I was just wondering....i hurt my shoulder...upper back at work...had mri done on shoulder upper and lower back....got results...can't translate at all....posted hoping someone could answer..no luck yet....the doc i was seeing said he couldnt treat me anymore.and this is an orthopedic doc...sending me else where....without explaining my results...so im waiting for an appointment with this new doc.dont know what kind of doc it is...i believe a pysiologist or something like that...now this is the third doctor i will see for the problem...in work comp cases...is this normal to throw you from one doc to another with no answers of any sort....he i sit still in pain....and just bouncing around like a ball....anyone got some advice? and this injury occured in june 03

Hi slappi,

Are all these doctors referred by w/c? If so.....get out of the rut. Get some referrals from family and friends. Get your OWN doctors. Do so until you get treated effectively. W/C will drag their heels whenever they can. Get a lawyer too. Learn all you can about w/c rules and regulations. What you have rights to, etc. You also need to be a squeaky wheel. They will do "only the minimum" and may also be on "their side"......which is why I suggest you get your own referrals. Have your lawyer refer someone. Good luck to you,.

thanks for the advice....actually i havent even considered a lawyer because the company and w/c is actually cooperating with me for the moment i should say. the doc i was seeing was referred by w/c however the doc he referred me to is not a w/c doc...also...the injury occured in another state..i have since relocated with the company. any suggestions as to which state rules i need to look into? however the doc did release me to full work status....not working to well ... i have pain in my neck and shoulder blades constantly and severe headache..which makes working hard, so im trying to maintain so i have some sort of income coming in. thanks for the advice i really appreciate it.
slappi

:) also ask your attorney about getting you a QRC rep,they help alot also.i been where you are,do what the person said below,or above...lol,some where. get a attorney.i just got my settlement check in the mail today. no more w/c butt wipes.for the most part.i know in most states you can pick your own doctors,maybe all of them not sure. good luck. this whole thing just cost me my wife. so stay strong,keep the ones you love close to you and let them help. thats where i went wrong. i started pushing everyone away.Hi slappi,

Are all these doctors referred by w/c? If so.....get out of the rut. Get some referrals from family and friends. Get your OWN doctors. Do so until you get treated effectively. W/C will drag their heels whenever they can. Get a lawyer too. Learn all you can about w/c rules and regulations. What you have rights to, etc. You also need to be a squeaky wheel. They will do "only the minimum" and may also be on "their side"......which is why I suggest you get your own referrals. Have your lawyer refer someone. Good luck to you,.

:nono: can not stress enough, get a attorney. you will be sorry if you dont.thanks for the advice....actually i havent even considered a lawyer because the company and w/c is actually cooperating with me for the moment i should say. the doc i was seeing was referred by w/c however the doc he referred me to is not a w/c doc...also...the injury occured in another state..i have since relocated with the company. any suggestions as to which state rules i need to look into? however the doc did release me to full work status....not working to well ... i have pain in my neck and shoulder blades constantly and severe headache..which makes working hard, so im trying to maintain so i have some sort of income coming in. thanks for the advice i really appreciate it.
slappi

thanks alot....i think i will be looking for an attorney tomorrow. i surely dont want to be in a mess and noone to turn to in a tight spot. and when i do find out the human meanings to my mri results...which i understand some of it. i will prob. post them as well. i am very new to this whole thing. i have never had anykind of injury like this..so im very new to the whole ordeal. i just know the pain is a killer. and looks like im in for a long haul.
slappi

I totally agree with the other posters...get a lawyer. They may be co-operating now, but just wait until you hit a bump in the road. They are giving you the runaround and you just don't know it yet. An attorny will assure that yours rights are not violated and that you can see a doctor of your own choosing. Please don't delay.
Carol

Hi slappi,

A lawyer is necessary in my book...they don't cost anything out of pocket, just when you win. Research the state laws that the injury occurred in, those will be the ones you'll need to know. If you cannot work full time again, ask the doctor for part time work or work from home or something different. Let them know that a full day's work is too painful for you..especially if there is a commute. You may need to work your schedule around so that you can rest your back and ice or whatever you need to do during the day in order to "just" function properly (if you can call it that)hehe.

Problem with working while in pain....your benefits get messed up. Even working for 1 hour a day can work against you. Look into STD (short term disability) benefits. Your company pays a premium on all their employees. It will supplement the w/c checks. Also, if you are working AND getting w/c checks. Be careful....always be up front with all when you get your money because they all talk to each other (SSDI, SDI, EDD, w/c, STD, LTD, IRS, state tax bureau, etc.).

Whatever you do....don't settle unless you've been fixed or there is no "more" fixin' that can be done. Don't ever EVER sell out your medical benefits either. No matter what....medical benefits for life are worth over $250,000 EASY (according to my lawyer and my doctor)--so don't sell out for a measily few thousand for medical benefits. They WILL try this, which is why I am warning you about this. They usually hope we are in such dire straights that we will take whatever we can get to get the creditors off our backs. It usually works....because we don't know better. Now you do.

Good luck to you.

WOW! i see there is a lot to learn about this. and i am not receiving any benefits at this time. like i said im really new to this so i guess i have a lot to learn. there is some really good advice here. and i gotta first figure out what all is wrong. you know these docs and there lingo...not quite people terms at all. i really appreciate all the input. and i really am understanding how much i need to learn and research. i never really thought it was quite this complicated. WOW is really all i can say. and as far as creditors go...i hang up on them all the time anyway, just a few more wont bother me.....lol caller id was a great invention. i just figured since the doc released me to full work...that i had to go. and i do have a stand up job....where im on my feet all day. and constantly in motion. im so confused at the moment im not sure what i will be facing. he didnt tell me much...just go somewhere else so im not sure what my diagnosis is or what treatments i have to go through.
i can say that for not having much info on the whole thing. you all have been very helpfull. i think this is a great place for people who are looking for info..and i will def. be telling others with problems to check it out. thanks so much.
slappi

You need a lawyer. I got jerked around by w/c tell i got one..... Gl

I would seek a lawyer since you are not getting any information. I have not seeked a lawyer yet because workmans comp paid for everything. They never denied any claims and approved everything like chriopractic, physical therapy x2, steroid injection, massage therapy, all my meds, 2 different surgeon opinions and 2 discectomy surgeries. Like I said, I did not get the run around at all, everything was approved within 48 hours. People told me to just get some advice, which I may do in the future, but haven't yet. The only thing that made me mad was that the sub contracted nurse that was assigned to my case stepped in and put my original appt on hold with the surgeon my primary care insisted I see. She didn't like them because she says they are a pain in the *** to deal with on her side of things. I was naive about it so I went to see who she wanted.

Hotpotato,
How are you doing???? We've been wondering. Did you change the spelling of your name?