Hi everyone..I'm a new member here who is looking for help. I have just been diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome which was first thought to be carpal tunnel. I am in so much pain that i am at wit's end! I am so tired of all the Doctor run around. Test after test to get this diagnosis! It's a real pain in the neck (no pun intended..lol)

I am pretty certain this was caused from my job. I never had anything like this in all my years working as a secretary. At the job I'm at now I have terrible working conditions. Everyone else in my company has ergonmic support but when I asked for some help a few weeks ago when the pain started...I was told "we don't use those here". I went out and bought myself a new mouse and keyboard support but I still can't manage. I have nothing to hold my papers up at work so I look down when typing, my monitor is too low, I do repetitive work ...data entry daily. I have been missing days of work for my Dr appt's and of course not getting paid. My boss and other workers have had a major attitude with me over this. Another employee has started rumors saying "I'm faking it" ...I have been informed by another employee htat things are being said. I can't take it anymore..this isn't fair. I want to do my job but can't. They aren't giving any help or support ...just giving me more work and yelling if it's not getting done.

I decided to file a workman's comp claim today and now I'm afraid oflosing my job. My boss got real nasty with me over it and I also addressed the company policy regarding harrassment and "open discussion policy" . I mentioned the rumors and how i'm uncomfortable ...he said "I'm not getting involved with that", shrugged his shoulders and LEFT! Now what? I know this isn't going to go well but does anyone know how to go about getting workmans comp and does it cover RSI (thoracic outlet). Any info would be GREAT! Thanks.

T

Hi T and welcome to NeuroTalk. I checked and you have already found the TOS forum here. There is a great group of people there and they can so better answer your questions better than I can.

I wish you well on your claim.

First off do not let anyone bully you. As a manager, that was unacceptable behavior on behalf of your boss, particularly when it comes to harassment. Walking out on you is not right, neither is anger.

Take a moment to collect your thoughts. Keep a record of all conversations here on out. And try to make notes on everything that has gone on. Documentation is key. And try not to get into discussions with coworkers about the situation, even if they sympathesize. Keep your privacy and try to keep your cool.

I do not know how to go about getting workmans comp, but I would talk to a lawyer possibly and certainly would schedule a meeting with your HR dept if you have one.

Welcome to the TOS forum. Sorry it has to be under these circumstances.

I replyed to you on the TOS forum. I did want you to know how important it is to seek consult with a attorney for your W/C claim. The laws can be very difficult and it is good to have someone well versed and knowledgable in W/C laws to get you thru this. You need to concentrate on getting well not dealing with adjusters and worring about your company. Once a claim is filed your company goes thru your lawyer not you.
Also your company can't fire you for filing a W/C claim.
At least schedule a appt with a attorney and ask some questions...
Best of luck..
Dawn

Yes, it is so important to keep notes, with times, who did you speak to, and about what? It's important for you to keep a pain journal, level of pain 0-10, what hurts, what were you doing ex: typing 20 minutes, pain was @ a level 5, pain was in my neck, hands etc.Do you have a family doctor? It's important that you see them be clear about symptom's @ pain. You have filed for worker's comp.it's best you have a lawyer! You now must find out what right's you have as an injured worker, better sooner than later.

Welcome to new friend's @ tons of support!!

Thanks for your replies. I am waiting to hear from the insurance company for the workman's comp claim. He wants to do a whole recorded interview. I don't know how this is going to go. I'm really glad I filed because I heard rumors at work yesterday that they still believe I'm faking all this and we're trying to force me to quit by not giving me any help and overload me on work I can't do. I'm so angry and frustrated! I don't need this on top of all the pain I'm in. I just want my life back but I don't see how that's going to happen any time soon. Now I have to find an attorney and I can't sit on the computer more than a few minutes so looking one up is hard to do. I don't know how this whole process works but what happened is not my fault and not being able to do my job is not my fault either. Being harrassed about it is just not fair. I just can't get anyone to really understand what I'm going through! Well have to go ...can't type anymore.

T

Hi there i know just what your going through because i went through this and still going trough it. It's been just over two years for me now and i don't think i well forget the things they said about me or to me. But one thing i found was i am a lot stronger then i thought i was. You have to get your self ready for a fight and don't let those jerks get you down talk to your friends the ones you don't work with cry let it out and let them know that things will get worse before they get better. As far as comp goes i am not sure what laws and rules you's have because i am from nova scotia canada. But if you like i can tell you every thing i did to get mine. Most important is have your doctors write letters and make sure they say that it is your job that has brought this on. That is very important because that is part of getting comp and i am sure its the same there as here. the other thing i seen that some one said to get a lawyer that is great if you can afford it but i had to do this on my own i just didn't have the money. now the next thing to do is get your doctor to put you off work and get you on the surgery list if that is how there going to fix the tos apply for unemployment sick leave you will need that well your waiting for comp to come through. I well have to stop there my hands are getting sore any ways if you wont to chat more please feel free to get in touch i can tell you more about me and every thing i have gone through with the pain and getting my comp it might help you get prepared for what might happen liven with tos. Your's truly mucker liven with Tos.

Hello Mucker; Glad to see your post. It's not to often I see someone post that is so close to home. I am about 4 hrs from you. Have you gotten confirmation on diagnosis of tos. It seems here in NB it's almost immpossible for me to get two specialists to agree on the diagnosis of tos. I am appealing wc decision. I was deemed. Still going to physio, I am waiting for an appointment for an other mri. How is NS wc to deal with? Take care.

Yes it is nice to know there is someone close to home. Ok where to start i guess first thing is i don't deal with wsib in NS i deal with Ont because the company i work for is based there. But with that i did a lot of reacher and found that NS rules are the same as Ont. If you would like any info about fighting wsib let me know i did all my fighting on my own because i just did not have the money for a lawyer. So i have learnt a lot and it would not be to hard to learn about wsib in your province. Now for the doctor end of it when i first started having pain i saw a total of five doctors who said i had carpel tunnel in right and left hands as well as tendonitis. I had carpel tunnel release done on both hands and it did not work in fact after the surgery when all the pain came back is when i found out i never had carpel tunnel in the left hand and still had it in my right. Great doctors ha ha ha any ways from there i saw three more doctors who kept saying it was carpel tunnel go back to your ship of course those dr where company doctors. Finely with my right arm starting to have tremors i called my family doctor and he told me that there is something else going on and to get off the boat and get home. Once home he sent me to pyhsio and back to the one who did the release he kept saying that there was no way i had carpel tunnel but the emg said different ha ha. He sent me to Dr John Sapp a rehabilitation specialist who ran test and confirmed that i had right carpel tunnel and TOS as well as tendonitis. So from there they changed the physio for the tos which still made it worse. I then saw Dr Drew Bethune who is a thoracic surgeon who sent me to his second opinion guy who is Dr John Sapp a rehabilitation specialist who did more test and agreed with Dr Lone on the diagnoses. went back to Bethune who also agreed put me on the list for surgery. Dr Bethune has done hundreds of tos surgeries i did do my reacher on him do to the fact that it is risky. But at this time i have nothing to loose my pain just gets worse day by day. Now back to the doctors comp felt that two years was just to long to wait for surgery so they sent me to a Orthopaedic surgeon in toronto where i spent the day seeing a team of people who knew nothing of my case because they could not be bothered reading all of the medical reports they where sent. They did xrays and fooled around with my arms i finely seen the doctor for a whole five min where he was lookin at some one else xrays go figurer. He then said i did not have tos but it was myofascial pain then sent me home to have a bone scan done. From there comp sent me to a return to work assessment over in Dartmouth where the doctor there agreed with the one from toronto and wonted me to have further imaging and vascular flow studies done. So went back to Bethune who said no he would not order this because it was a wast of time and money and he could not understand why they would have sent me to a Orthopaedic surgeon or why they would send me back to physio as well as a return to work assessment at this time do to the fact that the first round of physio just made the pain worse. As well as i certainly am not ready to work yet and still awaiting for surgery. He sent them a letter saying so and i was not to go to physio any more until surgery was done. Comp left me alone for a while and now because my company can not acomadate me they are now sending me for testing to see what i wont to be when i grow up ha ha. They are pushing me to tell them what i wont to do in fact i have to tell them my choses next tuesday and i don't know i am to at this time because i don't know what i can do. Any ways thats my story and i am sticking to it

My goodness, it's sounds awfully familiar. Had cts surgery bi-laterally last year. At that time the surgeon diagnosed me with tos, double crush syndrome. I guess no one beieves this?? The physiatrist says only a few have this condition.!! Mean while benefits finished the first of March. I was deemed to work as a sales clerk for 40 hours a week. I know I can't work full time at anything. If I could do it, I would'nt be living this mess. My doctor has reccomended cpp disability. I do get a small care allowance once a month for help with housework. As I said another mri, waiting for this. It will be done on the plexus. Could this show tos compression?? I am on a new med. Gabapentin for the burning nerve pain. It's not without some side effects but so far the pro's are better than the sideeffects. I was told by wcb it was all myofascial pain as well. Whew, am I glad to hear from you. Maybe I should ask for a referral to the doctor in NS. I could get there. It seems like other than drugs no one can diagnose me or help me. Pm me with any information you can, that could help. Thanks, am I glad to here from you!!! Forgot to add I have a workers advocate to help me with the appeals process. It should be in August. I wondering if I should postpone this pending more medical investigation. What do you think???