[JoAnnFunk]

I was injured while at work for a large company. I stepped in some very soft sand and twisted my right ankle, hip, knee and my back. I filed a work comp report the next day. I could not sleep from the pain. I have been seeing a work comp doctor who I find questionable. I have been off work for 8 months and have a hearing set for july 11th 2007. It took me 2 months to get the doctor to take a MRI. My only treatment in this time period has been pain pills. I have no feeling and tingling in my legs and feet. And periodically in my hands and arms. I can barely walk and takes me up to 3 hours to go 2 blocks to purchase food. I walk in a hunched position and am in a lot of pain. Some days are worse than others. I could not go to the bathroom for 8 days after I fell. my rear end goes completely numb. My lower back swells out about 3 inches when I walk very far. I can not sit for very long nor can I stand for very long. When I do walk you can actually hear my lower spine grating across itself making a loud craking nosie. I also get stuck on my way to the store and can't move. My treatment has been pain pills only. The MRI results state this There is a central disk bulge, and there is evidence of bilateral neural foraminal enchrochment. Diskogenic degenerative disease. The work comp doctor also states that I also have bursitis. Another surgeon states I have sponulitis also and some bone spurs. I also from a previous MRI 8 months before I fell had a sist on my left siatic nerve. At one point the comp doctor told me to go to the local salvation army and get a walker. which at this point I have no money for. They are starving me out. On my last visit to the comp doctor she was very angry and acted very poorly to me. The next thing you know I get a registered letter from my work stating I am to return to work immediately. I called them and told them I can barely sit, and that I barely walk. The HR person also told me that my treating physician stated there is nothing wrong with me and I am faking. i read word for word the results of my MRI. He states they are false and that isn't the information he has.
I spend a lot of my time laying down from the pain. The pain pills are not helping any more and the pain and other syptoms are getting worse. I go for days and days with no sleep from the pain.

About 3 weeks after getting injured I also began having chest pains and I am taking nitro for that. The Hr person from my work says he also doesn't have that information.

I was sent to a surgeon as soon as the last MRI was taken. He stated absolutely no work without at the very least ESPI. And the treating doctor upped my pain medication dose. As soon as my work found out I was going to a surgeon they denied the claim. At that point everyone refused to see me. I was refused physical therapy and the epideral spinal injections. I have been this way for 8 months.

My biggest concern is that I am going to become paralized. I walk in a chroached position and at hunched position. The pain is worse every day and i am completely alone. I have lost all my insurance from work and have no way of seeing a doctor. I am also afraid of walking. For fear of falling from the lose of feelings. So I do trip a lot.

[Jomar]

Joann- do you have a work comp atty ? or your own doctor to be on your side?

you sound like you really need to find a good comp atty - the pay for them comes out of any settlement you might get.

look on your state website for workers compensation and the info there.
interview comp attys before signing with them some are better then others.

make up a list and a time line of your injury and pain, symptom's, tests.

take that and any correspondence from employer & comp ins carrier to the atty
atty should be able to steer you to a good Dr.

here's the link to our useful info- http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=1117