Thanks Mike...that's essentially my take on things too. Won't stop me fighting of course but my expectations are set fairly low. I personally don't care too much about the money end of things (not looking for some big payday out of all this)...just want to get myself back to work and have them follow the rules in the mean time so that I can pay my bills. I've been having to pay all the medical OOP so that certainly hasn't helped the situation any but...whatever.

I'm definitely improving in terms of function...I can now walk 10 minutes straight (once a day) with the walker and am able to get myself around the first floor of the house for short walks to the kitchen, bathroom, etc. (also with the walker). I have a long way to go before I can be on my feet for a 9 hour shift at work...but I will get there. The sooner the better so I don't have to worry about paychecks anymore...but I can't go back until I can do the job. I don't care if I'm slow, if I have to use a walker, if I have to wear gloves and a scarf (and look like a thundering looney) to protect myself from the cold air at the front of the store...but as soon as I can do the job I will be back there and then (regardless of any awards, settlements, whatever) I will be the winner. I'm sure my attorney won't see it that way...but I will.

So...yeah...I'm not overly optimistic about how things will turn out on the legal end but there's only so much I can do about that. All I can really do is ensure that I am doing everything I can on my end to get myself back in shape for work. That includes keeping my mental health up and not letting myself fall off the deep end because of things I can't control. There are people who are willing to help me out with money if needed...I just hate to take the money since I know that my ability to pay it back will hang on how all the other things turn out. And I just don't want to do that to people I care about, you know?

But it will all work out in the end. How will it work out? I don't know...it's a mystery.