Dallas

[Bummer Knees]

Dallas,

I do understand what you are saying.
I would like to share my story with you.

My husband and each of his five brothers own their own business and from all of them I have heard bad things about wc, the premiums are too high, workers abuse the system, etc.

I worked for my employer for 10 years previous to my injury and was injured in the classroom lifting a child from the floor.
I was injured I reported my injury to my supervisor. The following day I completed wc paper work.
I asked my employer if I could not deal with the wc system and use my private health insurance. I sat in the HR's Director office for over an hour trying to convincing them to let me use my health insurance.
I was told I could not use my health insurance and that they had a legal responsibility to ensure I receive needed medical care thru wc.

This was 11/05 and it was 1/06 before I saw a dr. I’ve had meniscus surgery on both knees and am still waiting approval for a total knee replacement 19 months later. I learned today that I have a protruding disc in my low back, physical therapy and the dr related my low back problems to my knees.

I have very strong feeling that had I been allowed to use my personal health insurance I would be in much better health today.

Being an injured worker has been emotionally one of the hardest things I have dealt work in my life. Few in the medical profession trust the injured wc, we are viewed as faking or lying about our medical condition.
My brother-in-laws (all business owners) have given me a bad time because I am now an injured worker. My husband (also a business owner) has seen me go from being an active wife & mother and working full time to a mother that is unable to do many things with her family, and no longer able to work.

In my time spent with other injured workers I truly feel most want to do the right thing, get needed medical treatment and return to work.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Lynn

[Bad Boy Bad Boy]

Bummer Knees
You would think the Brother-in-laws would see you as an honest example, instead of looking at you as being different. My sister and brother-in-law are like that also though. And no matter what or how you try to explain this to them, they know it all, and nothing is going to change their minds. I have been there myself. But you think, if their paying high cost know, then they should be training in the area of safe work, and safe workplace then. But I would think something like that would be on the back burner.

[Bummer Knees]

Bad Boy

My employer offered training in early childhood development, not once did they offer training to staff on proper lifting.

Six years previous to my injury and after seeing young teachers hurt their backs, i approached my employer about having a staff training on the correct way to lift and how to prevent injuries. I way told no.

Three other teacher were injured the same year I was injured.

[Still in Limbo]

Bummer, I agree with what you are saying about how the general Population and sometimes relatives view us. Sure there are people in any system that try and get a free ride and abuse it, but I truly feel the majority of injured workers are just that, injured workers trying to get better and get on with their lives. As far as your in-laws go, maybe over time and them seeing that you are truly injured they may change their thinking and start looking at the injured worker with clearer eyes. I've been injured going on three years now, and I've seen the good and bad of quite a few people when it comes to being an injured worker, and I've just learned to ignore the ignorant that don't understand. It's not our jobs to teach them manners and educate them, it's our job to look out for our Family's and try to get better! I hope this helped a bit, and Have a Great Weekend!!

[Bummer Knees]

Thanks Limbo for the response.

[jayne]

when I worked for the sal army the local chicken plant sent me their light duty workers.........some would laugh about their "bad back" while talking about water sking the next weekend or the party they were gonna attend.............some would come in so much pain I didnt understand how they were staying upright..............those that I knew were faking were sent back to plant with a message Faking!!!!!!!! the ones truly hurt were put in my office in a recliner to sleep off their meds.......this was a policy put in effect by my boss.that is why I was so shocked when the same company treated me like dirt.......come to find out it was NOT company policy but the one boss above me......this same boss advised me to get a lawyer cuz company would not treat me fair