I Called Him a Clod
 

Okay, it just might be time for me to eat a little crow.
That Ortho I saw yesterday...who didn't even look at my MRI, who never touched me, only looked at me and said "it's not the rotator and it's not TOS". The one who would only give me a steroid and darvocet and spent all of 3 minutes with me.
I started the two meds yesterday, and last night was the best night of sleep I have had in weeks. (yay!!!!!!!!) :D
It may be a little premature to get this excited, but I only woke once last night with tingling fingers and moderate burning pain in the forearm. As I type here, my hands are going numb, wrist aching like carpel tunnel but yesterday I had to stop typing after every word due to the pain. This morning I am making it through entire sentences!!!
Could the clod be on to something?!
Perhaps it is a mixture between what I've done, and the meds he prescribed.

What he did:

• Prescribed Medrol
• Prescribed Darvocet

What I did:

• Worked on improving my posture
• Used heat and vibrating massage on neck and shoulder
• Rested
• Time off work (this is my 3rd day off)

I feel so much better today it is amazing. Doctor, me or both? Opinions? :)

Most likely a combo of those, and being off work really helps.
Most likely the Dr was just a necessary tool that was able to prescribe the meds for the moment, I don't know that he did much more than that for you.
Seems like he should have done more of some sort of assessment, but some just prefer to rx meds and see if it helps.
Sounds like it helps with the pain and that is good- but for the long term you need a real assessment or evaluation to find whatever the real cause is.
If you want to stick with this dr for now you might ask about a PT referral & evaluation- and see what he says about that?
Oh,
How long are you to be on the meds he rx'd?
If a short term "test" and then a follow up appt to see how you are doing at that point- I suppose that is standard procedure.

here's info on the Medrol-
http://www.drugs.com/mtm/medrol.html

keep up with the posture and things you are doing to heal.

Thanks for bringing me back down to earth. I want so much to get better quickly and easily. The first sign of something better, I grabbed onto like a glimmer of hope. And I still feel that hope, but after reading your responses, I feel it with a lot more scepticism.

I have an appointment with Dr. Thompson who is on the list of recommended specialists, but it is not for another month yet. The Ortho I saw yesterday gave me no information about his plan of action, how long I'd be taking the meds, etc. Though the Medrol is one of those "dose up" blister packs with 6 days worth...on the sixth day I will be taking 6 of them.

The pain meds are 40ct @ 100mg. So far so good.

I guess that my glimmer of hope is a result of the fact that I have no clear cut diagnosis from a professional, and that the Ortho told me it was not TOS. My Chiropractor and the nurse at Dr. Thompson's thinks it is quite possibly TOS...but neither are capable of diagnosing it any more than the a-hole Orthopedist.

On Monday is a Chiropractic appt, and Tuesday brings my EEG/NCS. I have held off on WC until after I get some kind of diagnosis that will reflect the repetitve nature of waitressing caused my symptoms. When med forms as if work related, I leave it blank. Is that a bad choice? I have only been investigating the serious nature of my issue for about a week, off work since Wednesday morning (I work 3rd shift at a Diner)

I'm glad that you got a good nights sleep and I hope the meds continue to relieve your sx's for now.

Did he give you a dx ? What does he think is causing the pain ?

You can't dx TOS, or rule it out, without doing a detailed physical exam.

Just be careful. Like TShadow's story, my sx's got much worse when I followed "doctor's orders" and did activities which aggravated things.

sorry, i didn't mean to pop your bubble :o
but just want you to know that it may not be a cure for you - unless it is some sort of temporary thing.

I think "playing" dumb while you investigate to find out if it is something that might be claimable is ok. { not a lawyer though}
Plus if you have medical ins you won't have to fight the wc system until you are sure of what you have.

save all your paperwork and bills request drs notes- all that stuff you might need if it becomes WC.
the best thing for wc claim is if Drs can & will strongly tie it to your work/uses.

For me - For years I had RSI & neck/shoulder pains. I kept getting better after each session of PT so they kept sending me back to the same work, each time I'd get re injured and each time it was closer together and more painful - until the neck, shoulder, upper back, hands and arm pains all combined at once- and then I started to find out about TOS.

It took nearly 3 yrs with a good chiro and very good PT people and a lot of "home work"{ stretching, posture, EMS stim, heating pad, trigger point stuff, etc} for me to get to a point where I can do most 'normal" activities. I still have to offset heavy or repetitive uses with extra home care stuff.

That's why we really want anyone to really find out for sure, what is the cause of the pain - before continuing back to a job that may mess them up long term.

No.. no dx yet, as the doctor formerly know as Weis (now Clod) was the one who looked at me for three minutes, then gave the order for an EEG and NCS. He claims to be looking for the problem, but I have little faith in him. I feel like I never should have mentioned my suspicion of TOS to him, because it for w/e reason put him on the defensive.

TY for the well wishes, this whole day has been great. Still holding out at cautiously optomistic that Clod found at least a temporary relief for me while I await the Thompson appt.

Dear Dena,

You don't know me, but quite a few TOSers in So. Cal. know me, and used to come to my house, before we had to move for financial reasons. But, when I got TOS, I was actually a work comp defense attorney (representing the employers and/or insurance co.s, mostly to dig out false claims, but frankly, I'd say 80% were all good claims, just had some red flags. There were some fraud cases, but they were - I mean to be frank here - REALLY fraudulent like someone with supposedly total disability is out there running multiple taco stands in L.A. and going to Mexico to buy the supplies and throwing around huge plats of produce... So I mean, BIG fraud folks, not simply someone caught walking to their mail box...)

But anyways,

my concern and point for you is you mentioned that you were waiting to see what your diagnosis is before pursuing work comp. Firstly, there is a general rule in work comp that unless you had some kind of accident (like a big auto, or dove in the shallow end of a pool - I mean BIG TRAUMA), then you have to consider that the single activity most people do in their lives is their work activities. When you think about it, and add up the hours, our work life totals the most. So judges consider, that unless there is real evidence, reliable evidence, of some other outside occurrence that caused "the injury", and that there was a level of disability, which only the attorney for you can figure out / explain to you, then an argument exists and is pretty much decided by the doctors frankly that the injury occurred due to the job. Or at least a part of it did, and is partially compensable. (There is no partial temporary disability, which may be of importance to you since you have family.) Or, if the injury is something that came up from the person's body, like rheumatoid arthritis, that at least in California, the attorneys and doctors then need to consider whether the person's job exacerbated or accelerated the disease process or the injury itself. Also, things like heart attacks and some other conditions are actually listed in the law as work-related as a "given" "presumption" and can't be fought - so even if the person was / is a chain-smoker, etc., a good attorney can have a 100% case, given the right facts.

So we come back to your situation. I see a history that would lend itself perhaps to some degree of injury - but I don't see anything you really mentioned that can be blamed 100% for your injury because you continued to work - thus proved you were not disabled by whatever you might have had happen as a result of cheering, etc., POSSIBLY, or even most likely, if you have the right facts, the right medical reports and the right attorney!!!

Next, your work is INFAMOUS for causing TOS as the movements are repetitive, the trays are heavy for food, etc. I've deposed so many waitpeople who got repetitive type injuries, and had 100% compensation. This, despite some findings of abnormal spine problems.

BUT, here's the big but - if you wait, and do not get to a proper doctor and have this identified as a work-caused injury, you risk so much. Disability - permanent $ comepensation - as a lump sum or later pension type payments - cannot be had by Social Security or even state disability. Permanent disability amounts are paid to compensate you for the losses that your job movements caused (resulting in injury) which now forbid you from certain jobs or groups of jobs. That is a BIG part of work comp - besides the medical care, future medical care rights, and I have in-home care now, as my TOS progressed. But waiting and leaving the boxes blank may really not protect you from the risk of later being barred from work comp due to delay, or something happening (like a car accident now) that causes a judge or doctors to disbelieve your current injury or extent of injury, etc. I guess I'm basically saying that there are so many risks to the path that you're taking, that I can only urge you - URGE you - to please get at least one free consultation from a work comp attorney in your state and if appropriate be referred to a TOS DOC (take your list of docs) and even try to call some of the attorneys and ask if they've ever handled TOS or other repetitive upper extremity injuries. The states and even areas of a state handle these things differently. This could be the difference between getting temporary disability while you sort out the doctors, OR, having NO income and NO job! You can be fired for non-attendance - possibly.

I can't and am not trying to give you legal advice here.

Just as an internet post, PLEASE do not go forward with your health situation without finding out your rights AND YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES in regards to having whatever is going on.

I did not get a true diagnosis I think for almost two years!

I have seen 29 doctors!

But I knew on the exact date - because of my training and all of the med reports I've read - that what happened to my right arm, neck, shoulder on that day was related to work, was abnormal, and possibly could lead to further problems.

Did I think that I would only work for one more year and then be bedridden and suffer pain that is utterly horrific? Nope. Not a clue on that one, dear.

In fact, I was still fighting to return to work for a very, very long time when I couldn't manage the usual daily activities of life...it took me a LONG time to accept this illness and my new life.

The first time I read about TOS, I cried! (I am not a crier.) I was SHOCKED.

There is a chance that you could have an ortho shoulder, disc, or something like really bad carpal tunnel - I mean, I can't imagine what you might really have going. BUT, you must get that attorney consult to protect yourself and your kids. Just the things you discussed here, if I were your attorney, I'd have to counsel you on how to present them if asked by a doctor, to avoid problems I could possibly see - but again, I'm not an attorney in your area, and gosh - there are so many risks here.

So I've been pretty sick and not able to post here, but your post has bothered me (concerned me, for you) so much that I had to get back on here and just give you my best.

Back to bed for me...and with all of my heart, I do hope it turns out you don't have TOS, but if you do, at least you know that HERE, you will be believed, and supported and given whatever information we share as friends.

I hope this doesn't sound harsh, as I don't mean it to be at all. I am in so much pain, it's really hard to post. Love meant.

Oh -

also please consider a voice software program where you don't have to type.

Many of us use it here.

I use Dragon "Naturally Speaking" with a headset - it took just one afternoon to learn it and use it just fine. I'm not a techy!

[BUT, here's the big but - if you wait, and do not get to a proper doctor and have this identified as a work-caused injury, you risk so much. Disability - permanent $ comepensation - as a lump sum or later pension type payments - cannot be had by Social Security or even state disability. Permanent disability amounts are paid to compensate you for the losses that your job movements caused (resulting in injury) which now forbid you from certain jobs or groups of jobs. That is a BIG part of work comp - besides the medical care, future medical care rights, and I have in-home care now, as my TOS progressed. But waiting and leaving the boxes blank may really not protect you from the risk of later being barred from work comp due to delay, or something happening (like a car accident now) that causes a judge or doctors to disbelieve your current injury or extent of injury, etc. I guess I'm basically saying that there are so many risks to the path that you're taking, that I can only urge you - URGE you - to please get at least one free consultation from a work comp attorney in your state and if appropriate be referred to a TOS DOC (take your list of docs) and even try to call some of the attorneys and ask if they've ever handled TOS or other repetitive upper extremity injuries. The states and even areas of a state handle these things differently. This could be the difference between getting temporary disability while you sort out the doctors, OR, having NO income and NO job! You can be fired for non-attendance - possibly.

I can't and am not trying to give you legal advice here.

Just as an internet post, PLEASE do not go forward with your health situation without finding out your rights AND YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES in regards to having whatever is going on.]


I'm glad you posted this Tam - it totally slipped my mind about the free consults!

I agree 100% - ask around/look in the yellow pages- many comp attys have websites and you can email a few questions,
If the office is nearby stop in and scope it out- see if they seem organized and professional at the front desk.
If they aren't busy maybe chat them up to get info on attys experience and cases.

The one i used had a nice new office but I should have noticed that they were very loose and unorganized/unprofessional.
Many are very hard to get in contact with after you sign on the dotted line- so ask about how they will guide you and how best to keep in contact. {only believe half of what they tell you}
Ok, I'm sure there is a few really good ones out there...:p

I found out at my hearing/settlement that my atty didn't even believe in TOS .

You have to have a Dr/Drs that will write it {TOS- if it is found to be that}and be willing to back up the dx and findings.
It helps to have a atty that has some idea about it too.

just beware- steroids reduce swelling and will make everything feel better but only by masking the problem...frankly i would not take an EEG/NCV whie on them..i think the results would be skewed.

if they reduce swelling and you stay better that is useful info, but don't allow too much diagnostic testing while you are taking them.

just a quick thought.

document, everything... start a diary of how you are feeling it is a tool of value, lis time of day when you feel different pain etc. what you can, can not accomplish..., I was a fool not to do this !!!!

A little more advice...

When I was diagnosed with TOS and had so many dr.s appointments, medical procedures, a surgery, was in and out of the hospital, etc. a friend who is a cancer survivor advised me to keep a log of phone calls I made and who I spoke to and when. And to keep a accurate file of my medical bills, especially what I had paid out - co-pays, deductables, etc. and keep all of the insurance statements on file as well. It took a lot of time and organizing... But Im SO glad I did it! Health insurance companys are a unorganized mess, and its up to you to be on the ball...

Apperently, you can write off some medical expenses as well? Gotta check with my accountant. But at least I have all the paperwork.

Dena what is the plan of action from your ORTHO? what did he say he is ordering you to do? you have to be careful not to injure it more. I hope you find a lawyer to help you with this since it is work comp they will fight you tooth and nail if they hear TOS and RSD so be prepared to fight and take notes of all doctors you have seen how long was the visit and what was done and said. You might have to pay for a Dr. Thompson and have the IC pay the appointment if it is shown you have TOS but you need proof and a treatment plan by him also what would happen without his treatment they (IC) might send you than to a second opinion so the game begins there for work comp, but at least your treatment may start which is good. Dena I really pray you do not have TOS and that it is just something minor, now being said some people have had some really good outcomes from the operation if it comes to that. Right now concentrate on your health and take care of your self Doc Thompson will see and take good care of you if it is TOS and if not he will send you to a good doc to help you Dena good luck stay positive. flippn

Tam your suggestions and guidance are so helpful!:)
That is "worth"
I wish I would have found all of you and the forum at the beginning of my "stuff".

I ASSUMED so much :o that everyone was doing the proper things for me and my wc claim, the drs, Atty- not!

My motto now is
"Do Not Assume that everyone has done their job correctly":(

Jo, I LOVE your motto. In fact, I'm adopting it after my latest information not getting passed alot fiasco.

Tam you are correct, Dena do not worry about the IC your attorney will take care of everything as Tam has stated, please understand you must go see a attorney to give you advise for your situation as all cases are different as well as state laws concerning work comp.
I'm going through a rough patch Dena so excuse me for my thoughts that get veered off track at the IC LOL you do have to take care of your self and your needs hope to hear from you soon.

flippn

Tam thank you I should not go off like that :) my personal problems are not everyones else's case......

Update
 

G'Morning all.

The EMG and NCS were yesterday. WOW...that was painful! When she stuck that needle into my wrist I about slugged her! I am able to go pick up the results today, though I don't think I will have time.

Thank you with all my heart for the excellent advice, thoughts and prayers offered in this thread. I love reading them and learning about each of our personalities, experiences and advice. It gives me such a huge amount of perspective, and I am truly blessed to have found this place as early on as I have.
At the risk of boring everyone, I'm gonna put down some of my thoughts on my own experience so far. Maybe it'll help me get things organized and in order in my own head. Also, ever since the clod told me in no uncertain terms that what I have is not TOS, I have been doubting my own TOS suspicions. So if any of the symptoms seem to "not fit" or are right on, maybe you all could let me know.

Symptom History

• Off & on neck and shoulder pain since a cheerleading injury in 1990
• Neck and shoulder pain usually alleviated by chiropractic care
• For the past year, would wake with left arm and/or hand asleep semi-frequently
• Started my new job waitressing 2 months ago. Arm/hand now asleep upon waking most of the time
• Three weeks ago the shoulder, arm and hand began aching while working or using it
• Pain would greatly increase at night, especially while sleeping
• 2 weeks ago pain began to intensify at the inner forearm...feeling could be described as intense burning, stretching, aching. Always worse when laying down.
• Hand goes numb whenever I hold anything upright (phone, cup, cigarette, etc)
• No pain relief using ibruprophen, tylenol or the like
• Heating pads and vibrating massage feel comforting
• Steroid cleared up majority of symptoms within 24hrs
• Symptoms began returning within 1 day of stopping steroids (even though off work for 7 days)
• ! lol, my daughter wants to make sure to tell you that I moan when I wake up. ;)

Things that I have or have not done, that are probably a big mistake :/

• Have not pursued WC in any way. I decided to hold off until I am somewhat sure it is TOS or at least that it is work related FOR SURE
• I have begun saving all of my injury related stuff uin a folder in case I do need it for WC and also to help keep tabs on what I have done and haven't done.
• Have not found a good family doctor to oversee all the specialists, etc. I dont know where to start!
• Let the clod proceed with my EMG and NCS after I was treated with steroids for 4 days
• Am trying DESPERATELY to get back to work. Couple reasons: #1 I need the money BADLY and #2 It'll prove whether it is work related or not.
• I have no "plan" for what to do between now and when I go to see Dr. Thompson in a month. Wait for it to get worse? See someone else? No idea.

So...I have taken into account all of the advice and support offered here. And have used so much of it so far. I am forever grateful to all of you. Here's wishing everyone as much of a pain free day as possible. :grouphug:

The ortho (clod) has no plan of action at all. He simply wrote the two scripts and ordered the EMG and NCS which were yesterday. The Steriods worked so well, I had 4 days nearly pain free! (woooot). It's creeping back as of yuesterday when I began to wean off the steriod. So far IS is covering everything, and I have not begun any WC claims. to be honest, I am afraid of losing my job...and so unclear of how WC works, especially for a 3rd shift waitress who make $8 an hour + tips. Sometimes my tips are $150 a night, sometimes $30.

On a personal level, I am seperated and my estranged husband's IC is the one covering. I don't know how much longer it will cover me, surely until we are divorced (which I have no $$ to file). My work's optional insurance coverage won't be available for another 3.5 - 4 mos.

What work did you do before the waitressing?
You might be able to claim on it.??
not sure how that works though....

another thought, you can call Dr Thompson's office and ask to be put on the waiting list -i f they get any cancellations?
If his office is not to far from you.

Oh did you usually carry the food/trays on one side- or did you use sides equally?
just curious about that- I think favoring one side would be normal but problematic in the long run.

Before waitressing, I was in car sales. No repetitive motions there at all. I had the usual now-and-then shoulder/neck pain I'd experienced most of my adult life.

I think I will call to be put on that waiting list....I live only 45 minutes away from Dr. Thompson. Great idea!

And, YES...I always, almost HAVE to use the same side with the trays/serving style I use. Reason being, that my left side (due to the long ago cheer injury) has always been less stable, so I use it to hand out the dishes, drinks etc, and hold the tray with my right hand. Even though (or maybe because) I am right handed, it worked better to handle the lighter glasses & plates with my left...rather than trying to support the weight of my tray with it.

I am a waitress too! I was just the opposite. Tray in left and hand out with right. What really did me in after injury were those huge trays. I weighed one once. Fully loaded it was 27 lbs. All that balanced on your left wrist, held over your left shoulder. No wonder we are screwed up. Add in my car accident and it is a wonder I can even get up in the morning!
Trix

I too was a waitress for many years. I have much better balance with my right side - with all the sports I do and with carrying trays! I remember holding those heavy things on my shoulder and carrying drink trays over my head...