Opinion ID: 3066184
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Garrison’s Testimony

Text: At the June 14, 2009 hearing, Garrison testified that she stopped working in April 2007 because she was “having problems with [her] back and [her] neck,” rising to the level 18 GARRISON V. COLVIN of “severe back pain.” She described her neck pain as a “real sharp, burning pain,” that grew worse when she slept wrong, picked stuff up, or bent over, and that radiated into her arms. She added that neither physical therapy nor injections had helped her neck pain; to the contrary, the neck injections had caused an allergic reaction that required hospitalization. She testified that her back pain is sharp, nagging, and constant, that it shoots down to the back sides of her legs, that she cannot bend down to lift or pick things up unless she is sitting, and that the pain is exacerbated by standing or sitting for more than 20 to 30 minutes. She added that the pain is often so bad that she must lie down every three to four hours, that she naps three hours per day because she is tired from the pain, and that the pain prohibits her from picking up her daughter, her laundry, or heavy bags of groceries. Garrison stated that physical therapy did not alleviate her back pain and that the epidural injections she had received helped for only a short while. She also stated that she had gained one hundred pounds from her medication. Turning to her mental impairments, Garrison testified, “I have a lot of anxiety” and “a lot of ups and downs and depression.” She stated that she experiences panic attacks that sometimes cause her to pass out, and that these attacks are triggered by tasks like grocery shopping alone. She avoids talking to people to prevent stress, occasionally experiences suicidal thoughts, and, when she is feeling depressed, spends days alone in her room with the light out. When she feels “up,” however, she cannot sleep for days at a time and experiences auditory hallucinations in which voices criticize her for ruining her life. Garrison noted that her “seizure” condition has improved somewhat since she started taking Prozac. GARRISON V. COLVIN 19 Garrison testified that her mother takes care of her, including taking her to church, to doctors, and to the grocery store, and doing her laundry. She stated that, although she can carry a five pound bag of potatoes, she cannot carry a ten pound bag (or a watermelon), and that she always carries the lightest groceries. Describing a typical day, Garrison stated: “Just get up, feed my daughter, call Griffey the turtle. Sometimes I water the plants. Get myself dressed, get her dressed. Then by the time lunchtime comes around, I’m down for a good two, three hours. And then I’ll get back up and make sure she’s had dinner. My mom watches her while I’m sleeping. I’ll make sure she has dinner, and then usually I’m back to sleep by 7:30, 8:00.”