Surgeon appt, update thread on what is going on

[vicklynn]

I went to the Surgeons office on Monday.
I really like them.
They took 3 more xrays and I am scheduled for an MRI on the 30th. Its one with the dye in it. Never had one but hear they can make ya feel cruddy for a day or 2.
I have a med I have to take before the MRI and have people lined up to take me, take care of the horses, ect, babysit me, in case Bob is not home.
Bob comes in this Friday and is going to try to get turned right around, in hopes it will bring him home for the procedure.

Thats my update for now.
Ill keep this thread for what is going on.

Oh, I also found out I got pretty screwed when I was on Work Comp last time. I hear about settlements, and I guess I should of gotten a pretty big one. Heck, I was off work for 1 1/2 yrs, then fired as soon as the Work Comp finished with me. I could of went after the company for that.
I now know more, and have a good Work Comp lady watching out over me, making sure Im taking care of me.

[TLC97]

Sounds like good news Vick. I babysat a friend who had that same type fo MRI and she found that drinking tons of water to help flush the stuff out of her system really helped. She has had a few of them. I will ask her what else worked better.

[vicklynn]

Thank you. Also, could you ask her how long it took her to get past it, when she felt better.
I am going to tell my boss, dont plan on me being on schedule the next day.

[lovesfortune]

Glad you met with the dr. and seem to like them. My daughter was supposed to have xrays with dye (for a bladder/UTI issue) but we decided to wait and see if she gets another UTI before we go ahead. Scares me that they have to sedate a 2 year old.

But - it's nothing like yours, and it's not an MRI - so I hope yours goes smoothly! Drinking lots of water to help flush things out sounds like a good idea as well.

Good luck! Hope Bob is able to be there to help out!

[Gypsy Rose]

Glad to hear things are moving forward towards you getting to feel better! Hopefully, Bob will be able to be there to help out.

[vicklynn]

Glad you met with the dr. and seem to like them. My daughter was supposed to have xrays with dye (for a bladder/UTI issue) but we decided to wait and see if she gets another UTI before we go ahead. Scares me that they have to sedate a 2 year old.

But - it's nothing like yours, and it's not an MRI - so I hope yours goes smoothly! Drinking lots of water to help flush things out sounds like a good idea as well.

Good luck! Hope Bob is able to be there to help out!
I sure hope she dosnt have to go through this at such a young age.
Heres hoping for no more UTIs.

[Petra]

Good luck Vick! Sounds like you are not going to have much fun. Glad to hear you have someone there to take care of you.

[hoofservant]

Good Luck, vicklynn. The contrast dye MRI will be able to tell them so much more. Drink lots of water, enough that you feel like you are peeing every 20 minutes to flush that dye out of your system. ;)

Yeah, Workers Comp is loads of fun to deal with. Good to hear that you have someone who is decent to work with, unfortunately, that is a rarity. If you do take a payout, make sure that they don't get you with the clause that states that they don't have to pay for the injury or related problems in the future. That is the way that they usually nail you. The payout never is enough to cover the future medical costs.

My cousin hadn't heard of that surgeon, but she was going to check with a therapist that she works with who knows everyone who is a orthopedic in the area.

[vicklynn]

Thanks hoofservant. I appreciate you checking for me.
If he is as good a surgeon as his concern was for me while there, then Im in great hands.
His PA was pretty awesome too!

[alittleoffkey]

I've had an MRI with contrast done before. It didn't bother me at all afterwards, but I drank a TON of water to help clear it out of my system. I also ate celery with a little peanut butter and other 'light' foods with a lot of water in them for a couple of days. I hope yours won't bother you. :)

[vicklynn]

Aww, thanks for the info ALOK. I love celery and PB!!! Plain lettuce with a dash of salt or dip.
Hmm, Ill have to search out foods now, things to eat for a couple days.
ALOK, did you take time off work for yours? Im thinking a day? I dont know.

I was just told NOT to talk to my Work Comp person, or my boss, and to get an lawyer.
Im confused.

I have a good Work Comp person, but was told they act like that to get to you.....????
She has actually asked me if Im sure I can work. I see that as concern, heard it in her voice, or is she that good????? I dont know.
I have to tell my boss I cant do things that involve my right arm, when I need to go to a Dr appt if it effects work. If she asks, I dont want to be rude.
I know not to sign any papers, thats a given. Ive learned alot, but think that some of this comes from people who had bad WC issues like I had yrs ago.
If I knew then what I know now, Id of had THOUSANDS of bucks. I got NOTHING, no settlement, no kiss, nothing. I didnt know I needed a lawyer.
Do you get one anyway? Just cause? Makes no sence if things are working out for the best.

[oursarge]

Good Luck hope everything goes OK. Medical procedures can be so scary but hopefully this will get you better.

[Gliderider]

Vick hope your scan goes well.

My husband works on and installs MRI's for GE. He said most people have no ill feelings after the dye. Without doing anything special. I had one with Dye on my head and it did not effect me at all. I didn't drink extra water or anything. He does say the water will flush it from your system but is not necessary. What bothered me was I am very claustrophobic.

[Horseaholic]

Hrm....I've had the contrast dye. (The kind u can't get if ur allergic to shell fish) and I didn't feel yucky at all...it wasn't even mentioned to me that I might. I'm pretty sensitive too. Maybe it was a dif kind of contrast dye?? Or I just got lucky. ;)

I hope everything goes well for ya vick.

[Horseaholic]

Oh now I see gliderider's post n I guess I was just in that group of no ill affects.

I hope you're in that group too!

Yes...the mri's get boringggg. I'm not a claustrophobic kind of person but toward the end there I was beginning to wonder if they forgot me n if I was going to have to hit that panic button.

[JackieB]

We'll be thinking of you, Vick.

[Equine_Woman]

Oh yes, we'll be thinking of you tons!!! I hope they get it all straightened out so you can get better!!!! Keep us posted!

[Remali]

Hoping everything goes well for you Vick. We'll be thinking of you, check in when you can.

[hoofservant]

vicklynn, who told you to get a lawyer and stop talking to Worker's Comp?

You do have to be careful what you say to your advocate. And yes, they can be sweet and then turn around to bite you on the butt later on. Mostly, when you talk with her, if she starts asking if you feel that you can return to work, tell her that you are under a physician's care and until such time as you are released, you cannot return to work, nor are you willing to violate the restrictions you've had placed on you. If she presses the issue, refer her to your physician's office. Do not answer questions, especially when they are asked about your return to work. Don't get chummy, don't share information and so on.

The fact that your horse may have tried to lengthen your arm one afternoon may be what they need to throw out your eligibility for it to be a worker's comp case. Relaying that to your advocate means that its relayed on and can cause there to be doubt as to the origin of the injury. If there is any shadow of doubt that the injury wasn't caused by work, they can deny your claims and your health insurance is stuck footing the bill. That can open a whole can of worms with pre-existing conditions and so on.

If you aren't having problems, leave well enough alone. However, keep copies of every single document, records of when you went to doctors, anything to do with caring for the injury, dates of conversations with notes and so on. Its all about CYA.

Don't forget, Workers Comp works for your employer. The employer pays the premium because its the law, that insurance has to be inplace in order for them to have legal employees. So, what you say to Worker's Comp is also being said to your employer.

[vicklynn]

But I do work. I am not suppose to lift, push or pull over 2lbs...so my right arm is pretty usless. I spread blankets, pet dogs, stand inbetween snippyness, ect. When the Work Comp lady asked if I can work, she sounded like she wanted me to say no, because of the extreme light duty I am on. Like she would rather that I didnt work. I have had a conversation with her, just about stuff, my frustration, wanting my life back, and what to do. She actually told me to talk to my Dr. ASAP and push them for an answer, that was a couple weeks ago, Ive seen the surgeon sence. When we talked about the horses, it was my frustration that I couldnt do ANYTHING with them. Any talk of my shoulder is of the pain and loss of use of it and I really think she feels for me. When she tries to set Dr appts for me, she gets frustrated about when I can make them because my boss has issues with me making them during working hrs, even if thats all they have to offer. She has honestly pffft my boss to me about it and I tell her I understand, but my hands are tied. I have to comply with Workers Comp AND I have to comply with my boss. I didnt do much today and am pretty damn sore. I suck it up, but if this pain dosnt cease that Im having today, I may just call my Dr and say hey, Ive had enough. Im serious, I baby the snot out of this arm, ask anyone, but use it enough as to not have it lock up. Use as in moving back and forth, laying blankets, ah heck, its hard to describe. My arm, shoulder to elbow stays tucked to my side most of the time and it still hurts. I smile through it and have learned to laugh through the pain, but this has come to a head where I dont know if I can continue on with it like this. I so wanted to bite someones head off today and no one knew it. I shouldnt feel like that. I just kept truckin on and smiling and laughing.
Oh, my ex supervisor who just got fired said that about not talking to Work Comp or my boss, and to hire a lawyer.
This was easy going until I started getting advice from negative people. I do know that I need to see about a settlement though and NOT get messed over like I did the last time.
I think I need to at least talk to a work comp lawyer, find out what is actually going on.

[vicklynn]

Been in lots of pain on and off, more today to the point I was in tears at work.
Doc gave me a script for Hydrocodone. I likey Mikey. I just hope I can take it while at work.
Took 1/2 after lunch, sitting on the lounger and I remember waking up..lol. Nice. Makes the pain less too. Its still there, but less.
Im a med weenie, light weight.




Hydrocodone

[Gypsy Rose]

I'm sorry you're still in so much pain, Vicky! I hope the docs will be able to get everything fixed for you. You've been in pain for far too long.

[vicklynn]

Thanks GR. Had a lawyers office call me today. Found out that Im suppose to get the money back that I paid out to my chiro, prior to my boss putting me on Work Comp. Thats 6 weeks of treatments, some twice a week, at 35 to 60 bucks a pop. Ill call them in if I need to. Ill call my work comp lady tomorrow and tell her about it. She said she didnt think they would before. I bet they will now. The lawyers office also told me about how the settlement works, so Im up on that too. They get their doc to check me out, yet I get my doc to check me out, then agreements come into play. I also have info from a friend, and I will be using that too. I got messed over by L & I in Wa state. Not happening again.

[Gypsy Rose]

That's good to hear that you're on top of things!

[hoofservant]

Ahhh... didn't realize that you were still working. It might not be a bad idea to talk with either doctor and see if one or the other will sign paperwork to take you off of work until you have the surgery. Mostly on the grounds that you may be doing more damage even with the small movements.

Having worked as a therapist at an osteopath's office that specialized in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, I saw too many times where patients got in the groove of being friendly with their insurance rep, either for car, health or worker's comp, and it came back to bite them in the end. The rep IS there to help you, but only to a certain point. It sounds like the rep you have is a good one, but be careful. Document everything. I've heard LOTS of horror stories.

When you talk to the lawyer, ask him/her what the extent of your conversations with the Workers Comp Rep should be.

[vicklynn]

Howdy! Just stopping in before bed.
That was a piece of cake......LMBO......after I stopped shaking and crying cause they were gonna stick needled in me I HATE needles.
I turned my head away, told the Dr. not to tell me when he was going to stick the needle in.
The girls were great. They stayed and patted my leg, moved the camera machine he used to see where he needed to go. They inserted lots of local while going in!!!!!!!!!!! and !!!!!!!!
During the actual MRI I was able to relax, the meds really kicked in then cause I wasnt stressing and I fell asleep for 90 percent of the MRI. The other 10 percent I was in lala land so it didnt matter anyways that I was in the tube. Dr said I may be stiff for a couple days. I can deal with that.

Mom took me to dinner after and we just spent the rest of the night talking.
It was great spending time alone with her. She just left and Bob should be coming in the door soon.

Oh, my Dr appt is on the 9th, so I wont know the results until then.

[Horseaholic]

I'm glad everything went well! Mommy time is always good time :). Keep us updated.