Disability Due to Side Effects of Chemo

Hi Everyone!  This is kinda long . . . sorry about that.  I am wondering if anyone out there has navigated through social security disability and can give me some guidance.

I was laid off from my job (working as a legal assistant for 5 senior partners in a large law firm).  Three months later, I was diagnosed with Stage IIIc breast cancer and immediately began treatment. I have undergone 3 surgeries, chemo (ACT) and radiation.  As a result of the treatments, I am now dealing with a lot of side effects that are not going away.  I have neuropathy in both feet at the toes and balls of my feet, making it difficult to walk or stand for more than about 5 minutes at a time.  I also have neuropathy in my fingers and wrists in both hands, as well as arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis in both wrists, which makes it very difficult for me to use my hands for basic day to day activities.  Additionally, I have terrible burning sensations in the arm where the nodes were removed and my right hand will begin to swell immediately if I try to use it just to perform basic chores.  Add to this the standard issues with fatigue and chemo brain.  As a result, I am not able to perform the same job I had before all of this began. 

My oncologist listens sympathetically, but hasn't really been able to offer any relief.  I have been to an orthopedist for the wrist/hand issues and we have done the cortisone shots to no avail.  His only solution is to operate on the wrists, which for me is not an option at this point due to the lymphedema risk.

I went to see a neurolgoist who initially insisted that the neropathy could not possibly be caused by the taxol and there had to be some other explanation.  He put me on a horrible anti-depressant that is supposed to block the pain receptors caused by nerve damage.  All that did was give me terrible nightmares and cause me to be extremely exhausted to the point I could hardly walk.  He also put me on savilla which has caused me to have heart palpitations.  Neither of these drugs diminished the pain in my feet or hands. 

What is causing me a lot of anxiety is that the neurologist insisted on performing tests to "prove" I have neropathy.  I never asked him to prove this so I don't know why he was hell bent on "proving" this but according to him, the tests came back negative.  He did an EMG on my arm and leg which was excruciatingly painful and he said it was negative.  He then performed a skin biopsy on my hip and ankle and the test indicated no nerve damage.  (On a side note, he did not test the nerves in my feet or toes because he said that it is not done that way.  It does not make sense to me that the neuropathy in my toes would show up in my hip or ankle when they feel fine.)  So, at the end of all of this, he concluded that my symptoms are in line with the side effects of taxol and that all he can do for me at this point is increase the savilla prescription and see me again in two months.  At my last visit, the PA who was seeing me was not making a lot of eye contact with me and she seemed to be in a hurry to get me out of there. 

I am not happy with the neurologist and his conclusions.  All he has done is cause me physical pain and tell me that he can't prove I have neuropathy.  I have an appointment to see another neurologist next week, but at this point, I am worried that it is going to be a repeat of a bad experience.  My oncologist has no doubt I am going through this.  In fact, he stopped the taxol treatments before we were done because the neruopathy was so bad that it caused me to fall and end up in the emergency room with a back injury.  I have fallen several times and have documented my injuries from the falls.  My pcp told me to go ahead and file and they will fill out whatever forms I need. 

I have spoken with 2 disability attorneys.  One won't help me until I am turned down by Soc. Sec. which apparently is almost guaranteed on my first round.  The second attorney has indicated that the neurologist reports are going to be pivitol to my case.  So, now what do I do? 

Has anyone out there had to file disability due to neuropathy?  If so, can you give me some advice about how to handle the neurologist?  Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.