New find of CRPS after Final Admission of Liability

[lefty]

Hi from CO. Just looking for your opinion on something.

My injury was in 2008, left upper extremity, had two surgeries, last being Feb, 2010.

I reached, MMI in May, got final admission of liability (sorry for the spelling).

I was placed in the maintenance program by w/c pain doctor, for continued PT, and medications. My restrictions are, nothing repeative with left hand and arm, can only work sitting down, no lifting over 15lbs.

July I was dx with CRPS by my private doctor, two hand and arm specialist surgeons one being the operating surgeon, and also by the w/c pain doctor who did (2) nerve blocks for left extremity since then, the last being this month. Now this disease has spread to right hand as well. It is prohibiting me from much needed further surgery...painful plates/screws removed, cubital tunnel release. My blood pressure has been so out of control (high) since the injury that my private doctor has changed my medications five times, and now thinks I need to have my renal arties explored for stenosis. But with this CRPS how can I...I don't want to stroke out. Two years with extreme high blood pressure, sight failing, at times PT unable to give warm water therapy because of the high pressure, my near passing out in the water and constant pain is more than i can stand!

W/C keeps denying certain medications from the w/c pain doctor that would help...so I will give that information to my attorney.

Does this mean that w/c possibly will start my case all over with this new finding of CRPS? And if so what does starting over mean?

Yes, I have an attorney, but I was just looking for opinions from the community. The attorney has objected to the MMI already, and wants me to file for SSDI, which is a very good idea!

[1171]

sounds like a few issues remain:
is the CRPS industrial
were you MMI in may
are you MMI now.

i don't know what "starting over" means to you.
(i doubt they'll return you to work just to see if there is another work injury..)

they or you can dispute any or all of those issues at any time if they have evidence to the contrary.
new conditions and situations and benefits are judged on their own and aren't bound by prior decisions on different issues. obviously CRPS is a different condition then an upper extremity work injury.

[jayne]

sounds like your Lawyer is earning his keep...SSDI is a good idea it will give you added income and start your medicare clock......it will also protect you in a settlement making sure they put enough in a setaside for you....CRPS is a nasty thing to have good luck...

[lefty]

1171 Wrote:sounds like a few issues remain:
is the CRPS industrial
were you MMI in may
are you MMI now.

i don't know what "starting over" means to you.
(i doubt they'll return you to work just to see if there is another work injury..)

they or you can dispute any or all of those issues at any time if they have evidence to the contrary.
new conditions and situations and benefits are judged on their own and aren't bound by prior decisions on different issues. obviously CRPS is a different condition then an upper extremity work injury.

Yes CRPS is industrial, (or maybe I should as "you" what industrial means) and I am still at MMI as far as I know, and I was terminated in June. By way of my attorney will have settlement conference in January. Will be seeing a Dime (via attorney which I paid for) in December. Settling at this point, is not in the picture for me!! I'm 52 with a lot of issues going on. I was 49 with a bright furture in Radiology when it all started...damn!!!!!!!!!!! Now I can barely complete a sentence, reminber what happen three minutes prior, and I didn't even want to talk about relationships!!!!!!!!!!

[UndercovrAngel]

Lefty,

I am sorry to hear about the DX for RSD/CRPS. I was diagnosed with this in my right foot after tarsal tunnel surgery in October of 2007. It has now spread from my toes to my hip and "mirrored" into my left leg, from toes to hip. I am waiting to get my medicare in Feb. 2011 so I can return to my pain management Dr to see if it has also spread to my right arm from shoulder to fingers since my WC injury in 2008.

Surgery is possible with RSD/CRPS, as long as you have an anethiesiologist that is familiar with the disease and is willing to do blocks before, during and after the surgery. And it isn't a given that the disease will spread because of surgery.

WC is very good at denying RSD/CRPS exists, so you may have a very long uphill battle proving that it was caused by your injury. However, once/if accepted, about all WC will do is cover treatment and medications. Though they may deny some meds as they are/can be prescribed for out of formula useage. If your attorney is worth anything, he will fight to get them accepted. It may also take a letter from your prescribing/treating Dr to get them accepted. I had that problem when my pain management Dr put me on morphine. Eventually the insurance company (health not WC) accepted his reasonings and I was on morphine for over a year before losing my private insurance.

Hopefully, your Dr's have you on some form of anti-depressant, as this will help with your anxiety over this issue, and hopefully help to get your blood pressure under control. Stress plays a big part in adding to the pain that those of us with this disease experience. I have been without medical care since I lost my insurance in February 09. I have found that deep breathing, in through the nose and out through the mouth when totally stressed out, aids a great deal in bringing my pain level down. Also, avoiding food/drink that contain caffiene and chocolate helps in keeping pain down.

I am including a good website that has a lot of good information regarding RSD/CRPS on it. I hope that you have a good pain management Dr that is willing to work with you on finding the right mix of medications to help you deal with this disease. Unfortunately, it is one of those hidden diseases that is so hard to explain to others. But I generally tell people that it is a cronic pain disease that has rewired my brain into thinking that I am in pain 24/7, and that on the pain scale, this is the only disease that rates higher than cancer. I get a lot of strange/angry looks when I get out of my car in a handicap parking space and have it look like nothing is wrong with me.

Here is the website

http://www.rsdhope.org/

I hope that it will be of some help to you. Also, if you have any more questions, feel free to either pm me or send me an email.

Angel ^j^

[lefty]

UndercovrAngel Wrote:Lefty,

I am sorry to hear about the DX for RSD/CRPS. I was diagnosed with this in my right foot after tarsal tunnel surgery in October of 2007. It has now spread from my toes to my hip and "mirrored" into my left leg, from toes to hip. I am waiting to get my medicare in Feb. 2011 so I can return to my pain management Dr to see if it has also spread to my right arm from shoulder to fingers since my WC injury in 2008.

Surgery is possible with RSD/CRPS, as long as you have an anethiesiologist that is familiar with the disease and is willing to do blocks before, during and after the surgery. And it isn't a given that the disease will spread because of surgery.

WC is very good at denying RSD/CRPS exists, so you may have a very long uphill battle proving that it was caused by your injury. However, once/if accepted, about all WC will do is cover treatment and medications. Though they may deny some meds as they are/can be prescribed for out of formula useage. If your attorney is worth anything, he will fight to get them accepted. It may also take a letter from your prescribing/treating Dr to get them accepted. I had that problem when my pain management Dr put me on morphine. Eventually the insurance company (health not WC) accepted his reasonings and I was on morphine for over a year before losing my private insurance.

Hopefully, your Dr's have you on some form of anti-depressant, as this will help with your anxiety over this issue, and hopefully help to get your blood pressure under control. Stress plays a big part in adding to the pain that those of us with this disease experience. I have been without medical care since I lost my insurance in February 09. I have found that deep breathing, in through the nose and out through the mouth when totally stressed out, aids a great deal in bringing my pain level down. Also, avoiding food/drink that contain caffiene and chocolate helps in keeping pain down.

I am including a good website that has a lot of good information regarding RSD/CRPS on it. I hope that you have a good pain management Dr that is willing to work with you on finding the right mix of medications to help you deal with this disease. Unfortunately, it is one of those hidden diseases that is so hard to explain to others. But I generally tell people that it is a cronic pain disease that has rewired my brain into thinking that I am in pain 24/7, and that on the pain scale, this is the only disease that rates higher than cancer. I get a lot of strange/angry looks when I get out of my car in a handicap parking space and have it look like nothing is wrong with me.

Here is the website

http://www.rsdhope.org/

I hope that it will be of some help to you. Also, if you have any more questions, feel free to either pm me or send me an email.

Angel ^j^

Angel, I thank God that you took the time to read my post! You've given me a lot to consider, a lot to think about, a lot to pray about. One of the medications that I'm on is Ultram...lol I'd rather be eating candy for all the good it does. I had my secon block last Thursday, and for the most part it did well. I had three to four days of no pain. Then the monster can back just to let me know that it wasn't gone, but just buying time. Since the block I've had half of days with little to pain, to pain ranging to plus eight and higher.

Angel, I want to ask you this question. Does CRPS effect old injuries? What I mean is that I had an injury of my low back sicatic nerve in 1998, and now I can't walk more than three feet before I get extremine pain, and burning in my back down my thigh!!!!!!!!!! I can barely left my right leg to walk! My God this is in a word (hell) to walk!!!!!

Angel no one has sat me dow to tell me what to expect. Everything I've learn has come from this community, or internet.
I saw an attorney for SSDI today, as requested by my attorney.
Talking to her made me even more realize how (jacked-up) I really am. I not use to this kind of thing, I'm a up beat out going and always willing to learn more about medicine, from being in the medical field since 1977. Now I'm lucky if I can remember any of it. Sorry to ramble Angel, but I am so sick of this W/C stuff. I am a fighter, and they are in for the fight of the century!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just wanted to know was with this new dx will w/c start my case over again, and if so what does that mean?

Lefty
God bless you Angel.

[lefty]

jayne Wrote:sounds like your Lawyer is earning his keep...SSDI is a good idea it will give you added income and start your medicare clock......it will also protect you in a settlement making sure they put enough in a setaside for you....CRPS is a nasty thing to have good luck...

Jayne, how are you? Thanks for getting back to me. One question Hon, what did you mean by added income...right now I'm getting unemployment. And yes, I make sure I get what I'm paying for from my attorney. But she's really been great anyway, but I still keep myself up to date on what's going on!

[lefty]

1171 Wrote:sounds like a few issues remain:
is the CRPS industrial
were you MMI in may
are you MMI now.

i don't know what "starting over" means to you.
(i doubt they'll return you to work just to see if there is another work injury..)

they or you can dispute any or all of those issues at any time if they have evidence to the contrary.
new conditions and situations and benefits are judged on their own and aren't bound by prior decisions on different issues. obviously CRPS is a different condition then an upper extremity work injury.

You asked if I was at MMI right now. As fas as I know I am, BUT

[lefty]

lefty Wrote:

1171 Wrote:sounds like a few issues remain:
is the CRPS industrial
were you MMI in may
are you MMI now.

i don't know what "starting over" means to you.
(i doubt they'll return you to work just to see if there is another work injury..)

they or you can dispute any or all of those issues at any time if they have evidence to the contrary.
new conditions and situations and benefits are judged on their own and aren't bound by prior decisions on different issues. obviously CRPS is a different condition then an upper extremity work injury.

You asked if I was at MMI right now. BUT what do you mean by "right now"? I will be seeing a DIME that my attorney has set up for me in a few weeks. This is why I a asking this question. It is not that I understand/ or don't understand what the term "start over" means. This is something that I remember a community member did respond to to me in the past. I'm just looking for understanding on the tern "starting over" ! Maybe I should ask this person what they mean. Sorry to pose this question if that term is misleading.
Lefty