Workers' Compensation Discussion Forums

Thank you for having this board it is very informative. I have been out of work for 4 months. I fell at work, on the back of my head. I was taken to the emergency room because my blood pressure became very high and I was having pain,dizziness and felt very sleepy. A scat scan was done and came back normal. I was told I had a concussion. I was told to stay home for 4 days by occupational medicine.

I was sent back to work on light duty for four days. On the fourth day while cleaning a table. I felt a sharp pain at the back of my head. I began to convulse, slurring speech,high blood pressure nausea and inability to stand up. I was admitted to the hospital for five days. My primary doctor said I had a under active thyroid that issue has since been resolved but it cause me to lose my workers comp benefits.

My Endocrinologist said it is not the thyroid. I am still sick and unable to work and I am stuck paying cobra, which I am putting on credit cards. I do have a lawyer but he is not proactive. He did file the case but is waiting for my treatment to be finished. So he can proceed with the case. In the mean time. I am falling through the crack. My state benefits will be exhausted in february.
All my mri came back normal. It is a long journey and I can not finished the story today.

My Nuerologist is not helping me. I need to find a good doctor that specialize in nerve damage.

Thank you very much
Methelda

Hi Methelda,
I just wanted to say hi and Welcome to this wonderful Forum full of wonderful people who are here to talk or answer any questions or concerns you might . I am not familiar with the comp laws & regs of NJ, but someone who is should come along to help you. Keep checking back. Hopefully someone can help you find a neurologist in your area. Sher

Hi Methalda and welcome. Several year ago I fell in my employers parking lot on ice. I can remember going down. My head snapped back and hit the ground so hard I thought I died. I think I passed out because I have a blank spot and then remember the lights in the parking lot. It was very early in the morning so the lights were still on and it was dark. I also suffered a concussion, was never put out of work but told not to drive. It took 2 full months before all the dizziness, nausea, etc. went away . Although I complained about my neck no one listened. I'm wondering since your MRi( i am assuming it was of the brain) is normal you might want to have your neck checked out. I suffered severe whiplash and alot of damage to my neck that got progessively worse. I find a thyroid problem hard to swallow with these symptoms. I have never known convulsions, HBP, nausea, slurred speech and an inability to stand up to be signs of a sluggish thyroid although there are many symptoms of this condition. You may also very well have this thyroid problem but I do not think your symptoms are consistant with it, I don't feel it is the cause of your symptoms. I have an enlarged thyroid with cysts. I have an ultrasound done once a year to see if there are changes. My blood work is normal and I have had biopsies done. This was found through the MRI of my cervical spine. Is that how your Dr. found out you have this or was it through blood work? As Limbo mentioned, sometimes after accidents a person suffers from PTSD. I have had it for many years and believe me when and if it first hits you will know it. Everyone has different symptoms but they are different form any emotional disorder I know of. Best of luck.

CAP

very possiable there is a thyroid problem(its as common as a cold)My surgeon found one with me (enlarged found during surgery)but it doesnt hurt and shouldnt effect your case unless your lawyer lets it....I cant tell you how many times my PCP and surgeon sent paperwork to WC and told them my neck and back was a work injury we had to go to court to get it taken care of, they do this on purpose hoping you will go away and they get let off the hook... deny delay deny is their mantra.....now if there had been blood and gore they might have taken you more seriously but I really doubt it.

Thanks Capricorn for your incite on the matter. I did have m.r.i. on my neck on my back. They were normal. When I first fell. I was sent to physical therapy but would get sick afterward,especially after neck movements, My blood pressure would be high,inability to walk,nausea, severe headache on the verge of black out, sleepiness. My eyes would close by it self. I use to be so scared, I was in the emergency room every week, until I met a nice doctor who start listening to what I was saying and prescribe Gabapentin that has help tremendously. I have not been in the emergency room for over 2 months.
These symptoms I still have:
My face goes in to spasm, whenever I look side to side, with involuntarily blinking of the eyes. This happen also when I try to remember anything. I was positive for vestibular disorder. On the scale of 70 I am at 30. High fall risk. I feel the ground moving under my feet. Bubble like sensation going up my legs and back. I see shadows that I think is something else and I become frighten.

This was the third blow to my head and neck. First one was January 2006. I was hit by a car and fell on the back of my head. I recovered from that and was good for two years, Then January 2008, A child at work shove my chair, just as I was about sit down. I got physical therapy and was ok, never miss a day of work, Did therapy on my lunch hour. This July while trying to control a class room of eight 3 year old. I slipped and fell hitting the same spot again.

Hospital records said possible post concussion syndrome. Occupational med doctors claim I had other problems and it was not fall related. because I keep getting sick after therapy. They wrote me a prescription to see an IME. I have been waiting two months and they keep stalling. I call my lawyer and told him. I was not happy with the way the case was being handled. He decided to send me to his doctors. I am waiting over a week now for the appointment. He said my Nuerologist and my primary doctor did not mention the fall in their reports.

My primary doctor told me, since all my mri was normal. It would be hard to prove that I got hurt on the job and if I did not get back to work I will lose my Job. Believe me I would be back already, if i could. I have two adopted daughters in college, a sick mother to take care of. I am the only bread winner in my family. In 2006 I let the doctor send me back without light duty because they did not have any light duty jobs for me. I just work around my pain. But they had light duty, when I got hurt on the job in July. I told the Occupational med doctor my symptoms and just because I was on pain killers and did not feel any pain at the time she send me back to work.

But my Director was on site at work, when I got sick and she had to call the ambulance, She saw me in convulsion, slurring and lost of speech. The EMT ask her, If this was normal for me and she said no. These symptoms comes in episodes.I am sorry this is so long. Five months of suffering.

Thank you Jayne for sharing your story with me. The thyroid problem was resolved and it is now back in normal range. Strangely I had a blood test done in March on my Thyroid was normal. No one knows why it became abnormal. My primary doctor told me. I had autoinmuine disease that my body was turning on itself. He also said I had a hole in my heart. They had me do all these heart test. The heart doctors said a flap was over my heart and that it was not a problem. I was so scared. My primary doctor had me believe I would need a stent. I no longer go to him. I am so terrified of hospitals that I will not go anymore. When ever I became ill. I just lie in my bed and wait to die. I pray to God To make it easy on me. Why go to the hospital, they scare you to death.

Hello Methelda

Welcome to the forum.

I was injured in 2005; I worked as an Early Childhood Teacher in a classroom of 3 & 4 year olds. I was caring for a large 3 yr old with special needs when I was injured.

I have not worked since June 2006 when I first reached MMI and the doctor closed my medical and gave me no work restriction. At the time my medical was closed I had great difficulty walking due to a work injury of my knees.

I hired an attorney and had my claim reopened. It has been 37 months since my injury. The director at the center where I worked refuses to accommodate my work injury due to accreditation standards and license requirements by the state.

To return to the classroom I must pass 3 different physicals and health assessments
by different organizations.

It is not in your best interest to return to the classroom before your medical needs are taken care of. Returning to the classroom outside of your restrictions will only lead to future injury and may place the students in the classroom in danger.

Thanks Bummer Knees!
I am going to take your advice and make sure, I am well before returning to work. One of the falls I had was with a child in my arm. I had to hold on to the child. I could not let go to balance myself.

Thank you oblivyous.