Long time fibro sufferer…leaving my primary employment due to stress and severe fibro fog, I don’t feel competent to do accounting.
When asking physician office to complete a disability form for my personal disability policy…the office nurse patted me on the shoulder and informed me my medical records don’t show any impairments. I’m able to walk just fine!
I told her the physicians didn’t keep very good records then because I had my notes from past visits telling them my insomnia resulted in such fog I couldn’t trust myself at work.
Was there a better response I should have used? Always frustrated by medical people with 1 year of training.
Just call the social security office and they will take your application over the phone. They will request your medical records from your doctor. I never told my doctor I was signing up for disability. I just did it. If you are a long time sufferer of fibromyalgia, someone gave you that diagnosis. It should be in your medical records. Good luck
I completely share your frustration. But save your energy for the disability process. I’m in the appeals process now, after no longer being able to work as a nurse because of lifting and physical limitations made worse by unpredictable Fibromyalgia flares.
I waited too long… I fought against this with sheer will and blind hope, exhausted my financial resources, and my dignity and feelings of pride and a purposeful life; a career that meant everything to me. Now I barely get through each week and exist below the poverty line… waiting for people who don’t know me (or care) to make a decision about my future. And for what? To be RELIEVED to live on a fixed income?
Sorry… clearly I need that counseling session with my therapist this afternoon!
My point is, that won’t be the last time someone says something ridiculous, judge-y, or plain incorrect and inaccurate regarding your health situation and your fibro. Take deep breaths and speak your truth. Involve supervisors and management if necessary. Most importantly keep careful records of everything. And as another writer mentioned, get a disability lawyer as early in the process as possible. It’s worth it to have someone in your corner that knows the drill, and that the disability workers and Drs can’t b.s. or blow off.
Good luck.
Kelly
Thank you for your reply. I have found my own doctors to be a source of great frustration! Willing to throw script after script at me, but then says I am perfectly fine to work.
**hi there … I’m sorry your having to leave your job . We all tend to unnecessarily associate our self worth with our careers and it’s even harder to hear from someone on your own health care team that they don’t consider the brain fog and decreased concentration as a dibilitating factor. (maybe if it were her finances that you were responsible for she may feel differently. ) I can relate - I rely on my debit card to avoid doing the math involved on a cash purchase. Lol I now can no longer manage my check book because of the mental exhaustion and my husband goes back over it to double check for silly errors. It’s unfortunate that people especially those in the medical field are ignorant to the scope of fibromyalgia and it’s symptoms it’s even more unfortunate when they open there mouths and prove it. I left my job in the medical field ( 20 years in opththalmology ) last month and am going through the disability process as well - my Rheumtologist is much more compassionate to my plight than my primary care doctor despite both knowing how awful this chronic illness is . Don’t waste your energy arguing or explaining things to dismissive unempathetic people . They not worth a spoon !
