Geeze, My Butt Hurts!

by Sue Slunaker
(Gilbert, AZ)

Well not really, but anyway, I guess it's really considered sciatica, but it feels like my left butt cheek and down my leg, and it HURTS! (Sorry if I offended anyone by describing my pain in this manner, but this is what it's really like).

My story:

In October of 2001 I had a back surgery for the usual, herniated disc. Well, after the surgery I continued to have back pain, so the doctor decided that I needed an additional surgery because "there must still be a bit of a bulge." So I had surgery #2 in December of 2001. After healing from the surgery, I went back to work on January 7th.

The evening of January 13th, 2001, there was a snow/ice storm and when I went to work on the 14th, I fell on the ice on the sidewalk at work. Needless to say, I re-injured my back.

This story could go on and on, but after 7 back surgeries, including spinal fusion, 2 surgeries to remove the metal brackets from the fusion, injections, physical therapy, every pain medication known to the medical profession (at least that is what it felt like), spinal cord stimulator implant, lead replacement surgery for the implant...

I'm at a place where there just are no more surgeries to fix what I have. I guess it's considered "failed back syndrome".

I'm on medication for pain, medication to help the medication for pain, medication to help keep me awake, and medication for depression.

I can't stand, sit, or walk for any length of time, so I spend a lot of time either laying in bed or sitting in a recliner.

I always heard that a person had to be on their death bed before they could get Social Security Disability Benefits, so I never even applied before 2007.

I tried to work at various jobs, but because of the medication, I can’t focus, but worst of all, whenever I drive more than a couple blocks, I fall asleep behind the wheel. We used to have to drive 13 miles on a single lane road, and I’ve fallen asleep driving to work on that road. I’ve also fallen asleep behind the wheel on a major freeway. I must say, that God must have been with me that time, because I don’t know what woke me up, I’m just thankful that I woke up!

One day when I got to work, I got out of my car, locked it, and went into work. A couple hours later a co-worker came up to me and told me that there was a car running in the employee parking lot, and that the keys were in it, but the doors were locked.

Yup, that's me! That's how my brain works on the medication. I locked my car, went into work, and left it running! I had to call my husband to bring his keys so I could shut off the car!

In 2004 I finally pretty much gave up working, other than trying some work from home things that were just gimmicks.

We’ve lost two homes, and we’re driving 13+ year old cars, simply because it’s almost impossible to survive on 1 income. wah, wah, wah. I know that so many of you have much worse problems than I do, and I’m not putting this in for your sympathy, it’s just to state the facts.

Finally a friend of mine told me about one of her relatives that was receiving Social Security Disability Benefits because of depression. She couldn’t believe that I hadn’t applied.

Needless to say, I finally broke down and applied, but unfortunately, I applied prior to finding out about the Disability Digest. Thankfully, I managed to find Brian and the Digest prior to receiving my first denial letter. By the time I received my denial, I had spent a great deal of time at the website and Brian had also already given me the name of an attorney to work with. So, now I have help with my fight!

Brian said that the attorney would not take my case if they didn’t think they could win, and he told me that these attorneys’s had a 92% success rating.

Just because I don't look disabled, and I can move around normally, most people don't believe that I am truly disabled. But, anyone that has to take so much medication just to survive on a daily basis is truly disabled, in my book.

Well, that's my story, my butt hurts, the stimulator doesn't work and I think I need to go lay down.

May God Bless all of you.
Sue