i dont know what to do

[risingeagle222]

I was placed at MMI the end of October and the whole time I had been telling the doctor my fingers still hurt and was very obvious they were swollen as is the palm of my hand.
To make a long story a little shorter wc approved for me to get an IME in michigan as thats where i now live. I saw the hand specialist Jan. 7th here and he said the surgery i had done previously did not work. He then put me on 1 handed duty.
Well I lost my new job because of this and am not having alot of luck finding a 1 handed job. I have no insurance anymore as i lost my job from where i had my injuries because i could no longer do the work because of my hands.
Lawyer is telling me now comp wants to settle and that i won't get much. He said comp isn't going to pay for another surgery. So what am I to do??? We are treated like we asked for these injuries. We are treated as though WE are a criminal.
Is there anything more I can do??? I have no job and hubby is disabled so we can't afford to pay for the surgery that was botched.
Please let me know if you have any ideas for me.
My hand and elbow are so bad that i can't pick up a pillow without major pain.
surgeries to date: cts both hands,cyst removed and 5 triggers finger releases also 3 cortizone shots in elbow

[katicabogar]

Hi, Risingeagle,

My story is very similar..I had five surgeries on both hands for carpal tunnel/tendonytis and thumb triggering. Because doctor placed me at mmi two months after my last surgery, w/c denying all medical treatment since 2006. I also lost my job, rest of fingers cramp up, sometimes trigger, shoulders burn, arms ache and at night go numb completely. I can't lift one handed not even a cup, I have to use both hands just to hold a cup of coffee. And the list goes on and on what I can't do or difficult to do.
I had to see my hand surgeon for three more trigger fingers at end of 2006 and w/c stated, condition not related to carpal tunnel because I stopped working.
My lawyer whom I just hired six months ago, right now is in litigation for more treatment but only for this three fingers. I know I have a serious problem and when I went to see my new doctor(w/c denied all his bills) he said my neck is causing all these problems with shoulders/arms/hands/fingers. I can't get more testing or treatment yet because w/c still not paying for any medical. I will try to fight but it will be a long fight and lawyer doesn't seem to be willing to fight too hard.
I am also in Voc Rehab(second time)because two IME's in 2007 said I was 100% oke and none of my arm/finger/shoulder problems are related to carpal tunnel, so I am able to do all type of work(yeah,right).

I don't know what advise to give, only don't give up. Have you applied for SSDI? I did, I was turned down the first time, so I am at second round, still waiting. I am hoping, if I get approved, I can get medicare as I don't have any medical insurance and maybe I can get some treatment.

Also, don't settle no matter how hard your lawyer pushes. As he already told you, settlement will be little, so why not wait? Since you already had all these surgeries, I think your only option is to do the neck surgery, but even if you get approved, it is not without risk. I guess you have no choice but to fight, just like most of us here.

Have a nice day.
Kat

[lfoster21]

I just wanted to encourage both of you by telling you that although I was turned down by SSDI, 3 times, I did finally get approved when I apealled it again and went in front of a Judge. Granted over the time from when I initially applied and now, I have gotten a lot worse. Perhaps if I were still as I was then, I may have still been denied, who knows. (I tell myself that perhaps its a blessing that I got worse...so I could get the Medicare...so that hopefully I can get better. At least it is one way of looking at it ).

I say all of this to repeat what Kat said...DON'T give up the fight. Obviously it would have been better to get well and go back to work, but for those of us who are not there yet, we can appreciate the benefit of receiving help from SS and getting Medicare, even if it is a difficult fight.

Good luck.

[sparkey]

Seeing i am in the same boat with hand problems, i thought i would respond to this thread. I was put at MMI in Oct. and wc occupational doctor put me at a PIR rating of 32%, 19% whole person. The ic adjuster told me he was sending the result to his lawyer and next thing i know they came back and told me they were setting up a IME. It has been a few weeks now, and i have heard absolutly NOTHING of when it is etc. They are trying to say my carpal surgery in 98 may of never been healed and that is what they are fighting now. Every one of my visits to the doctor since my injury, said " work related" from Repetitive.

So i am waiting and waiting now, just when they almost had the check in my hand and i could get rid of this god awful system and move on with my life and get REAL help, i have to wait on a IME now. That is the thanks i get for a doctor that took care of me and gave me a good rating. If it would of been lower i would of had the check by now and it would of been over. I have been doing alot of reading, and read that a IME is not to lower my rating, just to access my injury of why i am at that rating. Who knows? I just have to keep up with the waiting game and suffering with pain till someone gets off their A&& and does something.

[katicabogar]

Ifoster,

Did you have atty for your ssdi claim? I heard if you get denied the first time, it is impossible to win without atty even after several appeals.

My w/c atty also a ssi atty but didn't want to get involved with ssi after my first denial. So I appealed again on my own for reconsideration. If I get denied again, I don't know should I ask atty again to get involved or wait until the third round? Or should I just find a different atty for my ssdi?

I think my condition got a lot worse during this past two years but it makes me very depressed as I don't want to be completely crippled.
Unfortunatly, what I heard, at first, ssdi granted not on medical condition but on luck. Both the w/c and ssdi system awful and fighting both of them at the same time is very difficult.

Thanks for your reply.
Kat