When the lovely doctor asked me what my daily MS symptoms are I said word finding was at the top of the list. She said that I should consider a Neuropsych test in the next year or so. The purpose is to get a baseline of cognitive abilities now. I hadn’t really heard of such a thing before so that was interesting. The basic thought on the matter is:
Lets say you have a relapse and you are unable to do your job. You look toward SSDI however your test show that you have average cognitive abilities. SSDI might deny you saying that you are still average and capable of working. The problem is, my job takes more than average abilities (right now, I just fake it well :)).
If I have a baseline saying I started all the way up there… (haha!) and now I have dropped down a bunch then I have a reason for needing public assistance.
I am not going to rush out and do it but I will certainly put it on my schedule for late 2009/early 2010.
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4 responses so far ↓
1 Patti // Jan 14, 2009 at 2:44 am
And I thought it was just my age that made me forget words! Guess maybe it’s a combination of both but who knows. I guess it’s just different here in the U.K. because they tend to do absolutely nothing. Glad you are being seen to so well. Love to your Mom xxx
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2 Seattle Programmer // Jan 15, 2009 at 6:37 am
Certainly true! However we cannot tell good from the bad. Is it better to sit in front of a computer and do mundane programming or whether to work in a Deli shop standing all the time. Time would answer.
Meanwhile, how is this new year treating you?
[Reply]
ninareply on January 16th, 2009 9:05 am
The new year is good. Can’t wait to ship my current project though!
How about you?
[Reply]
3 Vickie // Feb 1, 2009 at 12:49 pm
I am new to your blog and wanted to take a moment and comment on this post. When I first begin to notice a few changes in my cognitive abilities after I had been diagnosed with MS my neurologist recommended I have a baseline evaluation and testing by neuropsych—I am so glad I did so because it was the deciding factor that won my case for ths SSDI three years later. My disease progressed and I knew I had to make the decision to retire for medical reasons or I might end up being terminated for poor performances—–I had a second neuro psych test which showed the tremendous cogitative decline and won my case on appeal using that. So pleas do put this off very long.
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