Hello and Welcome,

I am sorry you had to come join us. It sounds like you have really been through the wringer and have a lot going on right now. The WC issues must certainly be adding to your stress. You will find support and understanding here. There are a few members who have dealt with WC who will hopefully see this and respond. Thanks to Catra on the advice, this is an area I know nothing of.

Depression and anxiety are not uncommon with chronic pain and illness. There is a lot to process and it can feel overwhelming. Don't keep that stuff in. Get help if you need it. Some therapists specialize in pain and can actually help improve your coping skills for dealing with it and the losses it can bring.

I am glad you are open to having another procedure if it is indicated. Surgeons often shy away from CRPS patients and certainly you shouldn't be in flare if having anything done. But if they are able to address an underlying causitive problem it can help your pain and outcome. There are some studies out on this very issue.

May I ask what your EMG study showed?

You might find this video helpful if you haven't seen it already. It is by a compassionate and highly regarded CRPS specialist, Dr. Pradeep Chopra. He is full of useful tips on treatments and therapies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3LKhOZ8mAM

Hold on to hope. Many people improve over time and are able to get a good part of their life back. I hope that you are one of them.

Sending thoughts of healing and comfort,

Hi and welcome to the forum,

Although I chose not to go through Worker's Compensation, I have dealt with them in the past. I could have gone through Worker's Comp but couldn't get over the idea of suing my dad to reopen a 12 year old claim. I was given advice by a lawyer that you never want to settle if you can avoid it. If you do settle and are able to return to work, any issues that you might have with your hand at a later date will not be covered by your worker's comp and might be a difficult fight with your health insurance company to cover it.

I was lucky with worker's comp originally. I had absolutely no issues with them continuing coverage from day 1 to 3 years after my original accident.

Best of luck to you what ever you do decide.

I would also recommend watching Dr. Chopra's video. It may be long but is very worthwhile to educate yourself on treatments.

Unfortunately I am another one dealing with WC. My injury date was July 2013 and it has been a battle. Before you settle here are a few things I have come across during my war with WC but like Catra said laws differ from state to state. Also I was so lucky because my lawyer already knew about CRPS and won several cases involving CRPS.

The first thing I would do is make certain they are accepting responsibility for the CRPS. In my case they argued they were only responsible for the injury nothing else. In December a judge sided with us so now they finally have to cover the CRPS as well ( I was diagnosed in December 2013).

Another thing I have found helpful is save every document, every letter every scrap of paper related to your injury. I have a large plastic tote filled with file folders that are stuffed with paperwork. I also scanned everything in and saved it to a thumb drive because it is easier than lugging the tote everywhere.

Before you settle just remember that CRPS is a life long condition. You may go into remission but there is a risk for it to come back. I sat down with my husband and we estimated costs of treatments and medications and that number alone is more than most insurance companies are will to spend. When we were in negotiations to possible settle we asked for a number we had agreed upon plus full medical for CRPS. The full medical was something that I personally was not willing to budge on, but everyone is different.

My lawyer warned me that they will probably try make your life hell (sorry but this the best word I could think of) because they want you to get fed up and settle. I know that every case is different and mine may be worse than others and I hope yours is easier.

Don't be afraid to ask your lawyer questions because it is very easy to get confused in the wonderful world of WC. I know it can be hard to deal with WC in addition to the pain you are in and it sucks. Luckily there are many great people here that are always willing to offer info and support. I know sometimes it helps just knowing that you are not alone and there are people fighting the same fight.

Sorry to write a novel! Let me know if there is anyway I can help

I have already experienced by own personal brand of hell from WC. They have missed payments, slow to respond for new appointments.....7 months to be able to get into the neurologist to get the diagnosis.

So far they have accepted responsibility for payments for the CRPS. My previous work injuries showed that I am not faking it. I have almost cut my pinky off and put a nail through the same finger, both times I was back at work the following Monday.

Like you I have a huge plastic tote with everything in it and a huge electronic file containing everything, including emails.

When I was coming up with numbers I was adding pain management therapy until retirement age. I figure that I would have been covered until I retired from work place injuries until then and it should be covered. My number that I finally came up with is 400K+.

It is not what I would feel comfortable with (like walking away with a smile) but it is a number that we can use to seek pain therapy, another possible surgery, cover the costs of re-education, and lawyers fee. My wife decided to go back to school to become a nurse after I injured myself. She will become the new bread-winner of the family and my income will be for play.

I have the same problem with comp not paying my bills, I now have over $20,000 of unpaid bills. I really hope the insurance company will be willing to give you what you need. Good luck to you and your wife I know nursing school can be a challenge but it pays off in the end.

Another new development that has been going on this past week. My left hand (the one I did not have surgery on) is on fire. The skin is cold to the touch and internally it feels like it is made of lava. This does not give me hope... now both of my hands feel like I want them to amputate.

I hope you aren't really serious about amputation.
It is not recommended for RSD/CRPS..at all.
Past posts mention the pain is still there /or phantom pain.

The EMG showed that my nerves are fine and my muscles are 100% healthy.