NeuroTalk Support Groups - View Single Post

Vicc · 11-10-2007, 09:35 AM

After I wrote that post I had second thoughts. Should I still be talking about my weight? Should I burden my friends with thoughts of my liver eventually failing? Should I talk about how emotionally devestated I was at learning the trial wouldn't happen as scheduled. especially when I knew it would happen eventually?

Yes, yes and yes. I was in the pits, and just saying so helped me begin to sort things out in my mind. I know I have a history of coming here for emotional support and that someone might think I'm overusing the forum, but it works so well.

I need to say that we're doing everything possible to help me gain weight. Despite other problems in my marriage, my wife constantly proves her desire to help me in every way she can: She buys food she knows I enjoy and cooks it the way she knows I'll enjoy it most. There is always Breyer's ice cream in the freezer, chocolate chip cookies on the shelf, and at least five kinds of chocolate candy in the cookie tin beside me. There's always something to snack on. The problem is that I hate overeating, and that's the only way I can avoid losing even more weight.

I sure hope the hospital doesn't want to run a liver enzyme test before the trial, or that liver damage won't stop it. My doc and I have talked about liver damage and opiates several times over the years, and he appears to agree with me that that is the price for keeping my pain manageable.

Now the good news. I called my lawyer about this new stall tactic, and she called my "claims adjustor". She said that unless they agreed to pay for the trial -- and the pump itself if the trial is successful -- in 24 hours, she would file an immediate petition for a hearing.

The trial is now set for next Wednsday. I knew it would happen eventually, but I didn't expect it to happen so soon.

I want to take a moment to tell anyone involved with work comp or social security: You need expert lawyers. Don't choose one who advertises defending against DUIs or anything except work comp or soc sec. During my fight with work comp, my atty knew every decision in Kansas and surrounding states within 48 hours. She only does work comp, and she does it better than anyone.

My settlement was for 99% permanent disability. 100% would have meant that soc sec could offset 80% of work comp for 5 years (that was the maximum benefit period for w.c. in Kansas), but at 99%, it is pro-rated through my actuarial life (I'm supposed to live until I"m 76 -- God, I hope not), which means soc sec deducts less money over a longer period. My SSDI checks have been more than $200.00 per month more since the settlement than they would have been. If your work comp atty doesn't know about this loophole, find one who does.

Don't pick someone like the "disability experts" who won't let the govt intimidate their clients: Soc Sec screws everyone. That law firm sucks in clients and keeps the easy cases -- the ones they know they can win. They get rid of "problem cases". Like car dealer Cal Worthington, they make their money from volume, not winning every claim.

Work comp and Social Security have been systematically destroyed over the past 25 years, with each change in the law making it harder for claimants to win and removing penalties for ins co's that use every trick in the book to stall until people give up. You need experts in these laws in order to survive.

Anyway, I got an expert, and she got the trial back on track much sooner than I thought possible. Now, pray that it will do something to restore part of my life.

Thank you for being here, my friends...Vic