Projecting

For about the past two months, I've had the pleasure of working through our social security appeals backlog at work. I don't hate the cases, and I've gotten pretty good at determining if there is substantial evidence to support the ALJ's determination of the claimant's residual functional capacity or if there are jobs in significant numbers in the national economy that provide for the claimant's required sit/stand option.*

Anyway, it seems like all the plaintiffs are depressed, many are obese, and all have back or spine problems. I think that reading about back and spine problems for eight hours a day for the past two months has given me my own back and spine problems. And come to think of it, I feel a little sad too.

Seriously, my left shoulder and upper back were tight like a be-yotch for about a month. But, thanks to some yoga, a ridiculously expensive orthopedic pillow, and a therapeutic massage, things are looking up and my health has improved.

If I can do it, so can anyone. It doesn't matter if three of your vertebrae are fused, you have a BMI of 52, and you lack a 10th grade education. If you can work as an order puller** or as a surveillance systems monitor, legally you are not disabled. So get back to work.


*If this sentence makes no sense to you and you have worked in a court, then you probably referred the case to someone else to take care of it for you.

**I have no idea what this is. It isn't in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, but apparently there are significant numbers in the national economy (as of 1991) to constitute gainful employment in our 21st century economy.

I think this post might have been comprehensible (and funny) only to me and a certain other awesome law clerk.