The Hearing

[Guest guest]

Sorry I did not write sooner-

Wowzers- that ride seemed forever and pain whew baby....... I sit in the back

seat of my new car that I can't drive any longer - so I can keep my legs

up........ Carsick---- u name it......... I felt it.

We got there on time and sat for what seemed like forever in the waiting room (

with my lawyer )- guess he had not given some much needed papers to the Judge so

the Judge could read them beforehand- so when Judge was done with the people /

person before me- he had to have time to read my info then called us in.......

Gosh- don't think we got home till after noon even.

Well- I decided on the wheelchair , instead of the scooter and good thing, mercy

the room wasn't that big............ definitely would have damaged someone.

My mother went in as well, she sat in the back to be witness if Judge wanted to

get any questions from her but he did not.

My mouth kept drying out- I was in pain, tired- etc.......... and he'd ask

questions to the fuzzy Moon/TJ headed dry lipped thing......... I'd answer to

the best of my ability...... My lawyer finally gave me a glass of water as I was

almost not able to speak due to the dry mouth..... guess thats from one of my

many medications.

The Judge welcomed and swore My lawyer and I in and the vocational expert.

( By the way- I wore a pull over turtle neck- windbreaker pants - ( one of my

sons --------- geeeeeesh those things are noisey......... but nice if you spill

something on yourself because, they don't retain the liquid! I also had on my

slip on sandal shoes ( only thing I've been really able to get on my feet in 2

yrs and just started wearing those about a year ago -if that ) ---- and a

camaflouge pullover jacket ( my sons )

My nails were cut and naked, blek---- but good for court ......

I wore no makeup- blek but hey I was lucky and no one saw me that knew me except

for my parents. ( whew )

Once welcomed in Judge asked me if I wanted to be called by my married name-

which no married woman who took her maiden name back would want...... so I said

no please - I prefer my maiden name........ he thanked me- I had just got my ss

card changed over approx a month ago- this is something that never crossed my

mind that needed to be done......... I completely forgot due to the illness and

all the hearings with my x I guess.

So , he did refer to me with maiden name....

He then asked me questions such as.

How old I was?

When was my birthdate?

Am I working?

Did I work since I claimed I was dis-abled?

Did I work before that?

And when/where

Do you have children?

How many?

How many live in your house?

Is your house one level?

If not - do you go up and down steps?

Then the questions of what made me feel I was unable to work now......? (

Chronic pain - was my answer )

There was no mention of EDS at all - nor VEDS........

Then he turned to my lawyer and said, I am now going to turn the questioning

over to the lawyer- thank you much for coming......

I figured at this point he meant- he was going to question the lawyer and my

lawyer was going to do the answering...... but instead my lawyer questioned me

LOL......

More water please......

My lawyer sat right beside me and asked me many questions- medications were

listed ...... avinza had to be explained as they not knew what that was......

I was asked if my doctor or if I thought my doctor may be trying to over

medicate me or possibly get me addicted to the medications...... Geesh- at first

I wasn't sure what to say to that one...... What dr would purposely harm a

patient, then I thought to myself- hmmmmmmmm many do it....... look at my son!

So my answer was:

No- I really highly doubt that Dr. Ginther would do such. He is very well

mannered , careful and thoughtful of my condition and basically wanted to help

my chronic pain level so I could get some relief and perhaps with hope some pain

relief.

Let see - what else did he ask- What was the first disabling happening to me (

the double aneurysms- compartmental syndrome )

What happened and how long did it take you to heal after that surgery? ( I was

in a wheelchair and in a lot of pain- and I did not recover- I have no feeling

in much of that leg on the inner side- it is basically dead now..... )

You had a mishap with your other leg shortly after is that correct? ( Yes it

is)

What happened and when? ( I was getting out of a truck to go to my dr

appointment and barely knicked my knee on my " walker " - as I was using a walker

to get around at that time- and my knee /leg swelled up approx 3 times normal

size )

Did you end up having an operation on it? ( Yes I did )

How long was it after your aneurysm surgery? ( about 4 months )

How do you feel this operation has disabled you? ( In many ways- I no longer am

able to bend it nor walk much without pain )

How do you get around in your house? ( Depending on the severity of my pain, I

choose the scooter- wheelchair, cane and or furniture such as counters for

propping self )

Do you go up steps? ( No , I do not )

Do you drive? ( No , I do not )

You had another happening to your right leg right? ( Yes I did )

Tell me about it- ( A cell phone was on my keyboard tray and barely knicked my

leg- and my leg swelled about 3 x normal size )

Did you go to the hospital ( Yes I did )

Did it get infected, ( Yes, drs let that go approx 3 months and it became

infected- so had to have it cut out )

How long did you end up waiting for that to heal ( It still isn't totally

healed, it heals, but re opens during too much stress-etc. )

How long does it last when it re- opens? ( Approx 2 weeks - )

How and who treats you for that ? ( Dr Ginther and we use a cream and bandages

)

Do you cook/clean/vacuum? ( No- I do not)

Who does these things for you? ( My son and my mother )

How often do you see Mom ( she cleans approx every two days but if I need her

to- she would do it dailly as I see her every day- she lives only a field away )

How are you paying for items now? ( Welfare- it was all I could do at the time )

Who does your shopping ( Mom and Dad pick up my groceries )

How long can you sit, with your feet down, on a small stool ( Not long at all )

How many times in a 15 minute period do you feel you put your feet up higher for

elevation........ ( O gosh- hmmmmmm- I would guesstimate about 10 times, most

likelly more)

How long can you stand ( No longer than a minute without severe pain )

You have pain in more areas than just your legs , is that correct? ( Yes- thats

correct )

Where else do you have pain? ( Everywhere- )

Do you feel your medications effect you? ( I am not sure but imagine they are

causing some of my problems such as the foggy head feeling and chronic

tiredness- yet I will lay down but can't sleep due to the pain. )

How many times do you think you nap during a day? ( O gosh )

On a bad day? How many bad days would you say you have ? ( Most everyday is

bad and I'd say approximately 5 times a day I lay down and sometimes I will be

lucky enough to catch a few hours of sleep but most times not , so I will get up

to try to do something to help take my mind off the pain )

What type of things do you do in a 24 hr period.? ( Not much of anything

really- I can no longer put the amount of time into my interests as I once

could- I read books for a little bit but lose interest- I will read e-mail off

and on- but can't sit at the computer for long periods..... I love to mess

around with graphics on my computer to help take my mind off pain but really

almost cant sit long enough in one sitting to accomplish anything there anymore

either )

I'm sure I am leaving out a few questions but gosh can't remember more right

now- I just felt rotten and couldnt even stand whilst there , so the not being

able to get up for even my normal minute about drove me nuts as my legs were in

just too much pain from the drive.

I do know I was asked about prior jobs- which really I had none. I worked part

time sub at school, depending where they needed me- playground teacher- teachers

aid, sub teach- english teachers sub- and then some but was not often , not even

enough to do taxes with.

When married, approx 85 to 92 - we owned a machine shop and pet shop, I ran and

did both- secretarial and such and even ran parts- I was asked how much I lifted

then, and I said not much, my then husband did the lifting, I just ran the

machine....... I also had my 3 kids with me at all times....... But never

received a paycheck. I was co-owner without monetary benefits. I was just there

to help.

( Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, I could kick myself for that, if I could raise my legs that

high that is......... I put so much time in for him to help and for no money

yet----- oh dropping that subject - it only stresses me )

Ok, this was about it, then the vocational expert was asked questions by the

Judge- many things they spoke were so foreign to me- She did question the

machine shop/pet shop- but when she realized how that went then the Judge and

she finished up with basically, she felt that TJ could not really have any type

of work suitable for her condition and especially the medication amount- my

limitations, the dangerousness and the napping per day.

Judge asked if my lawyer agreed with her, he said yes.

Judge thanked us for coming and out we all went. What a long excruciating

ride....... Mercyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. ( actually its approx 30 min but by the

time I get in/out of a darn vehicle and the carsick feeling, it felt like 3 or 4

there and 3 or 4 back......

My lawyer feels that it went well- we will most likely hear from him in a couple

mnths he said. He said ' I dont want you to keep checking mailbox everyday

hoping it will be there tomorrow..... but that he felt instead of the usual six

month waiting period that he feels we will know within a couple of months.

There- how's that for a book ?

Its a bite typing with short nails, I think I went from typing approx 120 wpm to

4 letters per minute, wow how do people type with no nails........

Waiting for them to grow back!!!!!!

Oh- also- unbeknownst to me, my son Kenny that had passed away in 97 due to

ruptured aneurysm did have much info input into this hearing....... they said

that it was genetic, progressively worsens and basically no cure.

Hope all of you are as well as can be............

Hugs- TJ

God Bless And Hugs- Love Moon