Hello everybody...

[jfly]

Greetings everybody..I am Jim from new jersey and im glad i stumbled upon this forum.. Ive been in and out of work since september due to a work related injury and never imagined how horrible this experience could be. I was running the frozen food department by myself at a popular east coast grocery store and as i was organizing the freezer for an inventory, i was pushing a U boat full of product and felt a pop on the left side of my back (scapula i believe). It appeared winged for a while but that went down yet the pain has not.

The first doctor said it appeared sprained and gave me anti-inflammatorys and muscle relaxors, and sent me back on light duty. Work could not accomidate to it , yet they took the approach to to it as ,you can work just "take it easy". Of course, i was pursuing a full time career so i say yes boss.
The pain worsened over a couple weeks and he took me out of the department and made me the store receiver, telling me that was light(er) duty. It was more light duty (4 hours of the day) and heavier duty the other 4 and a half hours. Apparently payroll was more important than my health.

After numerous complaints to the case worker I was finally placed in the scanning department ( with a 1 pound weight restriction). Before i could even start there , my boss said he didn't want me to work at all in case working further worsened the pain. I found out he had gotten chewed out by the caseworker so now he started to care about my backpain. The fifth doctor I was sent too said it seemed like a muscle was torn. I'm unsure if my "light duty" worsened the sprain or if it was just misdiagnosed at first. The I.C. has avoided MRIs, given me 1 X ray (of my neck in case that was damaged, when i was like "no its sore but not bad,upper back is much worse, you should check that out.")

So after 5 and a half months, 5 doctors (3 Orthapedics), 3 months of P.T. which expired a month ago, and naproxen being my only relief (they stopped muscle relaxers after 1 month) I am going to see somebody who will re evaluate the whole thing tomorrow morning. My last doctor Prescribed Trigger PT Injections between the scapula and thoracic (Cortizone i assume) so i pray that the next orthopedic agrees, and will administer them, since prescription alieve (naproxen) has not been much a help.

That's the long/short of my story (seems long for a summary) but hopefully it gets better in the near future. I didnt think I would have a bad back for at least another decade (I'm only 22) The only positive things that have occured in the past months i assume that came through this was i received my associates degree in Graphic Design (hopefully so long retail!) and quit smokin cigarettes.
I will post any updates/progress and pray that everybody else on here recovers entirely and quickly.

[Sithie]

Nice to meetcha jfly, and welcome to our family. I am not a back injury, but many here are so hopefully they will be along soon. I will add you and your recovery to my prayers though and offer you my friendship.

Sithie

[lfoster21]

Hello Jfly-it is nice to have you aboard, I am just sorry it is because of these back problems that we have something in common. For me, I don't have the same area of injury, but definately can understand chronic back pain, the way it can travel and/or affect different areas of the body as well as dealing with W/C. I started with a couple of small fractures at L45 as well as a bulge or 2. Now, 4 years later, still dealing with it as well as L3-S1, both legs, hips and other body problems. So I will keep reading your posts and keeping you in my prayers.

[tweety00]

WElcome Jfly to our small part of the net
Boy Sounds like my doctors visits ....
Start asking for that MRI to find out WHAT is wrong ...
You need it no xray is going to show bulging discs or muscle pulls that only shows IF bones are broken

[sparkey]

Welcome Jfly. I am a carpal Tunnel Syndrome recurrance/neuropathy, and can feel your pain even though we are in difference in body parts that hurt. You are to young to have to live with something like that the rest of your life and hopefully you find a good specialist that will take care of you much better than the WC system.

I myself have been left without the wc system even paying for a MRI. I went through 7 months of therapy 4 x's a week. I am working fulltime again but only because i have pain meds ( From pain clinic ) that get me up each day and able to dress myself. You do not want to become a chronic pain sufferer, so please do all you can to find some sort of specialist. I saw you said East coast. Where in the East coast are you? Just curious as there is many good specialist here in the Boston area/Burlington. I will be going there hopefully soon, just waiting on my IME so i can settle with the IC.

Good luck, and welcome again to a wonderful place to vent, and get good answers about workers comp.

[capricorn]

hi jfly and welcome.......I'm glad you are finally going to see a dr. who can hopefully evaluate all and get the diagnostice testing done for you. Sounds like it could be a shoulder/neck injury. Having suffered both I always and still do have pain in the thoracic area of my back and in my ribs. Please let us know. Prayers are going up for you. Best of luck.


CAP

[jfly]

First of all,thank you all for the pleasant welcoming and hope. I had been waiting 2 weeks for this appointment under the impression that i would receive an epidermal since they were saying it was muscle damage, only on arrival for this doctor to be "out of the network", and I was just sent there for a second opinion, and he could not make any suggestions, diagnosis, or prescriptions to me. He was surprised that i had not received any X rays (besides on my neck) or MRIs. He said since i was young and it was "probably" just muscle damage i should make a full recovery. He did make a note to tell my regular physician that he thinks an x-ray and mri should be done on my shoulder and back. I guess now they have to do it since there second opinion said so ( i hope anyway).



After this i stopped by my workplace to talk to a friend of mine ( He's an old hippy, the dairy manager who has C.P.T. in both wrists, and the man who trained me to run the frozen dept.) who gave me the advise to "KEEP CALLING THE CASEWORKER AND INSURANCE COMPANY,UNTIL THEY"RE SICK OF HEARING YOUR F&#@$%G NAME DUMBA$$!"
Neither answered my calls today. Bummer.

[tweety00]

Did he say he was a IME =independent medical examier ??

[Lilly]

jfly,
Welcome to the forum! You have just run into a slew of people who can relate to your WC plight and lack of proper timely treatment & testing!
I pray you get a great doc, to help you with your back problem!
Lilly

[Still in Limbo]

Welcome jfly!! I Hope You find the Answers You Need, there are a Lot of Great People on Here with a Wealth of Knowledge!! Have a Great Day!!