Payne v. Commissioner of Social Security

District Court, S.D. Ohio·Decided July 25, 2023·No. 3:22-cv-00290·Unknown

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO WESTERN DIVISION AT DAYTON

ROBERT P.,

Plaintiff, v. Civil Action 3:22-cv-290 Magistrate Judge Kimberly A. Jolson

COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SECURITY,

Defendant.

OPINION AND ORDER Plaintiff, Robert P. brings this action under 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) seeking review of a final decision of the Commissioner of Social Security (“Commissioner”) denying his application for Disability Insurance Benefits (“DIB”). For the reasons set forth below, the Court OVERRULES Plaintiff’s Amended Statement of Errors (Doc. 13) and AFFIRMS the Commissioner’s decision. I. BACKGROUND Plaintiff previously filed applications for DIB on August 23, 2010, January 30, 2014, and January 31, 2016. (R. at 18–19). The last application proceeded to an administrative hearing, and the Administrative Law Judge issued an unfavorable decision. (See R. at 68–93). Plaintiff protectively filed his current application for DIB on August 28, 2020, asserting disability beginning February 14, 2014, due to HIV, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, herniation of cervical intervertebral disc, myelopathy, diverticulitis, lumbar radiculopathy, depression, anxiety, and PTSD. (R. at 204–10, 229). After his application was denied initially in March 2021, and on reconsideration in May 2021, the Administrative Law Judge (the “ALJ”) held a telephone hearing on September 28, 2021, before issuing a decision denying Plaintiff’s application on October 15, 2021. (R. at 15–37). Plaintiff filed the instant case seeking a review of the Commissioner’s decision on October 14, 2022 (Doc. 1), and the Commissioner filed the administrative record on December 8, 2022 (Doc. 6). The matter has been briefed and is ripe for consideration. (Docs. 13, 14).

A. Relevant Hearing Testimony The ALJ summarized Plaintiff’s testimony from the administrative hearing as follows: At the September 2021 hearing, [Plaintiff] testified that his back pain is primarily focused on his neck, but can radiate throughout his spine and cause numbness, tingling, and pain in both his upper and lower extremities. I note that this is a not unusual symptom of degenerative spinal conditions. [ ] He can only stand for an hour and sit for twenty minutes before needing to change positions, spends “at least half the day,” or between six and eight hours, lying on a heating pad, and is unable to drive long distances, which he defined as over fifty miles, because of back spasms. [Plaintiff] has been recommended for spinal surgery, but has declined because of adverse effects from previous operations. He also has frequent bouts of nausea as a side effect of some of his HIV medications, which he can control with additional medications. Despite this, [Plaintiff] needs to use the restroom numerous times a day, and his digestive difficulties are exacerbated by both stress and medication usage.

(R. at 28–29, footnote removed).

B. Relevant Medical Evidence

The ALJ summarized the relevant medical records as to Plaintiff’s severe physical impairments as follows: The exertional, postural, climbing, and hazard exposure limitations noted above are based on [Plaintiff]’s degenerative disc disease, binary colic, and gastritis. In addition to medical evidence of record considered in the prior decision (see Exhibit B1A), [Plaintiff]’s degenerative disc disease is substantiated by numerous assessments between at least April 2018 and August 2021 by Dr. Proulx, who variously noted the presence of neck pain from chronic disc disease, chronic left- sided thoracic back pain, cervical disc herniation, and lumbar radiculopathy (see, for example, Exhibits B1F at 15, 22, 26, 29, 36, B6F at 3, 34). Dr. Swedberg noted an impression of neck and lower back pain in his February 2021 consultative examination report (Exhibit B4F at 9). As part of the consultative examination, Eric Brander, M.D., reviewed x-ray imaging and noted an impression of degenerative cervical changes (Id. at 11). In September 2021, Yungao Ding, M.D., reviewed CT scan results and repeated Dr. Brandser’s impression (Exhibit B8F at 3). Three days later, Jason E. Roberts, APRN, assessed [Plaintiff] with cervical disc herniation with radiculopathy (Exhibit B9F at 3).

[Plaintiff]’s digestive conditions are substantiated by medical evidence of record considered in the prior decision (see Exhibit B1A). In addition, Dr. Proulx variously noted the presence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with diarrhea, or IBS flares associated with [Plaintiff]’s mental impairments (see, for example, Exhibit B1F at 14, 30, 36).

(R. at 28). The prior ALJ, Stuart Adkins, summarized the relevant medical record as to Plaintiff’s gastrointestinal impairment in his October 24, 2018, administrative decision as follows: The record also demonstrates a longstanding history of gastrointestinal complaints, but the record does not support symptoms as intense, persistent, or limiting as alleged. In July 2015, [Plaintiff] reported to his primary care physician with complaints of vomiting and night sweats. He reported tenderness from his navel to groin that feels like a bruise but sometimes has shooting pain, particularly with bowel movements. He stated that he was having six to eight loose bowel movements per day with decreased appetite. On examination, the abdomen was soft and bowel sounds were normal. He exhibited no distension. There was tenderness in the epigastric area and suprapubic area but with no rebounding or guarding. August 2015 primary care notes show complaints of diarrhea and problems eating with concern about clostridium difficile, as he had it before. On examination, there was mild mid lower abdominal discomfort to palpation, but there was no mass felt and the abdomen was not distended. He also demonstrated positive bowel sounds. In November 2015, [Plaintiff] reported to the emergency room with heartburn and was diagnosed with reflux. His abdomen was soft, nondistended, and nontender throughout with present bowel sounds and no guarding or rebounding. He continued to complain of diarrhea throughout the record, but on examination, he generally presented with minimal tenderness to palpation in the left lower quadrant with no rebounding or guarding. In February 2016, [Plaintiff] complained of some burning type discomfort in the low abdomen and from below the umbilicus to the pubic bone. The abdomen was nontender to palpation. May 2016 primary care notes continue to reflect complaints of abdominal pain in the left upper quadrant and epigastric with cramps, chills, and diarrhea, and he was worried about diverticulitis. On examination, the abdomen had minimal tenderness in the bilateral lower quadrants with no rebounding or guarding and normal bowel sounds. December 2016 primary care notes reflect four bowel movements per day, but a "super juice" was helping with that. The abdomen was soft and nontender to palpation. March 2017 emergency room notes show complaints of lower right abdominal pain, chest pain, and frequent bowel movements. He was nauseated but did not vomit. On examination, [Plaintiff] had normal bowl sounds. His abdomen was soft with mild epigastric and right upper abdominal tenderness but with no rebounding, rigidity, guarding, or masses. He felt better with medication, and he was diagnosed with abdominal pain and gastritis. December 2017 primary care notes show that he was complaining of more diarrhea and heartburn. A fecal biome test did not show clostridium difficile, but he was lacking some good bacteria. He stated that he had a history of sludge in the gallbladder. There was right upper quadrant tenderness to palpation with guarding and a positive Murphy’s sign. His bowel sounds were hyperactive.

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Payne v. Commissioner of Social Security, (S.D. Ohio 2023).

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