So lost, trying to find a Oregon doctor that is helpfull

[Brad Browning]

I've been dealing with CFS for about 4 and a half years. I'm currently trying to get disability and I have no clue what is going on with the lawyer I hired, but I'm assuming a doctor that would back me might help my case.

I went to Kaiser for along time, but that didn't help much because most doctors just tried to give me antidepressants or suggest it was in my head. Finally I found a doctor that suggested I have CFS but that was where it stopped. No one wanted to help me in a legal case. If I even mentioned CFS and disability it seemed that the doctors wanted to run away.

Now I have Oregon Health Plan and I think it limits what doctors I can see.

My problem is that every doctor I ask to back me just says that they don't deal with disability cases. How do you find a doctor that will help? I assume a CFS specialist is about my only hope, but the only ones I found are N.D.'s and I know that my insurance doesn't cover those doctors. I feel like I'm so far up **** creek without a paddle. I'm in the appeal process for disability and I haven't had the energy to pursue anything lately.

Does anyone have any ideas that might help me?

 

[SOC]

I've been dealing with CFS for about 4 and a half years. I'm currently trying to get disability and I have no clue what is going on with the lawyer I hired, but I'm assuming a doctor that would back me might help my case.

I went to Kaiser for along time, but that didn't help much because most doctors just tried to give me antidepressants or suggest it was in my head. Finally I found a doctor that suggested I have CFS but that was where it stopped. No one wanted to help me in a legal case. If I even mentioned CFS and disability it seemed that the doctors wanted to run away.

Now I have Oregon Health Plan and I think it limits what doctors I can see.

My problem is that every doctor I ask to back me just says that they don't deal with disability cases. How do you find a doctor that will help? I assume a CFS specialist is about my only hope, but the only ones I found are N.D.'s and I know that my insurance doesn't cover those doctors. I feel like I'm so far up **** creek without a paddle. I'm in the appeal process for disability and I haven't had the energy to pursue anything lately.

Does anyone have any ideas that might help me?

You probably need to go see one of the top ME/CFS specialists. Unfortunately, there aren't many of them, and none are in Oregon. Otherwise you are just wasting your time, energy, and money on doctors who don't know anything about the illness and give you bad guidance.

A number of people here have had a CPET test done by someone knowledgeable about ME/CFS and used the results successfully to get disability. I haven't done that, so I can't help you there, but you could start a new thread in the Finances, Work, and Disability subforum asking for advice about using the CPET to get disability.

 

[minkeygirl]

It think you need to find a doc who will help you first. I see a Naturopath who is very sympathetic and knows what is what. I wouldn't even mention disability, just someone to treat you. Then when you find someone who knows how to help you, they just have forms to fill out.

What disability are you talking about? SSDI? something from work?

 

[WillowJ]

My problem is that every doctor I ask to back me just says that they don't deal with disability cases. How do you find a doctor that will help?

The main way docs help with disability is by carefully charting the impact the disease is having on your life. SSA says it is not the doctor's job to tell them, "this patient is disabled", because that's their job to decide. The doctor's job is to diagnose, find "medically determinable impairments", evidence of diseases processes (preferably related to a "medically determinable impairment") , and above all to chart the impact.

On the other hand, if the doc is cooperative, they can write a letter detailing in what ways you are affected. They will usually charge $200 or more for this. If you have an attorney, they can interview the doc, write the letter for them based on what they say, and then have the doc review and sign. This is recommended to avoid the doc saying "this condition tends to cause __", which is insufficient because what's wanted is "this particular patient has ___ ".

I would imagine private insurance might be similar? But I have no knowledge of that.