Workers' Compensation Discussion Forums

Hi all. It is me, hurt trucker's wife. I hope everyone is having a good Sunday.

Hubby's pain management doctor wants him to have a spinal cord stimulator implanted. But first, he had to be checked out by their psych depart. After 3 long hours of questions, they have determined that he is severly depressed, has anxiety and anger issues. Wow, after two year's of pain who would not be. Anyway, now Hubby has to go to six weekly sessions of biofeedback to condition him to learn to work through some of his pain. So now his surgery will be postponed until another few months. This is all being paid by Medicaid because WC is not paying.

We had the WC hearing in March. Depositions start the end of April and the first part of May. The IME basically said that he is severely depressed and is going to request a pysch eval. I know the WC insurance hates to hear that. Another can of worms opened. So I guess we will know an answer regarding the hearing in a few months? Any idea how long it takes after the depositions? Our atty says it could be October.

Hubby has neck and back pain, neck and back spasm's, some bulging disks (MRI from 2 years ago indicated that they were not pressing on a nerve), degenerative disk disease, L5 nerve damage resulting in falls, severe carpal tunnel in hands. Now severe depression, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, weight gain. All of the above since the accident. No problems prior, beside reflux which was treated with Nexium.

So, the beat goes on and on and on. We are waiting for SSA to determine if he qualifies for disability. He is almost 40. He has been turned down twice. We applied for a hearing and are 15 months out from the request. I hear it takes 21 months for a hearing? Will we have a hearing? Will they approve before then?

Just an update on us. Any words of wisdom? We are in NC.

Blessings to you all! You are great!

Wife

My wife and I both have SCS implants. Not sure how much you know about them but they do not fix anything, they only help with nerve pain. I know with my mental health I felt better when I found out I was getting to try one out. Made me feel like they were going to help me make it thru the day better. And it does, but its still hard to deal with the day to day pain. My employer was paying everything for me under WC until PM doc wanted to try the SCS. We have been fighting it since then but my insureance with work paid for it. They stopped paying stuff under WC back in July 2007, took til Nov 2008 to get a hearing and then til the end of Feb this year to get the ruling. It went my way but the company appealed it so who knows when that will get done. Also turned down twice for SSDI and now waiting for a hearing there as well. Been told it takes 2 years to get that hearing. Nothing goes very fast after you get injured at work but the money you have in the bank. Trust me you are facing allot of the same problem everybody on here has gone thru or will go thru. Try to hang in there. Its hard but you have to hold on, find all the support you can to help make it. Sorry if some of this doen't sound right but when you take allot of pain meds as well as other drugs to help with everything from sleep to stomach problem, it's hard to put words down so they make since.

Hi there. Thanks for your advice and words of wisdom. Blessings to you. I know you walk the same road as we are.

Hope you are doing okay. Hubby is on allot of medications too. He is tired of taking all that stuff. Have a great day!

Wife

Having a scs implant does not mean he will get approved for SSDI. The road to SSDI can be a long one or a short one. I have seen no rhyme nor reason to how some claims are quick and others are not. I wish your husban good luck with the SCS. Keep in mind that a SCS is not a fix all cure, but they can be benifitial.

Hurt truckers wife,

Someolne here needs to give you some credit. I think your husband is a very lucky man to have someone like you stand by him and be so careing and concerned about him and go to great lengths to help him out. I know there has been many times my husband has not been by me in my pain and has not gone to court with me to be by my side when I wish he was. He has only gone to one doctors appointment with me and complained the whole time he sat there. I just assume leave him at home but had to have him there to drive me home from a procedure.

I am right now facing having to get a SCS implant myself for RSD of my right hand. I am scared to death. Do not ask me why because there is probably no reason to be. I have gone through everything you said your husband has gone through. Depression, narcotics, weight gain, etc. etc. Loss of a great career, a new harley sitting in my shed untouched which now is the most depressing time of the year for me. The weather is getting nicer and my husband will be pulling his bike out while mine sits there. Of course I can ride on the back of his, but I bought mine for a reason , to ride side by side.

I just wanted to take this time to let you know that I think your husband is a very lucky man to have you on his side for support and as long as he has you and knows that you support him that alone can help him to get through all this. It is when someone turns their head the other way and does not care how you feel each day. I know it is very hard on you to have to watch what he is going through and it has changed your life also. Hopefully when you both work together with each other you will make it through. My best to the both of you and keep us informed of how it all turns out. I will be curious as I am being set up for a phys. eval. also for an implant. I know they will say I am depressed..

She is a wonderful woman Sparky I have spoke to her several times and need to call her again life has just got in the way here lately.....it is spring and all that intails here...garden and baby animals and camping and kids bored with school but not quite out 3 more weeks and they are out

Thank you all for your nice replies. I am fully aware that a SCS does not automatically get my Hubby approved for SSDI. Trust me, we will continue to go through hell and highwater to get him the approval he needs through workers comp and social security disability. This has been quite a ride, the next few months will hopefully breeze by and we will get JUSTICE. We are stong, proud, hardworking people that are just trying to get the system to treat us fairly and not screw us over.

Thanks again for all the kind words on here. I hope everyone will have a wonderful week and be treated with kindness and love.

Thanks Jayne for your friendship. You are awesome and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kindness,

Blessings,

Wife

ahhhhhhh shucks.....sweetie you are more than welcome.......wish your kids were close by to see all the baby chicks and ducks here course my kids are quick to tell others not to get attached cuz they will end up in the freezer

LOL to the baby chicks and ducks! We would love to see those little birds walking around. I know they are cute.

Having a frustrating day with WC and SSDI. Seems like we are jumping through hoops lined with fire these days. I know this all takes time, but we are almost 2 years out from the accident and nothing is settled. Depostions start tomorrow (2 this week and 2 next week) and the IC says it will be mid June before those are completed and turned into the judge and it may be another 3-6 months for an answer (unless the judge needs more time). Our atty says October. So once again, I am trying to squeeze by and live as cheaply as possible. Summer is coming up and yet another summer without a vacation for our kids. So I will cowgirl up again and try and do the best that I can with what I have.

I feel more and more like we are becoming hermit's because of all that we have been through. I tend not to trust many these days. I so much value your friendship and kindness. I just wish that we were closer. Maybe one day we can all meet? Yall come to NC sometime and visit. We would LOVE it!

Take care all and thanks again!

Wife