I know you don't know me, but you were really supportive and gave me loads of wonderful and helpful information when I first came to this forum. My CRPS and TOS keep me from coming here as much as I'd like, as well as my frustrations with other forums (enough said). But I am here today, asking for advice, and I noticed and read your post, as I know yours are always informative.

I am sorry that the W.C. system puts us through so much crud, it's ridiculous. All we did was try to do our jobs, and got hurt. What a great way to be rewarded for being a loyal and hard worker! I have had to go to court to fight for ridiculous things, and then go back and fight again because the Insurance company didn't follow through. It's maddening!

Anyway, I am glad you have a great attorney, and the trial date is set.

I am also glad you are comfortable coming here to vent. It's obvious you have friends here who love and support you. That's awesome, I know it has helped me considerably in the past.

I will keep you in my prayers, and will also pray the trial goes well!

Pain Free Hugs and Good Wishes,

Cala

Hi Vicc, sorry I wasn't here sooner to respond. As you read in that other post, I am going to embark on a human growth hormone therapy for "wasting". I have the same issues you do. You might want to speak to your dr.s about this... it is called Serostim in my case, but that's mainly for aids patients, I think. There are many different types they could try, I'm sure. Or you could wait and see how good or bad it is for me, lol.

Mine was a WC too. It took 7 years to resolve, and only did so because I fired my umpteenth lawyer and went Pro-Per. I was mad enough and determined enough to get the job done quickly. You are absolutely right, the lawyers and insurance co. try to wait you out, knowing most people end up giving up out of frustration.

In Ca. at that time, I had no choice but to use a court-appointed WC lawyer. The law was also that the max Ca. would allow the lawyers to claim as pay was 8 percent. No lawyer worth their salt would work for that fee. Then they made it possible for the clients to pay an additional 6%, making a grand total of 14... whoopee.

I'm sure, if getting a better attorney had been an option, that I would have gotten much more. But for a layman to get $400,000 in medical (paid directly to the dr.s, sheesh) and $30k in pain and suffering stuff. Not much, but better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

I took that money and spent it on the best couple of years of my life I bought an r.v. and Michael and I traveled through some of the most beautiful country in America. Spent a long time in Mexico, too... Baja Ca. I experienced some wonderful magical events in those times, memories I will treasure forever.

It sounds to me like you are going to do much better than I. I pray it is so. Just make sure you do something for yourself and your wife to bring back a little joy in life.

Really, check into those HGH's for your weight issues. I hear the benefits will outweigh the side effects

Rogue

hey vicc i have very strong opinions about w/c in 1998 i had a work related injury and broke my leg in 3 places. i came off the ski mountain on the back of a snomobile. i told my direct superviror who was driving my do what had happened. i told him i would call the office after i figured out on mon.
something random happened when i called to give them the bad news that i had broken my leg in 3 places. the company had in the interm decided i was faking my injuries and demanded my presence at a meeting. i went to the meeting and let them jabbber on about how i had failed to notify anyone at the company (which i had). the company investigator told me flat out the didnt believe my claim and werent going to cover my care....so i got on my cellphone and called a friend in justice and had a polygraph scheduled within 1 hour. the company freaked realizing that i was undoubtedly telling the truth and they really didnt need the bad publiscity. before i left to take the poly they had sceduled my surgery to fix my 3 fractured bones.

w/c definetly sucks but if you go in and wont accept what they have to say you will find that the majority of them throw together their arguments in a matter of seconds.
unfortunately some of us really do need their pathetic system

Hey Vicc,
I too have an enlarged liver. And my liver isn't considered to be a 'sick' liver either. It is called a fatty liver & I can't seem to loose weight *LOL* Want to trade body weight?? I wish I only weighed 134. I hardly eat anything & I still can't loose any weight. I am so darn sick & tired of being over weight. I have liver enzyme blood tests done 2 to 3 times a year. No one has brought up taking me off of my pain meds yet. I take morphine & oxycodone for BTP. I just thought I would let you know this info. The only thing the doctor has said not to do is to not drink alcohol & don't take Tylenol. I never was much of a drinker so that was no great loss giving up alcohol & Tylenot hasn't done much for me as far as pain goes in years so giving it up was no great loss either. I take Aleve for fever or headache.

And you will have blood tests done, a chest xray done and numerous other tests done before you can have the surgery to have the pump implanted anyway. A doctor has to clear you for surgery, which of course means give you a clean bill of health. No one will do any type of surgery without this being done first. So you might as well go along with what tests your GP wants to do & be done with it. Cause even when WC gives the go ahead for a pump, no one will do one with out you receiving a 'clean bill of health' anyway.

Goodluck on the trial next Wed. I am looking into the pump after the end of this year. Brought it up to the doctor in Oct & he said I was an excellent candidate for one, then Ron, our grandson we raised the last 12 yrs, was hit & killed by a DUI & well I just don't have th energy to look into it right now. Its all we can do to get thru each day.

DebbyV

Vic,
I was reading you post, and some replies, and was so happy to see by your second post that your spirits seemed to be lifted somewhat. I could so relate to your first post and have been going through a tough time in the last few weeks and feeling fed up with it all, and really angry about having to go back on methadone again...but out of the blue a random act of kindness by a complete stranger touched my soul and has given me strength where I felt like I had none.
I know it is hard pouring out feelings and venting, but I think this is a really healthy place to do that. We all face this monster RSD each in our own way, but the beauty of a forum like this is that it does give us a place to talk about it..where others will understand. I know I spend so much of my life trying to hide and downplay pain, that it is nice to have a place to 'tell it like it is'.
I believe that there are living angels out there and that sometimes we are lucky enough to come across them. When the pain and the problems get bad it is hard to have faith in ourselves and our purpose here in life...but if we can find it, it is what keeps us going. Hang in there, and I hope you get some answers soon, and some relief as well.
Gentle huggs
Kimberly

Hi Vic.
I Have Not Posted In Months, But I Just Got Off The Phone With My Hip Sister Sue Who Had Her Scs Out, And We Were Talking About You! And So I Came On To Read What Is Going On In Your Life.
I Guess Meds Do A Tune On All Of Us. I Have What My Doctor Says Is A 'virgin Liver' Which Means It Does Not Process Anything Well, And Greatly Limits My Ability To Take Oral Medications, And I Have The Opposite Problem From You In That I Have Trouble Losing The Weight. But The Point Is, If In Time I Need More Pain Medication, It Would Probably Be In The Form Of A Direct 'med To Pain' Pump.
So I Am Hoping Things Go Well, And You Get The Pump, And Then As You Get Off The Oral Junk, You May Have An Easier Time With The Liver ...
You Are Invited To Vent Anytime. And I, Like So Many Others, Am So Thankful For All The Information You Have Shared, And Made Us Think About, Over The Year Or So I Have Been Here. You Are An Asset, And I Hope, Selfishly, That You Are Around For A Long Time ... But Comfortably .... And I Will Pray That You Have Many Nights Of 8 Hours Of Sleep!
Happiest Of Holidays Vic, Joan