My husband is a carpenter and fell off a roof when he was younger, breaking his back, cracking his skull and shattering the bones in his face, requiring constructive surgery.

He now suffers from severe headaches amd arthritis, which he believes is related to this accident, and his symptoms have progressively worsened over the years. Arthritis also runs in his family. The arthritis in his back even showed up in an x-ray that was done on him when he was in a car accident a few years ago.

He applied for disability, they sent him to a doctor, and all she did, other the regular checkup routine, was make him bend in odd positions, touch his toes, walk in a straight line with one foot in front of the other, etc. She had supposedly reviewed his medical records from the accident also.

A few weeks after that he got a letter saying he had been denied. What should be our next step? Would it be worth it to consult a lawyer?

Any input or advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

Here are my most major symptoms, and I’m not sure if they are connected, but I thought I would throw them out there, and maybe someone can connect the dots…

I feel achy. There are few days when I can say nothing hurts. Keep in mind I’m only 21. Lately my biggest ones have been my neck and side (my right side, the pain comes most often when I’m driving). The side pain and near constant neck pain is a fairly new issue compared to the others.

I sometimes get very bad abdominal pain. It usually happens 30 minutes to a few hours after eating. It lasts a few hours. It doesn’t happen every time. It seems to *sometimes* be worse after fatty, cheesy, or meaty foods, but it doesn’t happen every time I eat these foods. The more time that goes by, the more frequent this is becoming. It radiates and isn’t in a constant spot, but mostly centers about middle of my stomach, to my left (if someone were looking at me, it would be their right). It is so bad that I sometimes cry over it. Passing gas doesn’t provide relief.

When I stand up from a sitting positon, about 20% of the time my head goes “fuzzy”, my vision goes black and I fall down.

I have pretty frequent diarreah. It’s not all the time, or even every day, but it’s enough that I don’t think it’s a normal amount. The color is very dark brown (sorry for that info )

I sometimes have bouts of constipation. The consted feeling goes with the abdominal pain, but then later I get diarreah… in otherwords, it feels like I really have to “go” but I can’t until a few hours later when I have lots of diarreah.

I have had two episodes where there was blood in my stool.

In an average day I have a BM nearly every time I go to the restroom, but it is rarely “together”, usually soft pellet-like (sorry again for that information!).
I flush. It happens when I’m embarassed. It happens when I’m *cough* aroused. It happens when I drink (I don’t drink anymore). It happens sometimes for no apparant reason. The flushing is is big splotches, not all over. It is mostly on my neck/jaw and chest. Sometimes I get it on my cheeks. It’s very embarassing. I’ve been told by friends that maybe it’s rosacea, but it doesn’t look quite like the pictures I’m seeing.

My hands hurt. It feels like arthritis. It happens more in cold weather. My joints in my hands hurt. Sometimes it is so bad I can’t drive. It doesn’t happen all the time, it comes and goes.

I’ve struggled with depression for years.

It doesn’t happen as much now as it used to, but I get heart flutters. It feels like a panic attack, but only physically and for no apparant reason.

I’ve struggled with chest pain that comes out of the blue for seemingly no reason. I’ve been to the ER three times thinking I was having a heart attack, but they perform tests and never find anything.

I think those are the main ones.
I’ve been to the docs but they keep telling me it’s probably IBS, which I take as their way of saying, “We don’t know, so take a pill”. The pills don’t help. I’ve had a colonoscopy that didn’t find anything.

Someone help me. Throw out a condition that I can look up and see if it sounds like me so I can ask my doctors to test for something specific!

My dog is an English Pointer who is 12 years-old. She is a healthy dog, but has had arthritis for the past year. Lately she has been having difficulty getting up and sitting down. She has also been getting tired a lot quicker when I walk her.

Every time she tries to stand up her hind legs give out and she falls. My parents can’t afford to taker her to the vet… what can I do for her?!
It’s not my fault! I am a teenager and don’t have any money. We’re about to lose our house as it is. It’s my parents who I need to convince…

I am 19, I have psoriatic arthritis and have been sexually active but not recently and clean of any std’s however i have these symptoms…
vaginal swollen and tender feeling and red and burning sensation that makes my whole body cringe. veryyy uncomfortable especially since its almost all the time. it doesnt hurt that much when i go to the bathroom but it doesnt feel good either. what can this be?! its been about 2 weeks now with all these symptoms.

I volunteer at a shelter. I walked to a dog I normally see and the dog was laying down and looked exhausted. I got the dog out of the kennel and walked him outside. I pet him and he started whining. I decided to head back and he set down, not moving. He looked a little out of it. Afterwards he laid down and stared off before closing his eyes. I ran to the shelter staff and all they said was the dog must have had arthritis. I wondered if it was a seizure, but I don’t know! I kept telling them I did not think it was just arthritis. Please help, what does it sound like to you???
I got him back in the kennel and he still looked bad. Can arthritis REALLY do all of this? The closing of the eyes and glazed look is what really worried me
The dog is old and has been there a long time. The weather has been changing a lot which is what the excuse was from the staff. I did report it in writing so hopefully it will be looked at. All they wanted to do was tell the vet that his leg hurt.
I thought the dog was dieing, I started crying and I got repremanded saying I shouldn’t have kept walking him (which I didn’t, he went inside right away.) I’ve never heard of a dog just randomly doing this. I walked him YESTERDAY and he was fine.
Thank you all that responded so far. I suspect there is something serious wrong with him, too. I am concerned they will put him down, even though it is a shelter that is not known for doing that — they will sometimes. I would take the dog, but am unable to at this time. If there is something massive wrong with him I couldn’t afford to get him expensive treatments (which is a major reason I have not tried) I have tried to get him adopted, but he doesn’t show well because he barks a lot
Also, I walk him once when I go. It isn’t very far and he never acted like this. To my knowledge no other staff or volunteers with the exception of one other person walks him.
We had an outbreak of distemper at the shelter could it be that?

My dog is old and for some reason he is acting like he has arthritis, its something to watch him try to get around, someone told me its cause wennie dogs have back problems, just wondering if anyone else’s dog might do the same thing, I dont know what to do with him…

4. The first step in handling stress is
A. removing all stressors from your environment.
B. becoming aware of your own reaction to it.
C. trying to relax through meditation techniques.
D. catching up on missed sleep.
5. What is the purpose of breathing exercises?
A. To release endorphins
B. To release adrenaline
C. To settle the body and mind
D. To decrease your sense of awareness
6. Which one of the following choices is a mental symptom of distress?
A. Sleep disorders C. Memory loss
B. Hallucinations D. High self-esteem

What does the acronym HALT stand for?
A. Hungry, angry, lonely, tired
B. High-strung, anxious, labored, tense
C. Healthy, active, lean, toned
D. Help, avoid, learn, talk
8. Eustress is a form of
A. estrogen. C. positive stress.
B. negative stress. D. endorphin.
9. How often should you use deep, relaxing breathing techniques?
A. Every day
B. Only during periods of stress
C. No more than twice a day
D. Only when you’ve gotten enough sleep
10. Which one of the following symptoms indicates that a person is in the alarm stage
of stress?
A. High level of concentration C. Blurred vision
B. Hyperventilation D. Racing heartbeat

11. What is the purpose of the mantra during meditation?
A. It lets everyone know you’re meditating.
B. It allows you to concentrate on one peaceful sound.
C. It helps to relax the muscles.
D. It helps to release endorphins.
12. Which one of the following choices best represents a potential stressor?
A. A surprise gift C. A long-awaited salary raise
B. An unexpected visit D. A decrease in gas prices
13. How can doing something for someone else help to relieve stress?
A. It helps you to sleep better.
B. It helps you become numb to social issues.
C. It can get you time off from work or school.
D. It gets your mind off your own troubles.
14. How can you reduce the stress of completing a project?
A. Put off the project until the last minute.
B. Work on the project well into the night.
C. Take a break from the project when you need it.
D. Devote at least eight hours a day to the project.
15. Which of the following physiological symptoms are signs of stress?
A. Arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome
B. Hearing and vision loss
C. Dental cavities and bone loss
D. Headaches and elevated blood pressure
16. When should you suggest a client use progressive muscle relaxation?
A. Before the client begins an intense exercise routine
B. When the client is stressed while driving
C. After the client eats a large meal
D. When the client is having trouble relaxing
17. How does regular exercise improve cardiovascular function during times of stress?
A. It increases oxygen supplies and lowers triglyceride levels.
B. It reduces the amount of endorphins released in the body.
C. It reduces carbon dioxide supplies and raises triglyceride levels.
D. It increases the level of hormones circulating in the body.
18. Distress is a form of
A. disease. C. positive stress.
B. negative stress. D. expected stress.

19. Which one of the following choices might be an appropriate image for visualization?
A. The pet you had as a child
B. A picture of a favorite relative from the past
C. A car driven very fast
D. A beach at low tide
20. What nutritional supplement is recommended for helping the body handle stress?
A. Iron
B. Zinc
C. Vitamin C
D. No supplements are recommended for stress management.

1. Which one of the following chemicals does the body
generate during regular exercise?
A. Adrenaline C. Endorphins
B. Sodium chloride D. Estrogen

2. Which one of the following choices would indicate that a
person has entered the exhaustion stage of stress?
A. A cold that doesn’t seem to go away
B. Crying at a sad movie
C. Visiting with friends
D. Exercising more than usual

3. How does visualization promote relaxation and stress reduction?
A. It encourages your friends and family to stay away.
B. It enables you to make the world “go away” for awhile.
C. It produces helpful chemicals in your muscles.
D. It reminds you of other tasks you need to complete.

4. The first step in handling stress is
A. removing all stressors from your environment.
B. becoming aware of your own reaction to it.
C. trying to relax through meditation techniques.
D. catching up on missed sleep.

5. What is the purpose of breathing exercises?
A. To release endorphins
B. To release adrenaline
C. To settle the body and mind
D. To decrease your sense of awareness

6. Which one of the following choices is a mental symptom of distress?
A. Sleep disorders C. Memory loss
B. Hallucinations D. High self-esteem

7. What does the acronym HALT stand for?
A. Hungry, angry, lonely, tired
B. High-strung, anxious, labored, tense
C. Healthy, active, lean, toned
D. Help, avoid, learn, talk

8. Eustress is a form of
A. estrogen. C. positive stress.
B. negative stress. D. endorphin.

9. How often should you use deep, relaxing breathing techniques?
A. Every day
B. Only during periods of stress
C. No more than twice a day
D. Only when you’ve gotten enough sleep

10. Which one of the following symptoms indicates that a person is in the alarm stage
of stress?
A. High level of concentration C. Blurred vision
B. Hyperventilation D. Racing heartbeat

11. What is the purpose of the mantra during meditation?
A. It lets everyone know you’re meditating.
B. It allows you to concentrate on one peaceful sound.
C. It helps to relax the muscles.
D. It helps to release endorphins.

12. Which one of the following choices best represents a potential stressor?
A. A surprise gift C. A long-awaited salary raise
B. An unexpected visit D. A decrease in gas prices

13. How can doing something for someone else help to relieve stress?
A. It helps you to sleep better.
B. It helps you become numb to social issues.
C. It can get you time off from work or school.
D. It gets your mind off your own troubles.

14. How can you reduce the stress of completing a project?
A. Put off the project until the last minute.
B. Work on the project well into the night.
C. Take a break from the project when you need it.
D. Devote at least eight hours a day to the project.

15. Which of the following physiological symptoms are signs of stress?
A. Arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome
B. Hearing and vision loss
C. Dental cavities and bone loss
D. Headaches and elevated blood pressure

16. When should you suggest a client use progressive muscle relaxation?
A. Before the client begins an intense exercise routine
B. When the client is stressed while driving
C. After the client eats a large meal
D. When the client is having trouble relaxing

17. How does regular exercise improve cardiovascular function during times of stress?
A. It increases oxygen supplies and lowers triglyceride levels.
B. It reduces the amount of endorphins released in the body.
C. It reduces carbon dioxide supplies and raises triglyceride levels.
D. It increases the level of hormones circulating in the body.

18. Distress is a form of
A. disease. C. positive stress.
B. negative stress. D. expected stress.

19. Which one of the following choices might be an appropriate image for visualization?
A. The pet you had as a child
B. A picture of a favorite relative from the past
C. A car driven very fast
D. A beach at low tide

20. What nutritional supplement is recommended for helping the body handle stress?
A. Iron
B. Zinc
C. Vitamin C
D. No supplements are recommended for stress management.

i have been feeling ill for quite awhile, i was dx with fibromyalgia about 2 years ago, the drs. knew i had some form of auto immune disorder but havent aggressivly searched for anything, recently had a bone scan done and shown that in shoulders, elbows wrists, knees, there was evidence of degeneritive arothopy, my pain mgt. dr. advised me to go to a rheumy. i got in with in 1 week, this should of been my first clue, the dr spent less then 10 mins with me , but did order blood work, on my ana 12 profile it came back positive, speckled, and the titerwas 1:40 my complement c4 was 15. my cardiolipin was18.6 anti-ds dna ab by farr was 2.8, anion gap 19.0 and rdw was 15.9and my crp was 11.4, my question is i have suspected that i have had lupus for awhile, i have all the classic symptoms, but my first visit with the rheumy, he automaticly without haveing any previous history said i dont think you have lupus or rheumotoid arthritis, and without seeing blood work, does anyone have any answer

I’m pretty sure it’s just arthritis, but my dog is really sore and he can barely move. If he tries to stand up he starts whimpering. It’s so sad I want to help him, but I don’t think there’s much I can do. Can I give him ibuprofen or something?

if you need to know he’s a 10 year old, soft coated wheaten terrier.
I did massage him, and I’m going to wait another day or so before I take him to the vet. the vet usually says there’s nothing I can do that’ll be $5,000. and the ibuprofen I guessed he probably wouldn’t be able to take it but I just wanted to make sure