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What to do if your doctor is not 100% on board

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    What to do if your doctor is not 100% on board

    Hi Everyone,
    I've had MS for 21 years now and I have lost a lot of functioning due to severe and frequent relapses. I have brain fog as well. However, because I am young, my doctor is not 100% on board, despite seeing how I struggle and I how I was let go from work and how I live in poverty. I need to apply for SSDI to get some kind of income but I'm afraid that my doctor might not support. As a matter of fact, I should have applied two years ago but because of my doctor I kept waiting and waiting. What should I do?
    Thanks so much for all your help.

    #2
    I am sorry to read about your struggles. I would talk to both your primary care physician and your neurologist. See if either, or both, of them are willing to help you make your claim. Hopefully one of them will see fit to help you.

    There is also a ton of good information about applying for SSDI right here: https://www.msworld.org/forum/forumd...ity-Disability

    I wish you well.

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      #3
      Your neurologist is the foundation of your claim, and the court should give his/her opinion great weight. It is very challenging to be successful in a claim without their support. There are three steps I would recommend.

      1. Ask the provider why he/she doesn't think SSDI is appropriate for you.
      Many providers are not well informed about the requirements for applying for disability. Relevant work for disability purposes does not include work with accommodations, and only includes full time work. For individuals over age 50, relevant work includes only one's past work and work on one's feet. For doctors who believe 'everyone can do something', such an opinion is not inconsistent with a successful disability claim.

      2. Consider if they see your condition and limitations differently than you do.
      In the course of seeing hundreds of patients, your provider may not have obtained or noted all of the relevant information for your claim. Additionally, many patients will downplay their limitations during visits (there are intrinsic difficulties with complaining and sharing personal issues with a stranger, even your doctor). You may need to reinforce these symptoms and limitations with your provider.

      3. If you and your doctor simply do not see your condition the same way, you should speak to your primary care physician and self-reflect, to better understand where the disconnect may be.
      You may want to consider seeking out a second neurological opinion if it appears that the error is not yours. You should only change providers as a last resort, however. Medical opinions should drive the legal opinions, not the other way around.

      Good luck!
      Attorney Jamie R. Hall's practice is focused on assisting individuals with claims and appeals for Social Security Disability and Long Term Disability benefits. He has assisted claimants nationwide, approximately half of whom are MS patients, from his Pennsylvania and Ohio locations. **No attorney/client relationship is created by this communication, and information provided herein is not a substitute for formal advisement.**

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