Carpal Tunnel/Repetitive Stress Syndrome in TN-Workers Comp Issue

[katicabogar]

Hello, Tizz,

I am dealing with Carpal Tunnel/Tendonytis and Trigger fingers since 2004. I had five surgeries on both hands in 2005 and 2006 and have more problems than ever, even though I don't even work since 2006.

My job(medical billing) required 7-8 hours a day of data entry and after several months of pain and wearing the bracelet not helping at all, I just filed the claim and so my date of injury began on that day, even though my pain started like four months before that. My doctor, who is not a wc approved provider, filed the paperwork and referred me to a specialist.
My claim was accepted and after going through cortizone shots and physical therapy(I was still working full time at the same job), I was referred to a surgeon, who told me, I needed surgery, but he also told me, I needed to find a different type of job.
After having surgery and taking one month off to recoup, I went back to same job and my employer not wanting to fire me for legal reasons, tried to force me out by doubling my work load. The tendonytis turned to carpal tunnel, and also to trigger finger. After having surgeries for these, taking one month out from work again, I again went back to same job as I had no choice. My employer still tried to force me out by giving me even more work and because I still couldn't use my right hand completely, used my left hand more and developed carpal tunnel and trigger fingers on that hand, also.
After having surgeries on left hand also and not able to do the work any longer, my employer not wanting to meet restrictions, fired me(after my fmla was up).

Now, after more than four years of the injury, I am having more problems than ever. I can't lift my arms over my shoulders, my hands constantly go numb, I still dropp things, my fingers get so stiff I have to use the other hand to straighten them out. Pain wakes me up at night, can't sleep on my side due to pain in shoulders. Can't do many things what I enjoyed doing before, such as gardening, baking, playing tennis etc.

W/c denied all medical since 2006, so I had to hire a lawyer and it is constant fight ever since. I am going through the second year of vocational rehab, which is other story as they try to push me back to same line of work what I used to do, even though I can't even hold a pen longer than two minutes.
Right now, they try to send me to this pain clinic for some therapy, but it is more like work conditioning, than therapy. The clinic refused to admit me without additional tests as they can see some red flaggs regarding my condition, so finally w/c approved mri on my neck and emg. I just had the mri yesterday, not sure about the result yet, but my claims adjuster wrote, she approved these tests as diagnostical tools only, not approving any treatment if some is still needed.

Sorry, my story became this long, just tried to share my experience warning you do not delay filing the claim. If you do, you can end up having trouble not only with your right hand, but also with your left. And maybe, you will loose your job anyway as many of us did. I am really sorry I didn't take my surgeon's advise at the beginning, when he advised me to look for a different type of work. At that time, I thought keeping my job and keeping my house was more important than anything. It turned out, I lost both my job and my house anyway, but most important, I lost the good health what I enjoyed so long.

Take care.

Kat