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????