My Story

[HurtnSC]

Hi all...i have been here reading for about a month now..glad i found other people that are going through some of the same troubles i am having right now.

On June 25 of 07 I had an accident at work and thought i had pulled a muscle in the lower part of my back and left hip,so I called my super to let him know about it just in case anything else came to be.
Little did I know that that "pulled muscle" would put me through the pain that I have lived in for the past year now.

A week after I reported it.I could not stand for any longer than 15 mins without my left leg going numb and a terrible pain in the lower part of my back.This started scaring me because it was getting worse by the day,so I went to our safety mgr and Hr and told them I needed to be seen by the company Dr.
They called the Occ Heath center that we use and had me in there within 30 mins.
I was diagnosed with lower back strain, sciatica and DDD and given some pain meds and muscle relaxers.
The Dr told me and called my emp to tell them that I was to go on light duty and not to lift over 25 lbs or sit for extended amounts of time.Went back to him a week later and he saw that i still wasnt getting any better so he sent me for an MRI.
The MRI showed 2 ruptured disc at L4/L5 & L5/S1.
I was then told to continue light duty and was refered to the Ortho.

The Ortho continued the light duty and lowered the weight limit restriction to 10 lbs and started me on PT.

After 14 visits over a month and a half the PT wasnt helping anything so the Ortho then ordered injections and referred me to the spine center.

I then had then series of injection (3) over the next month and a half or so.
Still no relief,so I was then referred to the spine surgeon.
On Febuary 22 08 I had microdiscectomy at L4/L5,L5/S1 and was told by the surgeon the next day before i was released from the hospital that there was more disc damage and nerve damage than he had figured on so he had to "dig around" a little more than he thought he would have too.
It has now been 3 months since surgery and I am in just as much,sometimes more, pain than i was in before the surgery.
The surgeon keeps telling me that this is normal and that my back will only get worse from here on out.
If i sit for over 20-30 mins my left foot goes to sleep.
If i stand or walk for 30 mins at a time the pain in my lower back feels like someone has my spine in a vise and keeps tightening it down and I have severe pain in my hip,the outside of left knee and ankle and across the top of my left foot.
I have also started having a numb tingling feeling in the top of my right thiegh.
I am currently going through PT again 3 times per week.
W/C sent a claim rep/nurse to my last Dr appt with me and the Dr told her that he would give me a rating at my next appt which is June 12th.
He also told her that I would never be able to do my old job again or anything that required repetative bending,walking ,sitting or lifting and to start finding something else with my current emp. or prepare me for another line of work.
I have been at my current job for almost 9 years now and enjoy it and the people I work for and with very much, so this is scaring me, knowing that I am almost 39 yr old ,single parent with 3 kids and dont know what the future holds for me and my family.

[jayne]

first thing get a lawyer now second thing fire that nurse case manager she is not now nor will she ever be your friend...she is a mole of the worse kind....

[sparkey]

unfortunatly I hate to be the one to say this, but you will not be able to go back to what you were doing. It seems that you are being told you are at MMI and will get a PIR rating soon and go to a vocational rehab to find work. Pain or no pain!

You now have the " mole" that Jayne speaks of and she will follow you around until you are working. That is her JOB! She is to make sure you are back to work no matter what condition so that it saves the IC money paying you for being out of work.

It has almost been a year now since your injury so you can start finding someone to do your rating. You will need a doctor that can do PIR ratings. Not all can. Depending what state you are in they will use the 5Th edition of the AMA guidelines or the 4th.

I am so sorry for your loss, as we all feel for you and have been there and still going through it. My depression is getting worse each day. I have been in bed 3 days this weekend on my week vacation. Pain is tremendous even with the meds, and I am just so fed up with the whole thing right now.

Your ncm is not your friend. She will pretend to be on your side, and whatever you do , do not get to personal with her. That is what she is waiting to hear. They will act like they care about your injuries, when in fact they mean nothing to their job what so ever. The sooner you get rid of her the better.

I wish you luck, and hang in there.

[jayne]

you remember in 4th or 5th grade that person who YOU THOUGHT was your best friend then she is spreading half truths all over school? she has grown into a nurse case manager that is now being paid to ruin your life.....

[vickinat]

They are evil beings who only care about the I/C, and try to take advantage of the volnerabilty(sp?) of the I/W. They know that most I/W don't know thier rights, and pounce on that. The first thing that my lawyer did was to get rid of the NCM. I originally was lied to by the I/C and told that I had to cooperate with her in order for my case to continue and to get my medical appointments made. She caused me nothing but grief while she was on my case. I'm so glad that I contacted a lawyer, I only wish that I would have done it much sooner.
Good Luck
Vickie

[Lilly]

Oh please beware of your NCM as the others have said! She will attempt to sway your doctor to release you back to work before you are ready...she may also attempt to get him to raise your work restrictions! Kind to your face and on the phone she will be....BUT, she's out to cause you nothing but trouble, as EVERYTHING you say to her she will use against you. So watch what you say to her...even in everyday polite conversation. They are mostly wolves in nurse uniforms!
Been there, learned that!
Take care, Lilly

[jayne]

witches of the worst covens

[HurtnSC]

thanks for the heads up on the NCM. I have only met and talked to her one time and that was at the Dr appt.
After i saw the Dr the NCM, the Dr and I stood in the hallway and she kinda poed the Dr so he told her that he had been doin spine surgeries for 20+ years and wasnt gonna let her tell him how to do HIS job.He said that he would tell ANY Dr that tried to send me back to work this soon after what I had done that they were full of it.
So far i will have to say that i havent had any problems with W/C or my emp.
Time will tell though.

[Bummer Knees]

Sounds like one of the doctor appointments I had before I got smart and hired an attorney. At one of my appointment after the doctor examined my knee the NCM started asking him a lot of questions. Next, thing knew the two were yelling at each other and then the doctor looked at me and said, "This appointment is over" The NCM never showed up for a doctor's appointment after that.

[HurtnSC]

well...i went for the follow up appt today and the Dr decided not to rate me yet....he has now stopped my PT and ordered a new MRI (havent had one in a year) to try and find the current causes of the pain i've been in since surgery in Feb...he is also going to write a referral for psychological eval to try and help with the depression i've been in for months now..