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Cervical_Fusion · 07-27-2011, 08:06 PM

10 yrs on wc they are sending me to another IME. got the letter today. I am sure they want to stop my TTD payments. This time they had to go out of state to hire some company to schedule a Dr appointment with a dr who is 25 from my house, a 69 yr old dr who did not graduate from med school untill 1974, i checked him out on ht state medical board. i would say at being 69 he is rideing the insuracne companys out untill he retires. Yesterday I went and had a cortizone shot in my left should joint as i have spurs on it now. Last night the pain from it started and has gotten a lot worse today. Been keeping ice packs on it today. Took a break from the ice packs and took the dogs out for a ppopy walk aaound the block, saw my attorney and he says he thinks they are trying to get me at MMI with this IME and thinks they will get it this time. I showed him my arm today i can not move out from my body only about 6 inches. He says if they do get me at MMI they it will be the time to go for Permenant total or consider maybe a settlement. But they would want me to try Voc Rehab. but i am on SSDI and there Voc Rehab stated i was not a canidate for Voc Rehab, so attorney says he could contact my POR and hopefully he would state in a letter that he feels i am not a canidate for VOC Rehab, and if he does say that then we could proceed forward with a claim for permenant total, and if we go for a settlement we would have to get a blessing from medicare. Asked what he thought my claim was worth and he stated he has no idea but if it comes to that he would sit down and figure it out. Well i would like to know now some value not down the road, but he knew and i knew it would somtime come to this. But i wait and see what there IME doctor has to say he may agree with me and he may not, i have only had one in my 10 yr claim to even go close to there favor. I hope this cortizone shot helps and gives me some shoulder relief. Those on here who have had cortizone shots did they help you and how long before you did seee any relief???

jayne · 07-27-2011, 11:29 PM

C_F I have no idea I had one in my foot and it didnt give me any relief at all...in fact I wouldnt let them do it again those shots hurt!

AQA · 07-28-2011, 12:53 AM

C_F, I do wish you well, however; while reading your post. I could not help but think that the timing of the injection and the IME may not be in your best interest. If the injection work for you, it may show during the IME.

Take Care.

PS. I can not answer your question because I never had that type of injection.

Sr.CE · 07-28-2011, 01:08 AM

ESI should work almost instantly. effect could last for several month. Unfortunately. effect of next injection would be lesser. Normal practice is to authorize 3 ESI

Cervical_Fusion · 07-28-2011, 12:04 PM

Weel today the pain is still there but i am not useing ice packs, but can not move my arm far from my body.

sonny1 · (This post was last modified: 07-28-2011 08:22 PM by sonny1.)

I can say from my own experiences, none of the 10-12 cortisone shots I had ever worked and they hurt like heck! They actually made the pain worse for a few days in each place on my hands when given. I had to have them 1st before
IC would authorize surgeries even though the shots created more pain. They had to inject each of the 9 sights (at different times, sometimes 2 times in each place) Also, too many cortisone shots is not good either, it breaks down bone and some other things...can't remember, but that is what the doctor told me. If they don't work the first go around, it's highly unlikely they will work the next time. be careful!!

chrischris · 07-28-2011, 10:55 PM

Hi Cervical,

Does the SCS help at all with this pain? Just curious.

Hope you are feeling better from the cortizone. Sometimes it takes a day or two to take full effect. I've had one and it made me hurt more so the other two were canceled.

Good luck with the IME. I wish you well.

BTW: Age doesn't necessarily mean a dr. or anyone else for that matter is not capable. I have a wonderful older dr. as my primary care and he's gotta be at least 80. Still very sharp.

And you will find that many IME's are "retired" doctors. They work for I/C's at about $3,000 per exam. There are good ones, and of course we all know there are not so good ones.

Take care! Tongue

Cervical_Fusion · 07-29-2011, 01:37 AM

chrischris this is very ever cortizone shot i have gotten, i have had epidurals but got no relerief from them. The shoulder is feeling some better tonight, still pain and loss of range of motion. It has hurt like hell since the evening i got it, wife wants me to call the dr tomorrow if i don't have much relief by then. My scs is in my lumbar for my low back injury a separate claim. So i do not know if the scs would help the shoulder and cervical pain. I will go to the ime with the same approach i have always gone to them. Like you said some are good and some are not so good. I just hope if they do make me mmi and stop my ttd they they at least let me know it is happening, so i can make other financial changes as soon as possible, like my ssdi offset and my LTD that is being offset by workmans comp. Once those changes are done and started financially we will be ok again we hope.

Cervical_Fusion · (This post was last modified: 07-29-2011 10:26 PM by Cervical_Fusion.)

In the mail today i got my first yearly Medicare book, then went on line and filled out there questioneer form about other insurance i have and workmans comp claim numbers, I guess is the first of my Medicare file I will start as my medicare will actually start Sept 1. I guess i will have a lot of reading and paper work to contend with now. I do like the mymedicare.gov web site, easy to manuver around. Is medicare somewhat easy to deal with and understand as time go on for me? A new experience in my life now. I am covered on my wifes insurance at work that has script coverage, in that situation to you all think that basic medicare is the appropriate choice or should one consider going for one of those medicare advantage programs? any suggestions?

jayne · 07-29-2011, 11:44 PM

I am/was also covered on Bills military insurance.We payed 89 dollars a month for tricare it covered all 3 kids and me Dr visits were 12 dollars ER visits 25 dollars drugs were 3 dollars for generic and 9 for name brand if we needed to stay in hospital it was 25 dollars a day.We couldnt ask for better then I got medicare it costs me 86 dollars a month on top of the 89 dollars for tricare.I dont pay for Dr visits I still pay the same for drugs and I dont pay for ER visits....I liked it better before Medicare... for me if I would have to find another Dr, Tricare is accepted easier than medicare.....