Questions about osteoarthritis.

@ssbionicknee I looked at your notes. "besides the osteoarthritis, ... degenerate disc disease in my spine and I believe my neck. I have a small tear in my rotator cuff from a fall and have fallen again since. I have Restless leg syndrome and ADHD which I take medication for, but still need to keep moving. I am being treated for anxiety and depression, .... My feet overpronate and my sciatic nerve flares up along with my lower back. It has been worse lately. I am also still walking with a limp, which the doctor said is because my other knee is so bad. I was diagnosed with tendonitis in my right elbowl" Now, I am not going to try to dX you, but you do have a package of symptoms and signs of various Amyloidosis Light Chain Diseases. I would suggest you have your doctor order a sFLC(c)Blandings Site assay (SERUM FreeLiteChain) of the misfolded protein in you SERUM (not plasma). And watch Dr. Martha Grogan's Mayo video on diagnosing Amyloidosis. Have your Dr order the tests she names. Or, if you prefer I have listed her choices in my own medical dossier, https://bit.Ly/1w7j4j8 in "Amyloid and Old Karl" There are about 8 or so. And if you wish, have your doc order, from Ambry Genetics, of Aliso Viejo, CA, 92656, Tel. 866-262-7943, or fax: 949-900-5501, or web site ambrygen.com , the hATTR Compass kit. It is free. Now please not. I am not selling anything. I just see that, in your note, first, you seem desperate; and second, that you have some of the stuff I have. It is time to find out what it is. Let us know how you do.

@ssbionicknee

I am glad to hear that everyone's posts have helped you with your thoughts of applying for disability benefits.

If you are comfortable doing so, as you investigate the matter of applying for disability benefits will you update us now and then regarding your progress?

I sure will.

I haven't gotten to far yet. I had an insurance nightmare. I received a letter on August 17 saying that my coverage had been terminated and they had backdated it to May 1, which was before the surgery. So I have spent the last week spending 2-3 hours on the phone being transferred all over the place. I finally had to go ahead and pay COBRA payments so I could get mu insurance reinstated. The company should have covered that since I was out on FMLA. I am still dealing with them. As a result of all this I have had to put the shots on hold, which has caused my old knee to get worse. I have been trying to figure out where to get an attorney and if I had a case and then it hit me that my doctor would be the best source of information. So I have a call in to him. My new knee has been really sore along with my lower back and sciatic nerve. I am wondering if I need to go back to using my cane since the old knee is not able to to be the weight bearing leg. Will be asking the doctor and PT those questions.

@ssbionicknee
Good Morning!
First, I'd like to tell you how much I like your screen name! I say that by the time I finish fixing everything within my body, I'll be called the 'bionic woman.' lol

You ask a very good question. This is a question I can answer based on my own experience. I am not an expert by any means and the advice other members have given you is very good.

I went out (from work) on SSI Disability. It took me only 1 try to get it.
Although there are guidelines, and someone did post the link, I BELIEVE that it is still up to the individual who reads your request.
AGAIN, that is MY OPINION.
I was very fortunate that the person who worked with me on my application was VERY, VERY helpful. If he didn't work with me, who knows if I would have gotten benefits.
When I started the process, I had a couple of reasons for applying: 1. lack of mobility due to OA and the pain associated with it; 2. I had Shingles. It was VERY mild but the Shingles VIRUS only, went into my eyes causing a 6th Nerve Palsy. I had residual affects and permanent damage. This made reading very difficult. I was an elementary school principal. If I couldn't walk, needed pain meds and couldn't read, it was difficult (impossible) to do my job. To ME, I thought this would be enough to collect SSI Disability.
The person who helped me with my application said I should put down EVERYTHING that was wrong with me. The more, the better. However, I needed to be able to document each item. It was not difficult. I had a bunch of doctor reports, tests and meds I was taking for a variety of ailments.
Thankfully, I was able to retire and get SSI. I did lose a part of my pension because I retired early, but that was OK. If I didn't get the SSI, I would not have been able to retire.
So, to make a long story even longer, here are my SUGGESTIONS based on MY OWN EXPERIENCE:
1. List EVERYTHING that is wrong with you. Don't worry about sounding like a hypochondriac (spelling?).
2. List EVERY medicine you take for all your ailments.
3. Bring copies of all tests and test reports for your ailments.
4. Let your doctor know what you are doing so he/she can give you any supporting documents.
I realize that this might be extreme and that some of your ailments have NOTHING to do with your quest, but you must remember that your final goal is to receive Disability.
Good luck and I hope this helps!
Ronnie (GINSBERGr)

GrandmaR oh my how that shi ngles must have hurt in the eye

@lioness
Hi!
It was really strange! I used to be an elementary school principal.
It was at the end of the day and my students were trying out for our yearly talent show.
I went into the all-purpose room (that is what they build now, a catch all room....lunchroom, gym and auditorium) to watch.
My vision was blurry and I had a headache over my brow.
I thought I was tired and that my allergies were bothersome.
I went home and I was OK.
The following day, I was driving to work when all of a sudden I felt my eyes crossing and I had to work hard to uncross them.
I got to work. Thank goodness it was around the corner from where I lived.
When I got to work, my eyes were blurry and I had a hard time focusing, even with my glasses.
Later on in the morning, I was walking down the hall and I felt my eyes crossing and I was not able to uncross them.
I made an emergency appointment to see the eye doctor.
He was the one who said he thought I had Shingles in my eyes.
No rash and not really painful, just blurry and weird.
He suggested I see my primary care doctor, which I did.
She was puzzled. I didn't have a rash. I did, however, have 2 little pimples behind my right ear that was irritated. I thought from my glasses.
She took a culture and told me to keep in contact with her.
The following day she was very worried and sent me for a brain scan. I was terrified.
When I got the call and they said everything was alright, I broke down and handed the phone to my hubby.
Things did not get any better for a couple of days so I was sent to an eye institute in Philadelphia.
They looked at all the scans and took a ton of blood.
They said I had 6th Nerve Palsy.
Two days later, the results from the culture...…..I had Shingles!
Apparently, the virus part (ONLY) of the Shingles went into the nerves of my eyes.
It took about 3 months for my eyes to straighten out. It made working difficult!
As a result, I have a difficult time tracking when I read, I lost some peripheral vision, and sometimes my eyes move involuntarily.
I am told that it is possible that the palsy can return, especially if I get another virus that goes into my eyes.

Interesting? Huh?
Have a pleasant evening!
Ronnie (GRANDMAr)

GrandmaR wow that is interesting I know some shingles come out others stay in the body Ive seen them out around ear,eyes but thats the first I heard of it being nerve palsy but you had no pain so was this related to bell,s palsy?I wonder My old pastors wife in Pa had bell,s palsy it affected her whole face on one side. Interesting I,ll have to read up on it ,google it .Im glad your o.k. now Since it affected your nerve do you have any nerve problems elsewhere you can relate to it.?

@lioness
What I had was not related to Bell's Palsy at all.
It was just the Shingle's virus that travelled to my eyes.
Other than the 2 little dots behind my ears, I didn't have any other spots and no breakouts anywhere else.
I don't know anyone else who had my experience.
Ronnie

Thank you! Those are great suggestions. I am a documentor and have been trying to get hold of my records. By the time I get done with gathering everything, I will have a 50 pound file. My PT told me last night that he thought the shot would not work and that I would need the surgery soon. Because of the insurance mishap, the shots have been delayed for a month and it looks like even longer after talking with the people who supply the meds. I have an interesting x-ray of the old knee. My PT told me I he thought I did not need an attorney because with both my knees, I should have no problem, but I feel better having someone who know what they are doing and is on my side. I also need to have my shoulder looked at. I have fallen and hurt it at least 3 times in the past 2 years, which the doctor said was because of my bad knees.