I just wanted to thank everyone who sent out good wishes for Matthew and myself. Like I said in my previous post, Matthew was told they will call him sometime next week *if* he is one of the people chosen to work for them. We are praying and have fingers crossed on that one for sure!
I spoke with my lawyer (the one who represented me at the appeal hearing) yesterday morning and he said they can request a review by someone else of the decision made by the adjudicator who attended the hearing. He also said that we did not luck out by getting that particular adjudicator, because she is one of the worst ones they have working for them. He suggested that I reapply for Disability in the meantime, and this time try to tell "without actually telling him" the doctor to fill out the forms a little better and more detailed than the last time. He also said that my doctor should put down on the list as many of the other problems (insomnia, depression, anxiety, gastrointestinal problems, chronic back ache, etc) that come from Fibromyalgia... as well as listing the Fibromyalgia, Degenerative Disc Decease, and Degenerative Arthritis... because "The more health issues they can see that you actually have, instead of compacting it under Fibromyalgia, the better chance that they will understand exactly how disabled you actually are, and because of this you cannot possibly work.". So... my doctor and I spoke yesterday afternoon with Matthew present (he knows that Matthew helps me with a lot around the house), and we decided that Matthew and I should fill in the blanks on a separate sheet as to what things I can and cannot do around the house, and how well I can or cannot do the things that I *do* try to do. Then I should bring him our paper along with his medical part of the form, and he will review it and if he has any doubts about anything we have put down, he will ask me to do whatever it is so he can see for himself before filling in the medical form completely.
I spoke with the other lawyer (who had been my original one, but couldn't be there for the appeal hearing) this morning and she basically said the same thing that the attending lawyer said... that it was a shame that we ended up with that particular adjudicator as she is a hard one to go against. She heard from other lawyers attending hearings all that week that the same adjudicator presided over, and most of them were turned down. My lawyer wants to meet with me on Sept 26th to go over the letter of rejection from the adjudicator and fine-tooth the discrepancies in her findings and what was actually said at the hearing... then she will be filing for a review of the decision.
Meanwhile I will be going back to see the arthritic specialist that I saw in August again (hopefully to get him to order more x-rays and/or be clearer in his letter to my family doctor in his findings about how I am able (or unable as the case may be) to do certain things and my disabilities. I am also going to be going back to the gastrointestinal specialist who swore that I had gall-bladder like symptoms but couldn't find any stones or even gravel in his tests, to have him check me further to find out what is going on inside my stomach. The arthritic specialist said in his letter to my family doctor that he thinks I could possibly have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, along with other problems in my stomach that should be checked on. Both my family doctor and the arthritic specialist have mentioned Fatigue as well... but not on the "list" of medical problems... which I have to make sure is mentioned when I reapply, along with the IBS and other things.
In any case I haven't been feeling my best within the last couple of days, so I haven't been online much at all. I barely checked one of my email accounts today, and am skimming over the newsgroup messages as I doubt that I will be able to catch up on all the messages. I *likely* won't be online much over the next few days if I continue to feel the way I am right now... but I *will* be back, so don't worry.
Oh one more thing of interest to some of my close friends on here.... Yesterday Matthew told me that he and his girlfriend weren't doing well and were considering breaking up. He was not happy, and no I wasn't happy either, as I hate to see him sad. However, at the same time I did feel that this would happen because they rushed things too much from the start. I waited to say that to him though.... After he spoke with her on the phone this morning he told me that he is now thinking with his head instead of his heart and realizes that it would probably be best if they just see each other once a month, with a couple of other friends around, just hanging out as "Just Friends". That was when I *gently* told him that I had felt that would happen, because of them rushing things too fast from the beginning, and he agreed with me. He said he can actually see that now, and also mentioned that he had wondered a few times (but didn't want to say anything for fear of sounding like a jerk) why he had asked *her* out and not another girl they worked with "who is more down to earth and fun like you and Kyle and I, than Christina ever was". However at present, he isn't really thinking of "dating" anyone else and just wants to do the "friends" thing with a group of people to have fun instead of serious one-on-one dating. Just an update on what's going on. He *is* feeling much better about things today and is smiling and joking around again! :o)
Peace! Gemini