Went to the doctor yesterday. Him and the nurse that WC hired are trying to tell me that there is no possible way I have RSD. Because the type of injury I sustained at work doesn't support it. WRONG!!! From all the info I have ever seen about RSD it can still happen. The doctor put in my records there is a possiblity of deQuervain's tenosynovitis. I looked that up. I don't have pain when using my thumb and fore finger in the spot that they say ppl have it in with that problem. I have it directly in my thumb and shoots. Not saying that I don't ever have pain in that area but it isn't very often. My pain is at the area I got hurt and shoots through out my arm. After the appointment the nurse says the doctor is right there is no possible way of it happening from that type of injury. I told her you can get it from a normal shot, she rolled her eyes at me. I'm done with doctors they need to buy a clue. OH and this doctor that I'm seeing now called the previous doctor (bone specialist) he is telling this doctor that I don't have RSD. He also is stating that I was the one who looked up RSD and diagnosed myself. WRONG! He told me to look it up and diagnosed me. My husband was there with me on that appointment.

Hi Iffynah,

How frustrating! I'm sorry your in the middle of WC red tape. Sounds like you need to see a Dr. experienced with RSD. I had never heard of RSD and didn't get correctly diagnosed for 4 years. I've had it 12 years now, full body or generalized. The day following surgery, swollen arm, then frozen shoulder. had PT treatments. Private insurance. Then other shoulder froze up. more pt. then hand injury while water skiing, diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis! Hand froze up. Decided to fly back to Oregon and see a hand orthopedic Dr, never had seen him before, but knew of the sports injury group where I had the surgery that started everything. He diagnosed me in 1 minute after looking at my hand. Had tests, that confirmed it. Started PT. and then came back to Arizona and found a neurologist that confirmed it again and saw a hand ortho who confirmed it and kept going with pt. Was diagnosed too late and only got half of use of my left hand. Then moved to other hand etc. It wasn't till about 4 years ago that my present Dr. a nuerologist, that told my rsd really started with my breast surgery. It all makes sense now.

To get medical compensation, you need to get a correct diagnosis by a Dr. It's really important to tie it into your work related injury. Do you know anyone in your area with RSD? Is there a support group for RSD in a larger city near you? Could you call a hospital and ask if there is a otho, hand, or neuro. experienced in RSD. ? A pain management clinic experienced in overseeing RSD? A WC attorney with knowledge of RSD?

I'm sorry again you have to deal with this on top of your injury. Let us know, when you find a Dr. or anyone to help you. I'll write if I think of anything else. Take care, Loretta

I am so sorry that you have to deal with all of the BS they are putting you through. The WC nurse and the doctor you are seeing are being paid by the WC people and they do not have your best interest at heart. Please take Loretta's advice and get your own doctor with experience in treating RSD patients.

One thing I learned real quick was that doctors who don't treat this monster do not have a clue what they are doing. There are some doctors who do know more, but play crazy when being paid by WC because they don't want to loose the money...They won't stay on the WC payroll long if they rule in favor of the patients.

I know that it is frustrating to deal with all of the hassels, but they want you to give up so they don't have to pay you. So hang in there, document everything possible, and never let them see you sweat!

Take care,

EJ

I went through the he** of wc too in 2003-2004 and then I settled a year and a half after it started.

The thing about them trying to say you dx yourself and then getting your doc to say it,is exactly what they tried to do with me. The 1st Ortho I saw about a month and a half after the rsd started is the one who dx'd me. He asked me if I knew what it was or had heard of it. I gave him a funny look and said...no,never heard of it and haven't a clue! He says,do you have internet access? I say yes and he tells me to go home and look it up. When it came time for my deposition they asked me 10 ways from sunday about that very thing. They tried to say I'm the one who found it and dx myself then convinced the doc it's what I had. ROFLMAO Yeah right.....I told the truth and told them blow by blow what happened at that appt and my truth never changed. They eventually got tired of it and moved on to other things. LOL

WC is particularly nasty no matter what state you live in and even worse when it comes to those of us who end up with rsd. The cuss word of the insurance world. Of course all their docs, I should say most of them, are jerks who will say whatever wc pays them to say.

Do you know the rules in your state about picking and switching docs? I found the rules for Ga and can tell you your rights if you don't know.

As for how you can't get rsd, well.....you can get it from any kind of injury! There aren't certain injuries that result in rsd. *rolls eyes* That sounds like the insurance company talking to me. I know a man up the road from me that got rsd because he cut his finger on a piece of glass sticking out of a garbage bag for goodness sake!! I've talked to lots of people in the last 6 yrs and it's quite a range of injuries and iv sticks even and ending up with rsd.

Do you have a lawyer? I've heard others say you can make that wc nurse stay out of the room when you see the doctor. You have a right to see a doc alone and then the nurse can say what she wants to the doc after your appt is over. Something worth thinking about.

Hugs,

Karen

Thank you all so much. I don't have a lawyer. I started one then told him to stop because of the car blowing up. My husband told me I am calling him Monday or Tuesday (Monday is a busy day for me) and tell him to start up again. The only thing I know of with GA WC is that if your employer doesn't have the state required board of doctors posted then you have the right to see any doctor you choose. The only problem with that is I have no way to prove that they don't have one posted. I got a letter today from the nurse, and she has messed up a lot of information. She also called my previous job (one I was injured on) and they told her I was in a different postition than what I was. The only support group around this area is over an hour away. I have no friends down here nor do I know anyone here. So I have no way to get there. I also don't know anyone with RSD besides all of you on this site. The nurse told me that there is a PM doctor that is experience in this. Oh that's another thing. She tells me b4 my appt that it sounds like RSD. Then after seeing the doctor she agrees with him that with my type of injury its not possible for me to get it. I sent her a nasty little email today. I told her you gonna roll your eyes at me. go to this website and put one there and told her to read up on it. I'm just so fed up. I'm trying to hang in there but they are making it hard. Hopefully one day they will wake up and realize. Anyway, I'm sleep. Sleep is getting more and more rare with it getting cold out and there seems to be a very cold breeze that flows through the house. So I wake up anywhere from 1-5 times in the middle of the night.

I found these earlier while doing a search just in case you needed them. Below are a couple of things that address the whole issue of posted or not. There's also more on each site to read. At least this way you'll be up on the rules a bit more. I guess since you had a lawyer the whole posted panel thing was addressed already. Just skip what you don't need here and take what you need. *Hugs*

I found this on a Ga wc website under the Q & A:

What if there is not a Panel of Physicians?

By law, you have the right to treat with any doctor you choose at the Employer’s expense. You should take a photograph of the area in which legal notices are posted at your job site to verify that no panel exists. Also, if a panel exists but it does not comply with the law, for example, if it has less than 6 doctors, it is treated as if there is no panel of physicians at all .

Is my Employer required to explain the Panel of Physicians and other procedures to me?

Yes. In order for the Panel of Physicians’ rule to apply, not only does a Panel have to be posted but the Employer must take reasonable steps to insure that the Employees know the function of the panel and how properly to obtain medical care and treatment.

http://www.chestnutlegal.com/workerscompfaq.html

Another site: http://www.workerscompensation.com/r...ia&category=EE

Another one I found on the whole panel posting thing:

Someone told me that if I am hurt on the job, my employer gets to choose which doctor I can see. Is this true?

Under Georgia law, your employer has the first opportunity to control where you receive medical treatment. As you might imagine, there are often disputes between employers and employees over what constitutes proper medical care.

As noted above, in emergency situations, judges at the State Board of Worker's Compensation will usually uphold your right to seek emergency care. Once the emergency is over, however, your employer has the right to dictate where you seek care.

Every employer with workers' comp insurance is supposed to have a Posted panel of physicians from which you can choose a doctor. Often these panels are pink in color and are printed on legal sized (8” x 14") cardboard paper (they do not have to be pink or legal sized, however). A valid panel must contain the names, addresses and phone numbers of at least six (6) unassociated medical providers and one them must be an orthopedist.. It is NOT a valid panel if there are 6 clinics on the panel or 6 hospitals. Some employers use what is called an MCO Panel - which is similar to an HMO in terms of treatment choice.

In addition to posting six medical providers, your employer is required to explain to you how the panel works.

If your employer's panel does not meet requirements or if you were never explained how the panel works, your employer, in theory, forfeits the right to control where you seek treatment, and you can go to any doctor you wish and the insurance company must pay for the treatment.

Obviously, control of your medical treatment is a very important issue and your employer and its insurer will fight to prove that their panel was valid and that it was explained to you. If you have the opportunity, we recommend that you try to get a copy of your company's posted panel (ask a friend to photocopy it or write down what it says). We have been successful at hearings and won control of medical treatment for several clients by showing the judge a copy of a bad posted panel. Unfortunately, we have also seen several instances whereby companies correct deficiencies in their posted panels after an job injury and lie about the timing and location of the posting...

http://www.georgia-workers-compensation.com/faq.html#10

Found this tidbit:

Common issues which arise in litigated workers' compensation cases are whether an Employer had a valid panel, was it posted and has the employee been properly instructed on its use. A panel should be posted in areas easily assessable to all employees and where necessary in more than one location. A system which has proven effective in proving knowledge by an employee of a panel and its use is to have the employee sign a copy of the panel and instructions regarding the panel at the time of hire or during orientation. This signed copy should be maintained in the employee's personnel file. Should it become necessary, this document may be used in court to prove the employee's knowledge of the panel and its proper use. http://www.gaworkerscomp.com/wna0998.htm

Here's the link for the state statutes for you. What you would want to look at is Title 34. Click the + sign to expand a section and then another plus sign to expand again to see each statute to read. I found it a bit of a pain because when you click on a particular statute, and want to go back it won't go! http://www.lexis-nexis.com/hottopics/gacode/

Hi , I feel very sorry for the trouble you are having with your WC people. I had a similar situation with a lawyer during a deposition, I carried out a law suit over my inquiry, and he also insisted that I dx myself and found all my information about RSD on the internet. He kept asking the same question just in different ways. When you are dealing with these type of people who are trying to look good for there clients I have found out you have to act just like them. Don't let them push you around , or get you upset that's what they want. My attorney had warned me that that was the only thing they could really fight in my case was my self dx as he put it, my case was pretty cut and dry. And yes I did win. But the other side put me through hell. I also agree with the other's who responded. If you have private insurance try and go to the best doctor in your area. For some reason attorneys,WC people act differently when the doctors are well known and have great reputations. I also armed myself with some of the best doctors including one who is well known in RSD. I can't tell you how much that helped my case. I know it is so hard to fight when you don't feel well. Keep the faith. I hope you feel better and the fight gets easier.

Best to you,

Gabbycakes

Way to go EJ,

I agree completely! That's just the way it is wih the WC junk. Not fair, but we can't expect justice in the medical or legal system. sometimes we get it, but in my opinion, most of the time we don't. They are the ones with the deep pockets, and insurance companies have the high paid lawyers on top of the whole thing. Take care, Loretta

Karen, that was some great information. I personally have never had to fight WC, but read way too many stories about it.

Any some of us didn't get diagnosed in the 'window of opportunity' and suffer much worse today because of it.

If I knew then'12 years ago' what I know now, I know for sure I would have filed a malpractice suit against the Dr. causing it and the Dr. misdiagnosing me,

Just never realized I would become uninsurable, except on group policy, which I have because we own our own business.

My mom died at age 46 and I took care of her for several months-cancer No hospice back in 1973. She was misdiagnosed and responsible negligence of her car. We got a malpractice attorney a hundred miles away, had a video depo. of her as we knew she wouldn't be alive at trial. The judgment was in our favor for all medical, and loss of her life and pain and suffering. I'll never recover from her dying, but am so grateful I had those last precious months with her. I was only 25.

I person just can't even grasp the long consequences of rsd and the expense, loss of income from not being able to work. The Dr. that diagnosed me gave me printed info on it, but he was in the state were my surgery was and we had moved half way across country.

Take care, I see my Dr. tomorrow, He's moving in a year or so. So I'll be hunting again soon.Loretta

Sorry to be getting in late. Here's the opening couple of paragraphs from a good article published on the RSDSA site:

Workers' Compensation 101: An Overview of WC for Employees With Work-related CRPS
By R. Steven Shisler, Esquire

Workers' compensation (WC) laws generally vary from state to state. As I am admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania, this article only will address WC issues in accordance with Pennsylvania law. Explanations of the law and recommended strategies are not applicable to those whose claims fall outside of the Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act (PWCA). Also, because strategy and professional judgment are fact specific and may vary among claims, this article is written for your general knowledge only.

Lastly, if you are seriously injured at work, and especially if this results in CRPS, I strongly suggest that you retain an attorney as soon as possible after the injury. It is simply too dangerous to pursue your claim without counsel. Regardless of your relationship with your supervisor and the company, remember that your employer's insurance carrier controls the WC benefits and is most concerned about paying as little as possible. The attorney you retain must represent claimants (employees) in WC matters and also should have some knowledge of CRPS. . . .

Link to the rest of the article here: http://www.rsds.org/4/resources/wc_101html.htm