I went on the web this morning in hoping to find some info, that I could bring with me to court, to show the judge in my social security disability case that what I have is disabling, being they have denied me benefits twice. My hearing is set up for October 13, 2004 at 9:00 AM, and I am scared shit, knowing this man has the power to control my life. Anyway that’s how I came across your site.

I was diagnosed with an Arachnoid Cyst (Bastard) in my thoracic spine from about the T-4 to the T-9 level, this thing was 8 inches, and it has significantly displaced my spinal cord, so much so that in the MRI’S it’s barely visible. It was a miracle they found after years of suffering, thinking I had lyme disease, fribomyalgia, suffering with migraines, arthritis, and to many others hypochondria(all in my head, my ass). So I had surgery to remove this thing on February 21, 2004(How can I forget) , they successfully removed it and 5 bones along with, they had to cut out the spinous process from the T-3 to the T-8, in order to get this monster out.

I suffered so much with my recovery, the nurses were all nasty bitches, the pain management doctor, the only thing he knew how to manage was making me suffer by denying me strong meds, and my regular physician bailed out, so this pee-on took over the case and wrote on one of his reports that my pain was to be excessive for the procedure, the only one that seemed to understand my pain was the neurosurgeon that performed the procedure, but of his policies was that he could not prescribe any pain meds, so I layed there for 2 long horrible weeks, wishing I was dead, constantly being nagged to do physical therapy, and being told I that I was asking for too many pain meds. Well it’s been 1 year and 8 months, I haven’t been able to work since my procedure, the pain is constant, around the surgical site and in my lower pelvic region shooting down my legs, numbness at times, I seemed to walk a little better after the surgery and the pelvic pain subsided,but now it’s becoming like it was before the surgery, and I have just learned through an recent MRI the arachnoid cyst is back, so much for surgery. I don’t know if this thing will make paralyzed or not, but I refuse to do surgery again, nor do I have medical insurance.

I take oxycontin for pain and it’s the only thing that helps me cope. I have two children at home to take care of, and some days I can’t do anything at all but lay down. I have no one to help me, my ex-husband took me in since April because I had no place to live, and I had no way of supporting myself, social security doesn’t consider be disabled, because my previous line of work was at an office, and I am only 35 and have an education. So basically being that my spinal cord is completely displaced and I can’t even barely walk, I have complete bowel incontinence, numbness and weakness, and that I am in constant pain doesn’t matter to them. Social Security told me that I should have been prepared financially for when these things happen,(fucking assholes) and told me to apply for welfare. When I went to welfare they said they would give $20 per week for food, and $180.00 per month for living costs and if and when I won the SSD case any monies that I had received would been taken out of the disability money, so I just got out of there in total disgust. Know I understand how people become homeless. And by the way I did try to wok on two separate jobs and needless to say it was agonizing. I don’t want to sound hopeless but if that judge doesn’t grant me that money, I don’t know how much longer I can go on. I have so many medical bills to pay and my ex needs help paying the mortgage, after he has been supporting me all this time and he needs help. So please say a prayer or two for me.

Sincerely,

Anabel C