Hello,
it is so nice to find this place. I feel your pain all of you I have read about you and I feel I should introduce myself to you, my name is Lilly my friends just call me Lil. I can remember the day I got this horrible RSD it was in 1996 I was working with a temporary person the company brought in oh this young man was not paying attention and was showing off and dropped a empty pallet on my right feet it was like right than and there it was instant pain but with burning little did I know what I was in store for.
I worked for this factory for over ten years it was a good job in my area of Missouri in the Ozarks, not many jobs, and not many paying much. So I was happy and my income was good for these parts, as some of you in small towns know. I was taken to the hospital by a co-worker and the emergency room did they’re thing and said nothing was broken just a bad bruise and to stay off it and to follow up. I did what I was told and yet my feet was not getting better but the pain kept getting worse and worse, I could not understand it and the doctors the company sent me to did not help they all said nothing was wrong I was crying and begging for help so they sent me to a therapist who was telling me stress was causing all this I looked at her and said how can stress cause my feet to swell up and turn blue and burn! Oh, I broke down again. I was told to find a lawyer so I did I thought this man new what to do he said don’t worry this is how the system works they want to scare you. I told him everything that happened to me and what was done he said he has a doctor to send me to so I went to his doctor who said RSD I asked him what is this and he told me a little about it and said that I need to be seen by a specialist for this. I was scared yet HAPPY some one had a name for what I had funny to say that but so true for me.
I will not go into everything I know it is hard to read sorry for my spelling, I went to a specialist finally and started treatments for this the work comp people said I had this and my lawyer said it and that I will never get better so I was told to settle and move on with my life, as I applied for SSDI and was getting that so my lawyer said we should settle I was in debt so I did settle for almost 20 thousand. If I knew then what I know now I would have never settled, no use crying over it I have other things to cry about.
I now have to rely on my church and others for help, I have a nice couple next door who go to my church and give me rides there, they came over a week ago and put up plastic on my windows since they rattle they said and cold air comes in, also they came by and help me get my fire wood in my house and on my porch, I thank them so much for helping me. I have meals on wheels come by and I talk to them awhile, also have to go to Saint Louis for treatments and have people at my church take me there it is such a long ride to get help. I feel like I owe everyone for helping me, like I am no use and cant do anything for myself anymore without help. I had people come by from church the young kids this past summer and paint my outside of my house since it looked so bad, I feel like I’m the town charity case they got me this computer to help so I don’t feel so alone. I hope to talk with others in Missouri too.
I have RSD and was once self reliant and did things now I’m no use, I hope I can be on your board with you I just do not want to be a Burdon any more. Thanks Lil.

Welcome Lilly!!

Please know that you will never be a burden on here... EVERYONE here is WONDERFUL. I have found that we are all free on here to vent, yell, scream, whine, complain, moan when we feel like it.. we also laugh, hug, help, and are there for one another.

Thank you for sharing your story... feel free to share as much as you are comfortable... join in as much as you would like!!

Again... Welcome!!!

Abbie

Hi Lil,

and welcome. I know you will find this a great place to drop by. Some useful information and lots of support to get you over the rough spots. Actually, RSD is more potholes than pavement, but you know what I mean.

I was diagnosed in 1996 (but injured in 1995), so we have that in common. And I'm not in Mo, but live only 22 miles from Joplin. Lived in Carthage for a couple of years.

I wish I could offer you some useful information today, and believe I will in the next few months, but I'm going to use your post (and your experience) to try to provide something useful for some people.

There are lawyers who only represent worker's comp claimants: they come in two types, the ones that advertise on TV and only want a quick settlement for as little work as possible; and the good ones.

The good ones know the system (so do the bad ones; they use it to make a quick buck at the worker's expense).

The good ones know that they have to be in it for the long haul; that they could make more money fixing traffic tickets or getting drunk drivers off, but they care. I was lucky, I got a really great good one.

She laid out the ground rules the first time I met with her: "I can die on any hill you choose, but if you're smart you'll let me do my job". I let her do her job.

After a while, I saw that she was on my side and she knew what she was doing. That allowed me to stop thinking about what I should do. Stop worrying about doing something wrong.

My work comp ordeal lasted five years and involved a w.c. whore who wrote that I was not only faking this injury, but I had been faking a 1979 wc injury too.

We had several hearings. We had to fight for every test and treatment and fight to make them start paying me again. We won every fight. All of the facts were on our side: the MRI's, the Ct scan, the EMG; everything. But I've known others who had the facts on their side and still got screwed.

If you are fighting work comp you need a lawyer who doesn't do anything but fight work comp. The judges know them, they see them all the time, and if they know they are rigidly honest, that counts. Sometimes. Work comp judges are appointed by the governor, and if he/she is part of the party of privelege, you are still in an uphill fight.

Even these judges are not as corrupt when they are dealing with one of the good ones. They know that a fighter will take an appeal to the Appeals Court; and judges hate to be reversed. It makes them look bad.

My lawyer got everything we needed, and even more than that: they had to make it part of the settlement that they couldn't fire my neurosurgeon (I recently wrote a post describing what a great guy he is), and if he prescribed something, they have to pay for it. If they refuse, she can get another hearing, and THEY have to pay her - win or lose.

So far they've paid for a power and a manual chair; a lift for my car, and a wheelchair ramp. Plus years of prescriptions. They don't even suspect it yet, but after they pay for my intrathecal pump and my power hospital bed, they are in for a shock.

My lawyer is absolutely sure they will have to pay for that new handicapped equipped van I've been looking at. We may have to have a hearing on that one, but she's sure we'll win. She hasn't lost yet.

Get the best lawyer you possibly can. Get one of the good work comp lawyers. If you find one and he/she starts using dirty words like "settle" for less than 100%, start looking for another lawyer; you didn't get a good one...Vic

Welcome to the family.

I have been sick since 87 but have had RSD since around 2000. I got it from having TOS surgery. I believe I had it before the surgery but the surgery brought it out.

I never had to fight WC but I see so many that go through hell trying to get theirs. I can't believe how WC is allowed to screw people over like it does.

As far as being a burden. If your friends didn't want to help you they wouldn't so you should remember that.

I live alone now and have to depend on my kids a lot and I'm going through the guilt thing also. It's hard not to feel that way when we have always been so independent. My husband and I were both disabled but we always took care of everything ourselves. After losing him I'm trying to learn how to accept help from my family and friends also.

I hope you stick around. You will meet a lot of good people here and will learn a lot. It's a great place to vent as Abbie says. People will help you through a lot of bad days.

I'm sorry that you are going through what you are but now that you have found the forum you know you are not alone in this.

Ada

Oh Lil....I feel for you......

Could you please send me a private message and set it up so that I can ask you a few questions. I have some experience in the Workers Comp area and might be able to help.

Both my husbands injuries and thus the RSD conditions were/are work related. A lot of times people who are suffering dont know where or how to look for information regarding laws, etc.

Give me a hollar

Lil, I hope you know you are not alone in this fight..it sounds like that every one just wants to help you not like you are a burden to anyone. Stay strong I'm in Mo. also I hope you see all the people who care..
flippnout