Why I haven't been active lately.

[CynicalBrad]

For those that may care, I haven't been very active this year so far.
Last year, November 5th, I hurt my back at work and it has not made any progress on healing, if anything it is getting worse. I am out of work due to it, not getting anything for workers comp, (about to be retaining an attorney over that) and most days not making it more than 10 feet from my bed due to the pain. Some days, not even that.
On a good day, I hurt quite a bit and have lost most feeling in my right leg and am losing muscle control as well. It's to the point I have to put conscious effort into walking or I will just fall. Most days I have been getting 3-5 hours of sleep broken up into 2 hour chunks and have to stay up until I pass out to get that.

The workers comp doctor did everything he could to get me to refuse treatment (sending me off for dry needling for a spinal injury knowing I cannot stand needles to the point I refuse a morphine injection for the pain initially) and then work made up something so they could say they had something "I could do" so they could stop paying workers comp.
At 23 years old, the diagnosis is "severe spinal arthritis, and degenerative disk disease" which they blew off as pre-existing.

That beautiful Nissan 350z in my avatar was totaled on the way to get the MRI results from the doctor so I don't even have that anymore. I am working with my father/attorney on that because USAA is trying to screw me over on the insurance payout. Just look at their BBB reviews, I'm not the only one.

So in the end, I'm stuck with a condition that is getting worse, no medical treatment because I refused a nonsense treatment, no income/money because I can't work, and without my favorite car anymore because it was totaled.
Most days, I am just trying not to think about it all and just trying to let time pass. I rather not think about it to be honest.
It has been a very rough year to say the least. I still read a lot of the threads that are posted but usually don't have the energy or concentration to post anything. :cryyy:

 

[ElectricPlasma]

Shit, that sounds terrible... I was always eyeballing that 350z in your avatar, can't believe what happened to it.

One of my co-workers also injured their back on the job, and injury like that has the potential to screw up everything in your life. Here's to hoping you have better luck moving forward.

 

[Encap]

Wow--unusually rough series of breaks and horrible situation.
Hope lawyer can help out. You are going to need qualified people a specialist MD to back you up I would think to take issue with treatment offered.
Be careful about getting stuck in a corner where nobody can help because you will not cooperate enough that they can.
Maybe you can apply for some sort of Disability pay??

Hope you have some better luck and are able to move forward and get it all sorted out.

 

[deadshadow]

thats terrible and very sad,it makes feel so bad when seeing people around here that used to be very active when i 1st joined the forum(i remember your avatar back then) sudenly have all those life and health problems. most of the times i don't even know what to say or how to express my feelings but i do hope you find a way to feel better and be able to stand and walk with no problem again,be strong

 

[CynicalBrad]

Shit, that sounds terrible... I was always eyeballing that 350z in your avatar, can't believe what happened to it.

One of my co-workers also injured their back on the job, and injury like that has the potential to screw up everything in your life. Here's to hoping you have better luck moving forward.

Yeah, the crash wasn't even at high speed, 30MPH. I was changing lanes into what should have been a clear lane and i'm certain the other driver had ran a red light. It did frame damage though and the car is a total loss.

Wow--unusually rough series of breaks and horrible situation.
Hope lawyer can help out. You are going to need qualified people a specialist MD to back you up I would think to take issue with treatment offered.
Be careful about getting stuck in a corner where nobody can help because you will not cooperate enough that they can.
Maybe you can apply for some sort of Disability pay??

Hope you have some better luck and are able to move forward and get it all sorted out.

Hopefully. I've got to figure something out. The worker's comp doctor was blowing it off as muscle spasms from the beginning and treating it as such. It took me losing feeling in my leg and feeling the telltale burning pins and needles to get him to do an MRI despite symptoms that would have made an ER doctor panic and immediately order an MRI done. Took 3 months to get an MRI and then he tries to blow it all off as preexisting. Doctor lied and said he was going to get me a referral to a spinal specialist and I never did get the call I was promised with an appointment date.

thats terrible and very sad,it makes feel so bad when seeing people around here that used to be very active when i 1st joined the forum(i remember your avatar back then) sudenly have all those life and health problems. most of the times i don't even know what to say or how to express my feelings but i do hope you find a way to feel better and be able to stand and walk with no problem again,be strong

It's a mess. It is badly messing with my depression, more than I will admit to. Knowing at this age there are so many things I will likely never be able to do again hurts in a way I never thought anything could. About the only thing keeping me going at this point is the support of a few very close friends and my family. I'm just ready for it to be over one way or another.

 

[BowtieGuy]

Wow, Brad, So sorry to hear of your life altering back problems, hopefully you'll be able to get some proper medical diagnosis, and discredit that workers comp. doctor, who surely has the company's best interests in mind.
Do rely on your family and friends, they'll help you through some of your depression. Don't hesitate to post and share with us, and maybe vent a little bit, we can't help much online, but we are always here for you! :yh:

 

[paul1598419]

I am well acquainted with back injuries as I have one myself. It is too bad that fear of needles has you refusing morphine for pain. That is a phobia and with help you can overcome that. I am so sorry that this has happened to you at such a young age. I'm sure that steroid injections into your back will be a therapy they will want to try on you. It helps some people. In order to win at this you will need to try some of these therapies as they will claim noncompliance if you don't. I wish you well and if there is anything I can do to help, let me know.

 

[NightExplorer96]

Sorry to hear about all that Brad, seems like you just got real bad chance in a short amount of time.

I do hope you can power through. Do you have other hobbies other then lasers you can participate in? Maybe take another past time to keep your mind off of it all. :yh:

As Bowtie said, we’re here if you need us!

-Alex

 

[CynicalBrad]

The refusal of the morphine injection was on the initial visit before hydrocodone was prescribed. It did unfortunately give the doctor an easy way to recommend a nonsense treatment that I would refuse. The treatment he was so desperate to push is controversial at best, illegal in some states at worst. Not taking anything consistently for pain now and it sucks. Hopefully when I get in touch with an attorney over this mess, something gets worked out that lets me pick my own doctor so something can get done, even if only pain management. I was fed up with the bought and paid for workers comp doctor within 2 visits. What triggered the initial visit was I was lifting something at work and it immediately ached but was manageable, I tried to finish my shift and turned with little weight in my hands and the nerve in my upper back got pinched and nearly sent me to the ground in pain. And yet he tried to blow it off as muscle spasms for 3 months so he could try to clear me for work and say deal with it. Then finally when he ordered the MRI he made it a point to write "preexisting" as the only legible thing on the paper to send to work. Makes it pretty clear to me that he doesn't take his oath seriously.


Lately I've just been doing a ton of gaming to try to take my mind off things. At least I have something I can still do.

 

[Encap]

Doctor lied and said he was going to get me a referral to a spinal specialist and I never did get the call I was promised with an appointment date.

Sounds like you need to call them to get the referral promised--forget whether or not they called you--means nothing to them.
Call the guy's office and follow up on it--maybe you will get a spinal specialist who can help you out.

And yet he tried to blow it off as muscle spasms for 3 months so he could try to clear me for work and say deal with it. Then finally when he ordered the MRI he made it a point to write "preexisting" as the only legible thing on the paper to send to work. Makes it pretty clear to me that he doesn't take his oath seriously.

You may very well have pre-existing conditions the contributed to it as muscle spasms most certainly also do---that doesn't change that the acute condition occurred at work. Your entire condition now was not preexisting.
Do you have parents who can help guide and support you in addressing the situation? Is going to take time and money for lawyers and MDs to sort it out and come up with a treatment plan----do you have health insurance?

You need a good injury compensation lawyer to put the place/business where the accident happened on notice and file suit if necessary.
Plus you need to follow up with a State and Federal Disability --maybe you will get something for work time lost.

If you do nothing --nothing is all you will get in the way of help. Why should anyone care if you don't?

You need to take charge and help yourself or find people who can help.
Workman's compensation payments is only one aspect.

 

[paul1598419]

Many states have changed the worker's compensation laws to benefit businesses since the 1990s. I had a girl friend in Colorado who injured her back when a whole shelf in a grocery store fell on top of her. They made her go into work and lay on a cot to keep from reporting it as a claim. It took over a year and in the end she was given $30,000 and told to go away. This has been happening since state politicians were able to change these laws in favor of businesses. If you don't like the laws, vote against those that made them.

 

[CynicalBrad]

Sounds like you need to call them to get the referral promised--forget whether or not they called you--means nothing to them.
Call the guy's office and follow up on it--maybe you will get a spinal specialist who can help you out.


You may very well have pore-existing conditions the contributed to it as muscle spasms most certainly also do---that doesn't change that the acute condition occurred at work. Your entire condition now was not preexisting.
Do you have parents who can help guide and support you in addressing the situation? Is going to take time and money for lawyers and MDs to sort it out and come up with a treatment plan----do you have health insurance?

Nope. No health insurance. Never have been able to afford it. Not working a part time retail job at $10/hr. I'm certain the arthritis is preexisting as I have had joint pain since childhood but absolutely no history of back pain or other issues. The entire things just really feels like he was trying to dismiss it from the beginning. I'm just going to get in touch with an attorney soon over this. Not like a few more months is really going to make that much more of a difference. And truthfully, I want absolutely nothing to do with that doctor. I'm much rather wait it out and see a non affiliated doctor of my choice.
Georgia lets the employer pick three and you get to pick one out of those. So, they pay off their three and give you the illusion of choice when in reality all three may as well be on their payroll.

Many states have changed the worker's compensation laws to benefit businesses since the 1990s. I had a girl friend in Colorado who injured her back when a whole shelf in a grocery store fell on top of her. They made her go into work and lay on a cot to keep from reporting it as a claim. It took over a year and in the end she was given $30,000 and told to go away. This has been happening since state politicians were able to change these laws in favor of businesses. If you don't like the laws, vote against those that made it.

I think thankfully Georgia is yet to do that and you can push a claim through even with preexisting conditions if they are worsened or exacerbated at work while in the performance of your job. Out of the time I have been out, the company paid workers comp for a total of a month of it this year, never backdated the end of last year and leapt at an opportunity to quit paying it. The doctor lightened my work restrictions just slightly and they swore I could stand for 4 hours doing demos when the work restrictions clearly state desk job only with absolutely no standing, lifting, bending, or turning. The work restrictions that initially put me out of work were less severe than those.

 

[paul1598419]

There may be lawyers in your state that do workers compensation cases on a contingency. I would look into that possibility.

 

[Encap]

I'm just going to get in touch with an attorney soon over this. Not like a few more months is really going to make that much more of a difference. And truthfully, I want absolutely nothing to do with that doctor. I'm much rather wait it out and see a non affiliated doctor of my choice.
Georgia lets the employer pick three and you get to pick one out of those. So, they pay off their three and give you the illusion of choice when in reality all three may as well be on their payroll.



I think thankfully Georgia is yet to do that and you can push a claim through even with preexisting conditions if they are worsened or exacerbated at work while in the performance of your job. Out of the time I have been out, the company paid workers comp for a total of a month of it this year, never backdated the end of last year and leapt at an opportunity to quit paying it. The doctor lightened my work restrictions just slightly and they swore I could stand for 4 hours doing demos when the work restrictions clearly state desk job only with absolutely no standing, lifting, bending, or turning. The work restrictions that initially put me out of work were less severe than those.

Don't wait another couple of months-- it make a difference and makes you look bad, like you don't really have much wrong that needs correcting or treatment.

See this site--request a hearing ---if you didn't file a WC14 file one--
"If you do not receive any benefits, you may request a hearing before the State Board of Workers’ Compensation at the above address. A hearing is like a trial in the courts of Georgia. Your claim will be decided by an Administrative Law Judge who listens to both sides of the claim and determines what benefits, if any, you should receive. The judge’s decision will be based on the law and the facts involved."
see-call them and ask what to do next--who to talk to and so on--exhaust all possibilities with them: https://sbwc.georgia.gov/law

Consult a lawyer who knows what he is doing--a injury compensation lawyer .

Good luck.

 

[paul1598419]

^^^This is good advice.^^^

You really DON'T want to wait as there may be penalties that you are unaware of. Sounds like you've waited more than long enough.

 

[NarwhalZ]

Sorry to hear about all of these problems. As a car enthusiast myself I feel your pain. Its sad to think something you love can be taken away in an instant. This is a great example of why we should all appreciate and enjoy what we have whilst we have it. Hope the future brings you good things.