Workers Comp Continued:

March 2006

Yes in fact it is a system in place to protect employers from litigation. In addition there are other systems that work in concert to make sure the employers lawyers are given up to date information as to the planned actions of the injured worker. CareWorks is one of these systems. Every step of the way in my supposed recovery process, I was hounded by nurses that were "just calling to see how everything was going and see if there was anything I needed" and pumping me for information that they could funnel to the Cities' Lawyers, to use to side step or prevent any request I could make, to attempt to get the treatments I would need to get better.

They acted and sounded concerned. Except of course, the first one. Who didn't bother to find out if I was on drugs that would prevent me from driving safely, before ordering me back to work. That was rich, she said I "was in no way hurt and should stop malingering and get back to work". I was returned to light duty, driving myself to work daily, for three months while I waited for the two surgeries I required to be able to use my right arm and left leg. I have since been waiting over two years for the doctor that will decide if there is anything that can be done to stop the numbness and tingling in my right shoulder and arm. And if there is a repair possible that will allow me to use my back again, without days of spasm and sciatica following carrying a 20 pound box up my driveway.

There was nothing wrong with me though, even though I finally recieved a full and total disability retirement. I can walk and move and some days dress myself, and some days it's real tough, even though I take it real easy. There are things I can't do now, that only a few months ago I could, and it's getting worse. So I'm hoping that now that Workers Comp thinks I'm done with them, they will stay out of the way, until I get the things that can be fixed, fixed and go back after them to pay for it. Of course, I pay over $400.00 a month for insurance for myself and my wife as it is, so I figure I'm payed up to get some things fixed anyway.

But the "real burn my ass" part of it is, that if I was some ball player or overpaid sports figure, I would have been fixed and rehabed properly, and returned to action in a couple months. Rather than strung along and screwed over for three years so that the uncorrected problems would compound and deteriorate to their current condition. But then, what is a 50 year old fireman worth on the open market? Particularly if he can't, lift, push, pull, or carry anything? And even more importantly, if the drug levels in his blood are sufficient to prevent any consideration for a critical thinking operation, such as driving, or presentation.

Another great idea in the movement to get injured workers back to work is the extra step recently instituted to require the doctor to double order the necessary drugs. If you need more than aspirin, you will have to get the drug preauthorized before you can get it, so not only does the doctor have to write a prescription, but they also have to get an additional authorization from the same incompetent nurses that will send you out on the highways, driving to work, while taking drugs clearly marked "do not drive or operate machinery while taking these drugs." Talk about your basic genius plan, you are in pain and need drugs to make it bearable, so you struggle into the doctors to get a prescription for the pills you need, then in their ultimate wisdom, the same jack asses that are there to make sure you never return to work, are able to make sure you can't get them for a couple weeks. Of course the druggist offers to dispense them on your dime, knowing there is no way you can wait, or ever hope to recover the cost. Brilliant, screw the injured worker yet again.

I'm obviously rambling at this point, but then I'm drugged to the gills, even typing is an effort. I can't sit in one place very long or stand or, anything, without it hurting, so I take another pill. When I get back to reality, or it's drug stained relative, I sit down and try to pick up where I left off. And I get so mad sometimes, I just have to go back and erase all the explosive things I've written, and start over. Right now my hands are going numb again, so I have to stop for now. I'll never get this all done.

May 2006

Since writting the previous paragraphs, I have been sent for an evaluation to see what the "permanent partial award" will amount to, as I understand it the Workers comp program hires those docotors that are the ones that are the answer to the riddle, "What do you call the last guy in his class at medical school?" Doctor! Anyway there hasn't been one of them so far and I've seen a half dozen that was competent, or complete, or came up with a reasonable result yet. This last clown decided I was 2% disabled, on th eareas covered by my fall through the floor at the house fire. Oddly enough, for those same damaged areas, two other doctors found me 17% and over 20% disabled, though there are other problems to consider, and they worked independantly, reporting to the pension board. The pension board ended up totalling me, after all of the reports were in.

Now to me, a discrepancy of 15% to 18% between professionals, is pretty significant. Particularly when they are supposedly using the same criteria and level of expertise in their evaluations. So I think the BWC guys are told what to find, or totally incompetent, take your pick, either way they are there to screw the worker yet again. So that's about 5 levels of screw job at this point, and we aren't done yet.

I finally got the MRI that WC had blocked for two and a half years, and you know what, I needed surgery, to stop the advance of the nerve damage, caused in the fall in November of 2003. You may recall that was identified, as an insignificant reinjury, of the soft tissue damage that occured in May of 2003. Unfortunately that wasn't the case, as I tried to tell anyone and everyone that would listen, but nobody wanted to hear it. Well three bone grafts, a titanium plate and eight titanium screws later, the pain is slowly going away. Of course WC didn't authorize or pay for any of this yet, as it was benificial to me. In fact I still have the questionaire sent to me to ask if the MRI was for something that was caused on the job. Of course it was MORONS, but the jackasses at WC wiggled out of responsibility so far, by stalling so that I could experience an additional two and a half years of pain and increased nerve damage. YOU KNOW, so they could help me recover from MY work related injury. Lying bastards!

I only hope they all get the opportunity to experience the wonderful care they extend to others, by being hurt and trying to get repaired by their own system, yes it's a cruel wish, but an eye for an eye is biblical.

ray...

May 2007, just had a wondeful day in hearings, trying to reconcile the current status of my claims, which they want to drop entirely, and "good luck to me, in my forced and total retirement." You see I couldn't have a job, even if I found a way to get someone to hire me with all the baggage I drag along.