Your thoughts, Please

[luvmydogs]

Short history, my wife was injuried three years ago. Neck and shoulder. Had shoulder surgery but failed. The doc says nothing more can be done. Neck is causing alot of the troubles has three areas in neck that are not any good and in such bad shape that no surgery can fix them. I have taken her to several docs and they all agree to much damage. This one doc put a device in her to help with the pain, but does not work since putting it in.

Here are my questions. compensation now says there is nothing wrong with her. No more care for her. Her attorney wants us to make a decision. She closes all of her case. Or she gets them to pay for the medical and closes everything else. My wife wants to close the whole case. Attorney agrees with her. I think she is given up. Compensation is liable for the surgery of the device in her. Her current doc says she will feel better if the device is working. The attorney says could be long fight. What bothers me is the attorney has the letters from my wife's current docs says she needs the following surgery. Will need medicine to help suffering forever who is going to pay? Please tell me your thoughts. My wife says she is just so tired of having others tell her how she is going to be treated. Then having to wait to wait. Please help me to help her.

[red1030]

Hi luvmydogs...welcome to the board. It sounds like all the doctors agree that there is nothing more that can be done for your wife. That is really hard especially for your wife. Once your wife has been put at MMI (maximum medical improvement) I would think that your lawyer would demand that a FCE be completed. This examine will give you a disability rating. I am wondering why your lawyer has not set you up for an independent medical examine that would give you information about your rating as well. The FCE I believe becomes a part of this information. Then I would think that the lawyer would make an offer to the IC about settlement or file for a formal hearing so that the evidence can all be reviewed by a judge for compensation and then he or she would make the decision. This could go in several ways. First, it could go that your wife is determined to have a partial permanent disability that will pay her X amount of dollars each week for a determined amount of time. Or she may want to settle for a lump sum dollar amount and I would try to include medical. W/C IC does not usually give you what you think you deserve in terms of money loss both past and future as a result of the injury. I have not read the Idaho regulations and statues to know their exact process and all states are different. I would go to there web site and read the regulations. That may give you more information. Every thing I said above is just what I think should happen...

I do not believe that your wife or you should give up. Is your wife depressed. You stated that she is giving up. Pain, changes in your life, the constant worry and fears that W/C IC puts a person through is more than enough reason for even the strongest of people to become depressed. Please talk to the doctor about this with your wife of course.

Also, do you feel that your attorney is working for you. It is your life and you and your wife must make sure that she continues with healthcare from some avenue. I would have another talk to my lawyer about what you and your wife feels she needs and see if you can come to some type of a game plan to present to the IC.

Good luck and my prayers and thoughts are with you.

[monster]

Hi luvmydogs,

I am so sorry to hear about your wife. I would like to commend you for not only seeking the help your wife so desperately needs but also for standing by her the way you are. I can tell you from experience that means a great deal to someone who is in pain and you are right up there in my book!!!

If your attorney is anything like mine, he literally doesn't volunteer any helpful info as he is to busy with to many clients. I have found making a long list of questions (which will most likely lead to more as you get the answers you need) will bring out more alternatives.

How can compensation say nothing is wrong with her when the docs are saying she is so broken she is beyond repair? Are these comp docs that are saying this or are they personal docs that aren't in the comp system? In my case they have overlooked any opinion that was not within their MPN system and some that are.

It is my understanding that if your wife sells her medical benefits when she settles that you guys will then be responsible for all treatment and medications.

Has your attorney ever broached the subject of applying for Social Security benefits? It sounds as if your wife will be unable to work and that she might qualify although most people are denied 1-3 times, you just have to keep fighting. If SSI does accept her claim it could complicate her case when it comes time to settle. I don't have personal experience with this but have a friend in that boat and she has waited over 1 year for her settlement.

Please make a list of questions for your attorney and tell him you don't want to hear any sugarcoated BS from him. Mine will sit there and tell you exactly what he knows you want to hear when in reality the answer is the exact opposite. Once I got pi$$ed and told him I was sick of his BS and wanted the truth things started to change somewhat.

I hope you will continue to seek the answers you need. After 3 years I still don't know the ends and outs of this and I'm sorry I couldn't provide better information. I do hope your wife will find some kind of relief for the pain. Constant pain can change people dramatically and I know that we are sometimes hard to live with. You are a good man and I am thankful she has you to love her and look out for her. She is a very lucky woman in that respect. I hope you will continue to come here in search of answers and for support. We are family here and you are now one of us. There is nothing you cannot ask here and every now and then we even give each other a much needed laugh.

Best wishes,
6.0 monster

[Bad Boy Bad Boy]

My opinion, tell your wife to please not give up yet. To atleast see a Neurosurgeon, for proper medical advice on her Cervical Spine Damage (neck), and have the device put in no matter what, for it will help her during time. Has surgery been suggested, and if not why? Can you explain the damage to the neck if you don't mind. There are some of here that have neck, cervical damage.

[Lilly]

Hi.
My attending doctor told me that I was on "Pain" relief meds for life. WC is responsible for all costs to my meds.....and so far, they haven't given me any crap about paying for it.
I think we all have, or are, going through the depression / anxiety thing. Pain can be withstood for only so long before something's gotta give, and normally it's the "dark room with no doors" that envelops us. Do not be afraid to ask or tell MD about your depression, as WC is responsible for that medicine cost too....after all, they are the ones that contributed to your misery.
Take care, prayers to you. Lilly

[rickandkryss]

Please tell your wife not to give up, I know exactly how she feels. I was devastated when I was told that by my doc..."there is nothing else we can do." My leg would not straighten all of the way, I limped pretty hard and the pain was horrible daily. Even worse was when they called MMI and only put me at 6% disabled and paid me a whopping 5000.00 with my medical open. The only thing they could chart me on was muscle atrophy!!!! I fought them and eventually won a little more for wage loss but that was it.

I was glad at first I kept my medical open...because I ended up in knee surgery again just 1 year later. I had so much scar tissue in my knee it was causing me about 60 % of my pain, and a lot of my pain ended with the surgery. Then my doc blew me off and told me there was nothing more he could do.

I tried to go forward and get some sense of my life back, I could not do this while on work comp because I felt like I was being watched constantly, not to mention I was never allowed a good day on work comp because then I would be accused of faking. I am glad I did move on..I began seeking and paying for my own care. I found a chiropractor who lasered my knee and it went straight!!! It has stayed straight for one year now...I am working on my back now. I am also in college now which has empowered me in many ways, I know I am not screwed for life now. I took control away from work comp and gave to myself.

My point is MMI does not mean the end! It does not mean you have no potential of improving, nor does it give you no options. I still have a ways to go on healing but I am far further than I ever thought possible in 2003 when they called MMI. Shoot the first year at MMI I could not even get anyone to hire me! Now I make $8 more an hour than I did at the time of injury. SO PLEASE TELL YOUR WIFE TO NOT LET IT BEAT HER DOWN, THERE IS LIFE AFTER WORK COMP!!

[red1030]

rickandkryss...thank you for that uplifting and positive life story...I am so happy for you both.

[Bad Boy Bad Boy]

Post #4 my first reply to the poster;

Here in this Post I have something to say. See the person Posting is the Husband. It's the Wife with the injury, and possible depression with no doubt. Husband, may have to get involved with Doctor, with-out wife knowing. I have seen this done before, for the better of a Spouse. Husband might have to call her treating Doctor. Explain the difference in her, and her will to just give up. He may need to explain, she shows all the signs of mental depression, that she has never in her life showed before. But if the treating Doctor is the Doctor not working with her, then Husband needs to see if he can get a good friend, or a family member to talk with the wife. Someone she trust outside of the family home. And have them offer to help her seek help from a Doctor, even if the husband has to pay for it. It will be money well spent.

((The attorney says could be long fight. What bothers me is the attorney has the letters from my wife's current docs says she needs the following surgery. Will need medicine to help suffering forever who is going to pay))

What surgery, I ask again? Needs an answer. Failed surgeries sometimes can be repaired also. Getting to a Neurosurgeon, (you may have to pay) is again something that needs to be done, to get an honest medical opinion on her (neck) Cervical Spine. No one is going to come out of the word work to get it done for her. This needs to be done, and inform Attorney it has to be done...

[red1030]

Hi all...luvmydogs..I agree wholeheartedly with Bad Boy. I wanted to say more about the depression earlier, but thought it might scare you some. But it really sounds like she needs some help and now. However, you are able to get the help. Depression will only worsen with time, without treatment. My prayeres are with you and your wife. Please keep us updated.

[Bad Boy Bad Boy]

Red, I see your getting to see how I am. I like things straight forward. I want the same from my Doctor's, Surgeon's, PT's and so on. If I don't get it, I will find a way to get it. I have been known to block doors so Doctor's couldn't leave the room, till I got the straight forward information and the truth. Even if it hurt me to hear, it is something we need to hear, and move on from there.