hoping you have an answer for me..

[jilly23]

Name: Jill
Age: 19
Location: Pittsburgh, PA.
Injury Date: 8/9/06
Brief Detail: My first job at a local grocery store, I was a cashier. A lady dropped cases of pop on my wrist. I've had 2 surgeries.. what seems like a million casts & still not, "fixed." My surgeries included: Pisiform bone removal, tightening of ecu tendon, ulnar nerve repair, silicone tube around ulnar nerve.

So my question is this. I'm 19 ..I'll be 20 in december. I got hurt when I was 17 and I have not been able to do ANYTHING with my wrist. I put off college because when I tried writing, I had ulnar nerve compression.. which made my hand go numb while writing. I'm off of work right now.. and was just told my problems still arent fixed. I've had problems at my work place and I've been employed there since april of '05. If and when they do send me back to work, I do not want to work there. Do I have to go back to work? Can I quit my job? I'm tired of putting my life on, 'hold' ..

[sparkey]

You are 19 yrs. old and have a long life ahead of you to work. If you do not want to go back to the one you are at, find something that you can do. If you are well enough now to go to school and use a computer I would continue my education. There is alot of online courses and also college courses that would let you use a computer to do your homework.

If you are talking about being disabled at 19 yrs. old. I would NOT!!! You have such a long life ahead of you and being disabled and not working is not any fun at all for anyone.

[RNvic]

Jill- Have you tired to learn to write with your other hand? It will take some time and alot of practice but you can learn to write with you other hand. Also so you can go on to school there is talking programs that will do the typing for you. REhab will pay for the talking programs. Also check with the college for help with writing any papers you need. Record lectures and then you will not have to do as much writing, also it will halp you remember what is said.

As for changing jobs, you can and it would be to your advandage to look for a job with in your restrictions.

What are the doctors saying needs to be done to repair your hand? If it requires more surgery then get it done. Do you PT two or three times daily and know it is going to hurt but you must retrain you hand and arm. Wear your brace

[Cycler]

not all college students can write. There are many types of disabilities and many more types of accomodations. The question really is what do you want to do with your life ? Answer that and then go do it. There is more than enough support out there to assist you in that.

[1171]

your workers comp benefits will be available to you whether you return to work for the same employer or not.

[Bummer Knees]

You have rights under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Congress enacted Section 504, the first federal civil rights law protecting the rights of individual with disabilities.

You need a Section 504 plan, this is a document that lists your needs (this would list the limited use of your hand) and lists the education accommodations you would need in going to school.

The Special Needs Department at your local college would be the place you need to start. All school have a 504 Coordinator and ADA Coordinator and this again is likely the Special Needs Department.

Accommodations you may need; a note taker, audio recording of lecture time, or taped text books. These are just a few accommodations that can be provided at no cost to you.

Your doctor will need to write a script listing your disability.

IF your injury happened when you were 17, you were likely a senior in high school.

Did you have a 504 plan listing educational accommodations to enable you to do you school work? Your high school 504 plan will transfer to college.

I volunteer thru a local United Way organization assisting individuals with resource information.

[jayne]

Bummer, thanks you are a wealth of information and heart

[AQA]

Yes, you can quit your job at any time. If you are receiving any monitary benifits, those may end. The medical coverage will continue. As far as college goes, the community college I am attending offers English courses on line. Meaning you do not write essays, you type them at you own pace but to thier schedule. As far as taking notes go, ( I write slow ) I bought a $40.00 digital recorder. I have used it quite often and ffound that it is better then taking notes because I can listen to the whole lecture over and over. Bummer Knees gave you some great advice. I have a note from my DR. lets lets me be late to classes. I gave it to the college and they let all my instructors know. My injury deals with mobility. I strongly encourage you to persue your education.

[jilly23]

Wow ..I thank you all so very much for your replies. Let me go into a little more detail so that you guys can understand what I'm going through. You know, why I'd like to quit this job.

I started working as a cashier at my local grocery store on April 19, 2005. Everyone there was so nice to me, I enjoyed working ..& it was my first and only job I have ever had. Somewhere in my first year there, one of my young managers grabbed my butt and would always say perverse things to me.. he was fired for sexual harassment. I wanted to quit then.. they told me not to & talked me into staying there. (They claimed they liked me a lot..) Anyway, I continued to work there. On August 9, 2006 a lady dropped cases of pop on my right wrist. I knew immediately something was wrong, stopped what I was doing.. and my managers said I couldnt leave. "If it gets less busy.. you can leave" they told me. It didnt, so I had to stay. I chose a doctor from a list they gave me & he felt my wrist making a popping noise..very painful when I rotated my wrist. He immediately said he could not help me, I needed a hand specialist. Well I went to one.. and he wasnt sure what was wrong. I sat in various casts and splints until July of '07. He then referred me to another specialist and this guy wanted to remove my pisiform bone that thursday. He was so confident, I said okay. I had surgery July 12, 2007 to remove my pisiform bone. I was in therapy for months & continued to have the same problem. However, I then acquired nerve compression. They told me after the bone was removed, my ulnar nerve came to the surface..and a lot of scar tissue build up around it. Whenever my hand rocked back and forth on a table while writing, that nerve made my hand go numb. So therefore, they took a bone.. I still had my problem and gained one. I went back to the first doctor and he said yes, I now had two different problems. He said I had ulnar nerve compression and my ecu tendon was dislocating itself. (the popping) He was going to do surgery on january 28, 2008, however, workers comp cancelled my surgery right before. They said, "this has gone on for far too long.. you're not having surgery, a nurse will come see you." I then met a nurse case manager, she was a real trip. She set me up with an IME, which everyone told me was bad. However, he told them I do have two problems and required surgery. It took them until september 8, 2008 to approve this surgery again. I had surgery to fix those problems and I have been in a cast since. My last appointment, the doctor said my wrist is STILL popping. He claims 1 out of 2 problems got fixed. I've been off work since, I'm in a munster cast.. and will be until nov 17, 2008 when he sees me again.

Now, the reason why I want to quit my job. Ever since I got hurt there, they treat me very bad. For instance, I was on light duty.. pulling products up on the shelves with my left hand. One of my managers called me over to an aisle and asked me to get him something on a top shelf. I'm 5'1..so I couldnt see on the top of the bad of morsels. I reached and got it.. and had a brown liquid pouring off my hand. I said, "WHAT IS THIS?" He laughed at me saying snuff spit. I could not believe it.. and nothing happened. They said, "he was just joking around, thats his personality." They try getting me to do dirty things like clean the mens bathroom ..when it's not even a womans job on a normal basis. Men clean theirs, women do theirs.

I have tried writing with my left hand, very difficult..but I try. I was in high school with this, however, the nerve compression came after my bone was removed. I graduated June of '07.. the bone was removed July of '07. Although, I had so many casts ..I copied my friends notes and for tests.. I used a highlighter for multiple choice questions.. and told my teachers answers for those that werent. I took my first year off after highschool thinking this would only be a year. However, it's been since 2006 and they're telling me I still have problems. I get so depressed because my life is put on hold and I'm missing out on my dreams. I wanted to go to college in florida for marine biology, but cant do that. I was in therapy 3x a week for over a year.. and I've taken a strong interest in that. I want to go into that field now, but I dont believe I can start that. I'm afraid of getting behind with all the doctors appointments, so much therapy and getting so stressed because my hand gets fatigue easily. I'll be 20 in december and I feel like I'm being cheated out of my life.

[AQA]

The only thing that can cheat you out of life is a lack of desire. Each and everyone of us has a story to tell and we keep going. I am more than twice your age and going back to school. I am disabled. Our injuries are totally different, but that means nothing when one has the desire and drive for a better life. We may never be able to do what we want again, but we can do other things and still enjoy life. We just do it in other ways.

Take Care