Scared to death

[michael427]

Still in Limbo Wrote:Michael, Welcome to the Forum! I have Endured Lower Back Surgery, so I Totally Understand Your Fear of having Someone Manipulate Your Spine. But if All of the Conservative Treatments have been Tried, Surgery does Sound Like the Correct Course! Knowledge is Power, and the More You can Learn about Your w/c System in Your State, and Your Operation, the More at Ease You will Feel! You will find a Wealth of Knowledge on Here from Great Folks that have Walked where You haven't Yet, and Hopefully in the Future You will Be able to Pay it Forward!! Again Welcome!!

Thank you. I spoke with a friend that went through this from EMS a few years ago. She was saying that the WC company really tries to intimidate you around settlement negotiation time. She's 20% disabled with a 25 pound lift restriction and she had to fight to get $30000. Thats less than half of a years salary. Plus she had to leave a career she loved and go back to school. I'm in the same boat. I went to school for EMS. that's all I can do with that degree and I'm still paying loans on that. Now I have to go back to school again. I'm not greedy but I don't think what they gave her was fair. If they do that to me I won't find it fair. I gave them 6 years of my life and broke my body for a job I loved. Also, the doc said that if they would have fixed the origional injury when it happened in 07 I'd be fine now. But instead of fixing it then they called me back to work when the doctor had not released me. Then the doc later signed off on it. Honestly back then I didn't know any better. I just hope I don't get screwed on this.

[bodybuilder1958]

Hi Michael,
I understand, I too lost the scrub tech job I loved. That I can never go back to.
With a back injury in Kansas you automatically qualify for total body injury.
That includes training you to do another job. I would definitely hire a lawyer, ask around, call around.
Get copies of every doctor visit, lawyer letters, everything. Ask questions about everything, documentation is very, very important.
Attend all of your post-operative appoinments, if necessary get your employer to pay someone to drive you to all of your appointments. If that person is a nurse even better, having a case manager improves your quality of care.
Any back surgery is a major thing, I've assisted with several of those surgeries. It's a long rehab and it can be scary. Have you had a second opinion to make sure this surgery is in your best interest? It doesn't hurt to have another doctor look at your films.
Take care, also injured in Kansas,
Joan

[michael427]

bodybuilder1958 Wrote:Hi Michael,
I understand, I too lost the scrub tech job I loved. That I can never go back to.
With a back injury in Kansas you automatically qualify for total body injury.
That includes training you to do another job. I would definitely hire a lawyer, ask around, call around.
Get copies of every doctor visit, lawyer letters, everything. Ask questions about everything, documentation is very, very important.
Attend all of your post-operative appoinments, if necessary get your employer to pay someone to drive you to all of your appointments. If that person is a nurse even better, having a case manager improves your quality of care.
Any back surgery is a major thing, I've assisted with several of those surgeries. It's a long rehab and it can be scary. Have you had a second opinion to make sure this surgery is in your best interest? It doesn't hurt to have another doctor look at your films.
Take care, also injured in Kansas,
Joan

I've had several opinions. They have assigned a caase manager and she's helping alot. My wife's driving me to appts but they are covering mileage.

[chrischris]

It's good you have a plan in mind for a new career. Just keep positive about your surgery and recuperation and look forward to a new venture. Keeping busy and keeping your mind busy will help ward off depression that often comes with a life altering injury.

It's really too bad it had to come to this though. Many of us have walked in your shoes, and have lost the careers that we loved, and in many cases, been fired for not being a productive employee after the injury.

You are getting good information from the others.

I'm a bit medicated right now so I hope this makes some sort of sense. I just don't understand why I can take the same medication day after day and sometimes it makes me really loopy; but most of the time it just makes me feel less pain.

Take care.

[michael427]

chrischris Wrote:It's good you have a plan in mind for a new career. Just keep positive about your surgery and recuperation and look forward to a new venture. Keeping busy and keeping your mind busy will help ward off depression that often comes with a life altering injury.

It's really too bad it had to come to this though. Many of us have walked in your shoes, and have lost the careers that we loved, and in many cases, been fired for not being a productive employee after the injury.

You are getting good information from the others.

I'm a bit medicated right now so I hope this makes some sort of sense. I just don't understand why I can take the same medication day after day and sometimes it makes me really loopy; but most of the time it just makes me feel less pain.

Take care.

Thanks and it made perfect sence. I am totally understanding the medication thing lately. one week left till the surgery and i'm coming to terms with things. Thank you all so much for the help. I thank God I found this forum.

[ems30]

michael427, I can quite literally feel your pain. I am an EMT from CA and I ended up with a 13 mm herniation of my L4-L5 from lifting a patient on a gurney. I am facing the same concerns as far as not being able to return to the job I love. I was 2 days short of 1 year in the job. I was new to it, but I honestly thought it was the best job in the world. Now I'm left feeling lost and scared as well, since I am trying PT in order to hopefully avoid surgery. I keep getting worse, so I'm not very hopeful. My best wishes to you, and good luck with everything.

[michael427]

ems30 Wrote:michael427, I can quite literally feel your pain. I am an EMT from CA and I ended up with a 13 mm herniation of my L4-L5 from lifting a patient on a gurney. I am facing the same concerns as far as not being able to return to the job I love. I was 2 days short of 1 year in the job. I was new to it, but I honestly thought it was the best job in the world. Now I'm left feeling lost and scared as well, since I am trying PT in order to hopefully avoid surgery. I keep getting worse, so I'm not very hopeful. My best wishes to you, and good luck with everything.

It is the best Job in the world. Without a doubt. It's one of the few people do for free as volunteers even though they had to pay for school and training. Last time I was out in 07 they rested me for a month and then did pt. They pt was a tortuerous joke. It hurt like absolute hell. Being that you have the one herniation you should be able to rest it and get better or at the worst case a microdisectomy should fix it. the good thing about that is that they should let you go back to EMS. I was told by 3 different neurosurgeons this time that if I would've got it fixed in 07 I wouldn't be getting fused now and wouldn't ever have to leave the job I love. It's more than a job. It's who we are. We're medics and emt's. we eat, sleep and breath it. always on call and always on duty. I was in EMS going on 10 years. Nursing in the ER won't be so bad of a transition.

Oh and I got my first check today! Kansas has a max of $546/week. thats less than half of what I brought home but thanks to God it's something.

EMS30, you take care and let me know if you need anything. It's hard to stay home and get better but you gotta do it. Don't make the mistake I did and you'll get at least a few more years on the truck.