perception of outsiders?

[sparkey]

Like someone mentioned on here, when you have an injury that noone can see, they think you are faking it. I wish for one day that all of the doctors i went to and all of my family/friends and co-workers could feel the pain i have for one hour just to know how i really feel. I feel as if i want my arm cut off and replaced with a new one. I cannot take this pain/and many times i have been laid up in bed with my arm raised just lying there stareing at the ceiling wishing i could have my life back. I cannot work in the yard, garden, crocheting, riding the new motorcycle i just bought 4 months before my injury. I have cried many days and nights to have this life again, and noone in my family understands because they cannot physically see it. They do help me, but i am the type of person that i will do things to be the mother/wife/grandmother that i always wanted to be and be independent, and i suffer for it in the end. It hurts to even pick up my grandson that is 1 yr old that lives with me.

I even have the doctors look at me at the pain clinic and i see the swelling in my wrist and the pain is at almost a 8-9 level and i get the feeling they really do not believe me with the test only showing mild carpal and neuropathy. Maybe they do understand, but deep in my heart i look at myself and wonder if i saw someone that physically came to my office and was on pain meds, would i believe they are in as much pain as they say without really seeing inside this person.

When i am due for a pain pill i think to myself, if i did not have this to take, how i could not live at all with the pain i endure each day. I try hard to not cry so many times a day even with the medicine. Last night i laid in bed and could not sleep the pain was so intense even with the meds i am on. I have tried everything at the pain clinic for this, and just wish they would do further testing to get rid of it forever. They feel they have done all the test and now left to heal on my own by not using my dominant hand.

I don't know how i am going to live like this always on pain meds, and just want to be free of whatever it is that is causeing me so much pain. I pray someday i wake and it is all a bad dream. I wish you all a pain free day, as i truely know how each and every one of you feel. I have not lost friends over this, but i do know what people think when i try to explain my pain and why i do not do the things i use to do before this happened. Especially to my husband whom we both got our motorcycle license and brand new harleys to enjoy now that our kids are grown and we would have time to enjoy going on beautiful country rides together side by side. I am hopeing someday i will be able to do that again.

[chrischris]

If you, the injured worker, can wake up with a clear conscience, look at yourself in the mirror and hold your head high knowing in your heart of hearts that you have been truthful, then who cares what anyone else thinks. People are people at best, and they will let you down all the time. Don't set yourself up for disappointment.

[Pooh]

Chris

Exactly - I can wake up with a clear conscience every day that is what matters most to me. I know I am an injured worker. I know I live in pain - just Like I know there are many others out there that live in pain daily as well.

Actually, it was interesting this weekend CNN did a piece on chronic pain - a small one but still a piece about chronic pain and the most common cause of it was injuries and if the nerves are injured those are the hardest type of chronic pain problems to deal with. There was some new therapies out but I didn't catch it all because I fell asleep through it because of all things this weekend I have been on my pain meds which is quite uncommon for me.

[tweety00]

Pooh surprised to see you awake !

Hopefully your home treatments are working for you since I seen you trying hard this weekend

[Groaning]

Hello Everyone.

I actually registered to these boards in response to this thread as the comments of others has made me feel less than human. My good friend of 15 years has not called me since my injury (in March) - and our last conversation involved him stating that my time after surgery is always nice because you get to lay in bed and watch movies ( I suppose he considered himself an expert in the matter, as he hyper-extended his shoulder a few years back, so I suppose he was relating to my dominate hand bones being shattered from a smash injury.) I said he was off-base, as my time after surgery entailed me laying in bed lucky to make it through an episode of The Waltons before, hopefully, my pills would knock me back out. He laughed this off.

But as others have stated, nothing I've done is making me lose sleep at night. All these work comp laws are designed at the hands of insurance lobbyists or are designed as knee-jerk reactions to thugs who abuse and misuse the system. I know that. You know that. Hopefully it will not be much longer before this WC system is exposed in same way that other big industries have been exposed. It won't be long.

[zest4life]

jayne Wrote:yes and what I cant understand is then they think we get a million dollar settlement so we can live hi off the hog for the rest of our lives.........I tell all my friends and family get a disabilty policy insurance it just might save your home

I have a short term disabilty policy...but ya know what? It dont cover accidents at work..they say thats what workers comp is for...really sucks

[Truckster]

I HAVE ALWAYS HAD THE FEELINGS THAT IF YOU DON'T LIKE ME FOR WHO I AM,SMOKIN,DRINKIN,CUSSIN, LONG HAIRED SON OF GUN,THEN I DON'T NEED YOU AROUND ANYWAY,AND YOU CAN KISS MY ROYAL A$$...BUT IF YOU ARE A TRUE FRIEND,I WILL GIVE YOU THE SHIRT OF MY BACK AND ANYTHING ELSE I HAVE TO OFFER IF THEY REALLY NEED IT...TRUE FRIENDS ARE HARD TO COME BY.....AND AS FOR THE REST OF THEM,WHO CARES WHAT THEY THINK,AS LONG AS YOU STAND BY YOU BELIEFS,AND ARE TRUE TO YOURSELF,THEY DON'T REALLY MATTER NOW DO THEY.TO HELL WITH'EM

[sparkey]

Amen Truckster.

[Lilly]

Amen is right !
Lilly

[Still in Limbo]

Chris and Truckster, You BOTH hit the Nail on the Head!! Truer Words have Never Been Spoken!!!