Yesterday's appointment, summarized

[hummingwolf]

Do you know why you are here?
Here, sign this form and write today's date.
I won't tell you the date, that is part of my test.
You just gave the wrong answer.

So, tell me about your childhood.
How did you feel when your mother died?
When did your hair turn grey?
Have you ever colored it? Why or why not?
Why no makeup? Don't you use it?
What did you study in college? How long did you go?
What jobs have you had? Ah. And relationships? Oh.
Before you got sick, you'd read about your disease, yes? How many symptoms had you heard of before you got them? Oh? You got sick though you never heard of it before?
Are you sure?
Hmm. Maybe--
I'll give you three words: Door, green, Chicago.
Remember them and say them back to me.
What drugs do you take? Do you drink? Do you smoke? Do you love? Do you hurt? Do you eat enough?
Are you in pain now? How much? On a scale of one to ten--
Sit on that chair, maybe it will hurt you less.
What do you watch on TV? Do you ever watch the news?
Do you know who's our president?
Who's secretary of state?
Who was our last president? And the one before that?
Do you ever think about killing yourself?
And how serious were these thoughts? What did you do?
Are you a danger to yourself now? How can you be sure?
Do you get along with people? Do you talk to them often? Do you think they talk about you?
Did you ever get tested for--
or for--
or--
What were the words I gave you? Door, green, Chicago, good.
I think I've seen enough.

I think you tend to minimize your depression.
You're in more pain than you say you are.
Yes, you're sick and need some more tests--
But you could still be much happier, I think.
This drug might help, and this or this--if you find a way to get them.
I don't make the decisions, but I make a recommendation.
I hope they decide in your favor.

Comments

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

Well, I didn't have anyone else present, so she couldn't pull people in while I was there. Besides, the woman before me arrived 45 minutes late for her appointment and there was a bit of a rush as a result. I think the psych. had a lunch date or something. At least, unlike the doctor the SS people sent me to months ago, this woman knew what fibromyalgia is. She was skeptical at first that I'd actually developed all those symptoms before I'd ever heard of the disease, but she did know what the common symptoms are and why they pose problems. She does think I should get a neuropsychological evaluation done somewhere to find out if my cognitive symptoms really do fit an ADHD diagnosis or not, if for no other reason than that those results would be good to have on hand to show to Social Security.