and SS rejected me on that > basis. > > During the Spring of 1996, I re-applied to SS going through exactly > the > same process as in 1995. At this point, I still had not seen any > physician. > > In October of 1996, my SSDI was approved immediately upon their > receipt of > my examination results. > > On my SSDI application, I stated that I was disabled from symptoms of > Parkinsons Disease. > > At the time that I went in for my medical examination for SS, I had > not > been previously diagnosed. > > I reason that I was sent to a psychologist was because I listed > depression > which SS differentiates from other physiological manifestations. > > Other than being diagnosed as having moderate depression by a > psychiatrist > in 1992, I have never had any disabling conditions. > FYI-Desipramine & Klonopin (take me up then bring me down) > > I don't know Charlie, you tell me! > > Jay > > Pray for a cure & each other! -- CHARLES T. MEYER, M.D. Middleton, WI [log in to unmask]