IRE

[nursedina]

I don't think I have a question as much as I have a comment. I had my IRE yesterday. I wasn't sure what to expect.

I live in Pa and had two fusions with permanent left foot drop . The neurologist had me walk up and down a hallway. Move my feet up and down and left and right and that was it. No bending over, etc....She asked me a few questions about my pain and sent me out the door. The whole appt lasted about 5 minutes. Shouldn't I have been asked to bend, twist etc??? I've had two back fusions and a spinal cord stimulator implanted.

I thought this was weird...but...whatever I guess. I'm starting to feel really out of control with all the comp stuff. I have an IME scheduled now for February. It has been 2 years and 4 months since my injury. I tried to go back to work once and made it two weeks before I was crying everyday in pain and even treid half days with no success.

I have lost my vehicle, might lose my house, I'm being sued for bills I can't pay. I'm ready to just give up. Although, I dont really know how to do that...lol....there's no way out of this mess once you're in it..because I know I can never make it through a normal day at any kind of job.

How did you all hold it together? I was hoping for a settlement to pay off back bills and my old car and then live off social security (I already get SS but it's not much since it's offset by comp)...but the insurance company refuses to settle.

So here I sit, being bounced from doctor to doctor. My neurosurgeon stated that my fusion is solid and my spine is in alignment so he says I should be fine. I'm not fine. The pain is every day, all day long, never any freedom from it.

Sorry to ramble, but only people here can understand what I am going through.

thanks for listening,

take care
Dina

[Bummer Knees]

nursedina

It is a common situation you are in for an injured worker. Many on this forum have lost everything they own while on work comp.

I remember a former member of this forum with a a spine injury posting about selling off his gun & knife collection so he could pay the bills. Another member posted about selling off her jewlery and some of her furniture for the same reason.

I cashed in a life insurance policy to pay my bills after I was first injured. I qualified for SSDI 2 years after I was injured and received my first check within 3 months after applying. Without the SSDI I would not have been able to pay my bills.

I've learned to cut expenses from the start, I only drive to town 1X a day to pickup my son from school and do the grocery shopping and other have-tos in the same trip to save on gas.
I read the newspaper online where it use to be delivered daily. After my family has left for the day for work/school I turn the lights off to save on the electricity bill.

I was fortunate in the fact that I had paid off my van the year before I was injured. That van is now 10 years old and will soon need replaced and that is something I am working on.
My mother-in-law lives in a retirement community and some of her neighbors are getting rid of their vehichles because they can no longer drive. The vehiches are used, but have low mileage and most are in good shape.

Good luck
Bummer Knees

[1171]

trying to cope and recover from serious injury can be very difficult mentally and emotionally. often times the body responds to prolonged pain by moving into a depressive state.
if you believe you have become depressed and need help contact your doctor about your feelings and behavior. get a referral for counseling before it becomes chronic.

[Bummer Knees]

Good advice 1171.

[1171]

I've come to think that awareness of our own mental & emotional state is like a fish trying to see water.
it takes a third party who's outside our experience to point it out to us; it's not something we can accurately judge for ourselves-let alone fix it on our own.

[Bummer Knees]

I can very much see how the pain levels affect depression. After the knee replacement & problems with scar tissue I battled depression. I am now coping with the cervical injury, high pain levels, facing neck surgery, and again depression is knocking at the door.

[1171]

this seems to be verified by many on this board:

"Chronic pain worsens as neurochemical changes in your body increase your sensitivity to pain. Then you begin to have pain in other parts of your body that do not normally hurt."


http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/de...ronic-pain

[aebailey4]

(01-11-2011 09:23 AM)nursedina Wrote:  Sorry to ramble, but only people here can understand what I am going through.

thanks for listening,

take care
Dina

IRE,
I am sooo sorry to hear what you are going thru. The Workers Comp system really sucks!
But, it's all we have. Not making excuses, just the reality of it.
I have been where you are and I wish I could say it gets better soon...but it probably won't. This forum is such a great help- Just to know others arefeeling the same things and contiuing to endure.
I thought it could never happen to a hard working person in US of A! it can and it does everyday. I also lost everything my wife and I had worked for our entire life. My job, My truck, our home. and that is just the material things...the emotional ones are harder to forget the pain.
Please, do not give up! There is life after BWC and your injurys.
Do not give them the satisfaction of giving up.
That's what they want...for you to crawl into a dark corner somewhere and cease to be a problem for them.
Hang in there and use this forum whenever you are at a low spot.
It will keep you sane!

[nursedina]

Thanks everyone. I'm trying so hard to stay positive. Chronic pain is a pain in the a$$. I used to be the strong one. Worked three jobs, going to graduate school, raising three kids, now I sit home and take pills and can't even afford to fill my propane tank.
I don't wanna get rich, I just want to settle enough to pay stuff I haven't paid in 2 years and get off this merry go round. But of course they won't settle so I'm stuck in the comp nightmare.
I hate seeing people who milk it, or lie about injuries. It makes me sick because peole like that make it hard for legitimate people who are really hurt to get what they deserve and to always be scrutinized. I have a back full of metal and wires and I still get dirty looks and get treated like a second class citizen when I use the words work mans comp.
They don't know me. I worked my ass off, put my kids through school, worked 3 jobs, even spent 4 years in e military at one point serving my country during desert storm. Im not a scum bag who is faking it.look at my damn X-rays. Ugh. Sorry once again for the rant. Boyfriend lost his job yesterday and it just added fuel to the already burning fire.<sigh>

Thanks for giving me a safe place ot vent.

-dina

[jayne]

Dina it doesnt stop when you settle......yes you take your settlement and pay some if your lucky all your bills.....but the pain never goes away...