Ok, first, I'm not sure if this is the appropriate forum for my bitching...but I just need to get this out, and thought maybe someone else could relate.

More than two years ago, I was working as a custodian when I slipped, and jerked myself to avoid falling. I went home with severe tenderness, pain, redness and swelling in my calf, and figured it was a sore muscle that would clear up over the weekend (it happened on a Friday night). It didn't, and after a few days of worsening pain, I finally went to the ER on Thursday, where they first discounted the work incident since I didn't actually fall. The ER attending, a P.A., advised me to take a few days off and return to work on Monday. I went back to work on Monday and couldn't walk to finish a shift, so I left early and went back to a doctor at our small town medical clinic the next day. He advised another week off of work and a followup. The next week, that same doc was unavailable, so an appt was made with another P.A. In our little town, the P.A.'s act as regular doctors most of the time, and this same P.A. was the one who kept following up with me, and who ultimately diagnosed a torn calf muscle, then a herniated disc when my back kept hurting. He said all of this, despite the WC lawyers going back and forth trying to get me an 'authorized treating physician', and has continued to refill my pain medication and advise treatment throughout the ordeal.
The court has sent me to one doc, who says one thing- then my former employer's insurance company sent me to another doc to dispute it, then my lawyer sends me to another doc to dispute that doc, etc. Back and forth, with the only constant being this same PA, who has said everything these high priced so called specialists have said, at least three months before they did. So finally, after enough arguing and garbage, the court ordered the ins. company to pay this PA as the 'authorized treating physician' to continue with for my 'pain management'.
So, this past week, I ordered a refill of my pain meds, which was earlier than I was due, and I tried to make an appt with the PA to discuss other options for treatment such as Physical therapy, SCS, spinal injections, lidoderm patches, etc. (I've been on Vicodin 4x daily for more than 2 years and I cannot stand having to take narcotics everyday, worry about my liver with all of the acetaminophen, but cannot bear the pain without something!)
The appt desk girl, with whom I've argued before over this work comp payment situation, was quite snotty, and told me I'd have to call back on Monday to speak with someone....So then today, I got a certified letter in the mail from the PA himself, saying that basically the other docs in the clinic have 'reminded him' (of his place on the food chain) that he is only supposed to be a back up provider, not a regular PCP, and that he will no longer be able to provide my care or refill my meds- that I will need to establish a relationship with one of the other doctors.
Which is fine, except for three things...First and most importantly, HE is the one who is the authorized treating person, NOT the other docs in the clinic. Work comp doesn't want to pay for me to see anyone else or for anything else they prescribe, without going back to court to argue the issue two months from now, then waiting another 2 months for them to get around to following the court order. Then, there's problem number two- Another doctor doesn't already know the history of what has been done, what can be done because of the WC, and thirdly- the other doctors are completely anti-pain pills. Its like pulling teeth for anyone, even with legitimate need, to get a script for pain medication.
So I just don't know what I'm gonna do. I am SO sick of dealing with all of this crap. I am not getting paid TTD. I got one lump sum payment of a years back pay last May, and nothing since. The ins. company says there is nothing else wrong with me, and whatever was wrong wasn't work related anyway, despite the judge saying it was and making them pay before- so they aren't wanting to pay now, for anything. So I'm broke. I hurt, all of the damn time, even with medication- though without it I'm in tears and unable to move at all. It takes so long for the wc process to even move a baby step, that I just feel like nothing is ever going to get done, that this will never be over.
I used to be physically and emotionally strong, and now I'm broken in both aspects. I used to have some degree of hope that eventually my back would be fixed or get better. Doesn't look like that's going to happen.
The ins. company offered 30k settlement before Christmas, and I know that if I ended up needing surgery, that won't even come close to covering it, so Idk what to do., but I'm tired of this dragging on, and on, and on, and on....
anyone have any ideas at all????

Hi 72,

Ugh. WC can be a pain and it sounds like you are really getting it from all sides.

I would focus first on the MD coverage issue. WC HAS to approve a doc of your choice to manage your care. Of course, they can (and in my case, do) deny any requested treatment, but they can't refuse you a treating doc.

I understand your concerns about the MDs in that practice being reluctant to write scripts for pain meds. I have a similar issue in needing to find a new doctor, but being worried about if my new choice will prescribe narcotics. It's not like you can ask their secretaries that before getting an appointment......

In your case, I think it should help that the PA is in their practice. If your condition hasn't changed (for the better), how can they say they will no longer prescribe narcotics without implying that their PA never should have ordered them ? I woulth think because of that issue, you might be better off with a doc in that practice rather than trying to find another on your own.

Oh.....and venting here is most definitely allowed !

Thanks Finz! I needed someone who understood!

I just don't know how the wc insurance folks are gonna react, and I'm hoping (fingers crossed) that we don't have to go back to court just so I can be allowed to see another practitioner in the same clinic. I don't want narcotic pain meds, but I'm afraid I need them. I seriously doubt that going off of them after 29 months is a good idea, and I know if I don't have them for a day I can't move from my recliner, and am crying in pain the whole time I'm there. But, I know that part of this deal is the implication that the PA should not have given the pain meds in the first place, let alone continue to refill them for so long, especially when I wasn't actually going in to the clinic to see him, because wc refused to pay him for an office visit since he wasn't yet the 'authorized treating provider' or wth ever. ugh.
My lawyer sent me to a physiatrist last summer who said I needed chronic pain management, which is what the court authorized the PA to provide, so now I'm just hoping another doc will stick to that plan.
I actually have burns and skin changes on my back from sitting on a heating pad non stop- but the heat is about the only thing that offers some relief besides the narcotic painkillers. So then what? IDK.
I had a HORRID reaction to Lyrica, similar though milder reactions to Neurontin. I mentioned Topamax to the PA last month because I once took it for migraines and had no adverse side effects, but his nurse said he didn't believe it would work on my kind of pain??? Does anyone else know about Topamax for sciatica or neuropathic pain?
So tomorrow, I'm calling the lawyers and the clinic, and we'll get the ball rolling to try to move forward. Will keep posting.
Thanks to all for the support- I can really use it!

That's what we're here for !