Hi, My name is Jennifer. Feel free to call me Jen. I am 38, married and i have 6 children ranging from 7th grade to sophomores in college. I was assaulted while at work by a client in a lock down mental health facility on January 4th 2012. I was lifted off my feet by the front of my throat and had my head bashed against the wall at least 3 times before the client dropped me to the floor. I ended up in the ER a couple hours later when i started developing symptoms of concussion, and then again 4 days after release when symptoms worsened and i started vomiting every time i lifted my head.

I was a temp for the State of Oregon so i was not covered by union and had no job benefits, some of my claims are being covered by workers comp but many are being denied which is frustrating. Since it was an on the job injury i have to see workman's comp physicians and i feel like they are just trying to get rid of me and close the claim. I am just now 6 mos post injury. Thank god that during my 3 wks off i was recalled to a job i had been laid off from previously. My boss at that job is actually the regional president for a TBI Organization so she has been very sympathetic to my recovery.

Since my injury my symptoms include short term memory issues, cognitive issues, headache, brain fog, word finding, speech problems, slurring,, balance, tinnitus, attention span issues, emotional and frustration issues,visual and auditory overload. the list goes on but my attention span on the computer and to typing is short lived and comes in spurts. i am sure you guys understand.

My family has tried to be supportive, but we were a fractured family already. I have a young daughter with Bi-polar disorder, and another daughter who is most likely bi-polaron top of a marriage that is just now coming back together and add me to the mix and it makes a sticky situation. i am usually the pick up the pieces glue that binds the works together person. Now I'm the broken one, that sits on the couch or in the car in the drive way and sobs like the world is ending for no apparent reason. Most days i feel like i am barely getting through it. My family took a huge hit financially by almost 2000 per month when this happened. The job was hard and had no benefits, but it paid well. I was recalled to my old job, but it pays very little compared. I am very grateful to have though. so don't get me wrong I'm not complaining, I'm just saying one other side effect of the TBI to my family was a drastic reduction in income, as well as the fact that my plan to finish school has come to a screeching halt since preschool games sometimes proved complicated for me. lol

So that is me, in my long drawn out story, forgive the typos, i don't have the patience to go back and proof read. my husband thinks it is hilarious considering how much of a spelling and grammar freak i am.

Jen

ps how do i post my shortened version of my story below in a signature like many of when i reply to others so that i don't have to type and retype it?

this should take you to your signature area -
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/pr...=editsignature

or from the FAQs -
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/fa...atures_avatars

Thanks Jo mar, it says I'm not allowed a signature. lol oh well. ill stand by and twiddle my thumbs and wait.

Jen,

I'm sorry to hear about your attack, that sound terrifying. My wife used to work in some really crappy nursing homes as an NA, back when it took nothing to get that kind of job, and she got attacked a lot which was terrifying.

BUT, not as terrifying as the Work Comp system. Your suspicions are most likely correct; they are not at all concerned with your will being. My advice is to seek out an attorney, even if you have one now you need to talk to him or her about your situation and find out if he or she is well versed in the work comp system, and if not go get one. It's not even really an option, from my experience.

It is a struck of good luck you are working for a TBI organization, so I'm sure you are already taking advantage of whatever you can through them. Your own employer is most likely going to be a big help, right now.

Hang in there, and don't refrain from venting here when you feel the need.

Scott

PS my Meds are Topamax 150 mg 2 x daily, Aricept, 5mg at bedtime, paxil 20 mg at bedtime, amitriptyline hcl 25 mg bedtime.

Jen,

Wow, another work place assault. Since you have Oregon WC, you should google 'work comp attorney oregon' You will find quite a list of attorneys. You want one who understands closed head injury/concussion/mTBI.

It is not uncommon for WC doctors to deny your injury because you can walk and talk and look normal. Maybe your boss can help you find a good attorney. There is some good info at www.subtlebraininjury.com and at www.tbilaw.com . You want to be prepared for the different diagnostics they may want you to have. Some are biased against prolonged concussion injuries.

Try to be informed. It will help as you work through both the WC process and your recovery.

My best to you.

Scott, my current "employer" is actually and Education Service District which oversees education services for school districts. My department within that great big entity is Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education. My Boss within that department is the regional president of an organization outside of our business. But yes it helped immensely when i came to work for her because even though by law i did not have to disclose anything about my injury to my employer i felt like i needed my immediate supervisor to know what she was getting herself into by bringing me on board. If you look at my personnel file from my previous years with the company it is glowing. And there was no way i was going to live up to that hype and the raving reviews that my previous department head had given me when she had called him. So i told her about the attack and let he know that i was only to be 4 wks out from injury when i would start work. She was the perfect boss to get in the middle of all of this. Unfortunately she will in our main office and my "home base" is one of my 5 classrooms. In other words i never see her, but we can email as needed and run into each other every few weeks. I travel to different classrooms for my work across 3 counties.

I do not have an attorney and I'm not really even sure how to go about getting one. I can't afford one, i don't know if i have a case against anyone. Who is going to want to take on the state? And the thought of trying to figure that all out my my head crazy. That is where i need someone to hold my hand through things. But short of family saying how they would spend the money no one seems willing to even help search listings.

Here are some WC attorneys who work in the Reedsport area.


http://www.attywhitehead.com/

This attorney has won a PTSD case against a psych home were the worker was attacked/ http://www.schoenfeldlawyers.com/Com...ictories.shtml

This one has brain injury experience but I don't know about WC. http://www.oregonsinjurylawyers.com/...Injuries.shtml

Hope this helps.

Jen,

many attorneys work on a percentage basis; they get a piece of your settlement. Trust me, it's worth the hassle to get one b/c otherwise, the WC system rolls over you. It's expected you will take on the state; they run it almost like our criminal justice system, where both sides are expected to put on their best efforts for their clients.

Just talking to one will cost you nothing. It is unreal how much they get away with when you don't have one.


Scott

Welcome Jen,

I understand everything you're going through as you're story is so much like my own. Especially about the spelling part. I had 100% in English in highschool and now can't remember how to spell some words. I try, but it makes my head hurt too much. So now don't care.

Feel free to PM me anytime if you want.

We're all here for you!

Kelly