Disabled parking?

Sandi,
Ask your gp if you have one. I have a temporary placard. That is interesting since fibro is incurable, but whatever. Maybe your doctor is hesitant because the placards are misused. I swear I see people jump out of their cars and practically skip into a building sometimes. Then that leaves others hobbling and limping through the parking lot to get inside.

Funny you would talk about driving around campus. I did the exact same thing!! I would drive from one department to another because it was too hard to walk. One time a professor I know was behind me and I went the opposite way because I didn't want him to think I was lazy!! I have a cane, which actually does take the pressure off my feet and back.

I park in the disabled parking when I need it and park further away when I can. It may seem silly, but whenever I park in the disabled parking, I use my cane. For example, I use the placard when going to the grocery store. I feel ok going in (not skipping, though) :), but know coming out will be a problem. So I use my cane going in because I don't want people giving me funny looks!!

I hope you can get one. Maybe if you explain your situation and promise to use it only when needed?

Hi Sandi...just went through the same dilemma and finally, after falling twice in an icy parking lot with a grocery cart last winter I finally just asked my doctor for a temporay placard for the winter months.  He gave me a permanent one.  I guess it depends on the doctor but mine did it without hesitation.  And...I was embarrassed to use it also because I can look fine getting out of the car but sometimes I can hardly make it back.  If I can walk, I don't use it.  I never abuse it and am glad I have it for those days I just can't 'do it.'

Fibro is a non discriminating, equal opportunity disorder...so don't even think about your age!

Donna

like vestabula said, your age doesn't matter, i'm only 22 and I know how you feel. I went to a community college for a while and it was on a hill and getting up to my classes every day was a chore. Like the others have said, all you can do is ask your doctor.

Hi Sandi,

First of all, do NOT be ashamed, and yes, you do definitely deserve a handicapped placard! I'm going to share my story in case it helps you to know you're not alone, and also to let you know that you need to stand up for yourself and do whatever it takes to get some relief from the pain! No one can be at their peak level of performance as a human being in severe pain...you are a college student; you must be at your best! Those of us with fibro must find ways to deal with and reduce the pain, even if we cannot eliminate it.

My experience is that it does depend on the doctor. In early 2008 I was having exactly the same severe back pain after walking from my office to the parking garage at my day job, and from the classroom where I taught to the parking lot at my part-time job. I would get to my car and get in and just sit there and cry, because I was in such agony. It sometimes took 10-20 minutes of recovery before I could drive.

My primary care physician seemed to believe me to a certain extent, but she also seemed to think I was exaggerating. She refused to give me a handicapped placard because they x-rayed my back and couldn't find anything wrong with me!

My only known health issues at that point in time were Hashimoto's thyroiditis, asthma, and mild plaque psoriasis. This was prior to an avalanche of diagnoses that began in late spring 2008 with autoimmune hepatitis, fibromyalgia, and rheumatoid arthritis, and continued into fall 2008 with celiac disease and more recently (last week) a firm dx of SLE (lupus).

Along the way I have acquired a LOT more doctors, including a neurologist, rheumatologist, gastroenterologist, and hepatologist. I'm actually on my 3rd rheumy because the first two didn't listen to me very well. Are you able to change doctors? It sounds like you might need a new one too!

In my case, I ended up needing a wheelchair because my back pain became so intense that after a while I was only able to stand and walk for very short times/distances. I couldn't even cook for my family because I couldn't stand long enough. Again my PCP was very unhelpful....she got me a manual chair that I could not use because of the pain in my hands, arms and shoulders. She merely shrugged and said that "as long as you can walk around in your house even a little bit, your insurance will NOT pay for a power chair".

So I bought myself a power chair, plus had a lift installed on the back of my Ford Escape Hybrid....$6000 out of pocket! Fortunately my neurologist was very sympathetic and immediately helped me get a permanent handicapped placard.

I now have a new PCP, who is very good at listening; it's much less stressful now going to my appointments, knowing that all of my doctors believe what I'm telling them!

I hope you can get this worked out....you need that placard!

Good luck!!
JoAnn

Sandi, thanks for posting your question, I was going to post something about the same. After I had knee surgery I had a temporary one and one of the people processing my request at the doc's made me feel so bad when I was getting the placard. She said they don't encourage people to get them because "it encourages laziness.' I was using a cane on good days and crutches on bad, and I was so ashamed I thought I would cry. I am still going to go back and get another one because I am starting to have really bad days with the cold weather changing, and am having trouble walking 200' to the grocery store entrance. I have to put on my Fierce and Determined Hat though when I go back and get the placard because I am so tired of people making me feel bad for having fibro. I struggle with that sometimes when I'm overtired. I know exactly how you feel.