01-23-2020, 02:26 PM
So I don't want to drag this long and complicated story out that has occurred over the past 15 months so I will try to give you enough information in as little text as possible.
October 2018 I was injured on the job. I am a Firefighter/EMT. While moving a large patient I experience a failure of my wrist and stopped the patient from falling to the ground by catching them with my left arm causing pain in my upper extremity. When we returned from the call my supervisor was immediately notified and I was sent to the doc for evaluation. I was diagnosed with bursitis of the shoulder and my wrist was put on hold per the doctors decision to do so. A specialist Orthopedic was scheduled two weeks later and he confirmed my diagnosis of bursitis of the shoulder and released me back to full duty with Physical Therapy on my off days. Still my wrist was not evaluated. Later down the road conventional therapy was unsuccessful so an MRI was ordered after three months past the initial observation. Partial Tear of the left rotator cuff was observed as well as tendinitis, bursitis and bicep tendinitis. Further Physical Therapy was ordered and I was returned back to full duty. Again I am a Fireman/EMT with strenuous job duties and a physical fitness program that must be observed daily. Long story short my injury continued to worsen and finally I had to request surgery to fix the issue. An arthroscopic surgery was performed on August 2019 noting a full thickness rotator cuff repair, debridement of scar tissue and decompression in order to remove bone spurs. I was on full duty with therapy in between, up until mid April of 2019 when I requested to leave work due to increased pain in both my wrist and shoulder. My wrist was evaluated soon after I began light duty in April and immediately the severity of it was visualized through MRI noting a complete rupture of ligaments requiring repair/reconstruction surgery. Oddly enough I was returned to full duty until my surgery date. Surgery was performed immediately after at the end of April for my wrist. Now in January of 2020 I am still undergoing physical therapy for my shoulder and my wrist has been partially permanently disabled with a future surgery date proposed. I remain on light duty unsure if I'll be able to return to my duties as a Fireman. I feel like this process is a result of poor medical expertise or decision making as well as the delays in Workers Compensation. Anyone experienced similar?
October 2018 I was injured on the job. I am a Firefighter/EMT. While moving a large patient I experience a failure of my wrist and stopped the patient from falling to the ground by catching them with my left arm causing pain in my upper extremity. When we returned from the call my supervisor was immediately notified and I was sent to the doc for evaluation. I was diagnosed with bursitis of the shoulder and my wrist was put on hold per the doctors decision to do so. A specialist Orthopedic was scheduled two weeks later and he confirmed my diagnosis of bursitis of the shoulder and released me back to full duty with Physical Therapy on my off days. Still my wrist was not evaluated. Later down the road conventional therapy was unsuccessful so an MRI was ordered after three months past the initial observation. Partial Tear of the left rotator cuff was observed as well as tendinitis, bursitis and bicep tendinitis. Further Physical Therapy was ordered and I was returned back to full duty. Again I am a Fireman/EMT with strenuous job duties and a physical fitness program that must be observed daily. Long story short my injury continued to worsen and finally I had to request surgery to fix the issue. An arthroscopic surgery was performed on August 2019 noting a full thickness rotator cuff repair, debridement of scar tissue and decompression in order to remove bone spurs. I was on full duty with therapy in between, up until mid April of 2019 when I requested to leave work due to increased pain in both my wrist and shoulder. My wrist was evaluated soon after I began light duty in April and immediately the severity of it was visualized through MRI noting a complete rupture of ligaments requiring repair/reconstruction surgery. Oddly enough I was returned to full duty until my surgery date. Surgery was performed immediately after at the end of April for my wrist. Now in January of 2020 I am still undergoing physical therapy for my shoulder and my wrist has been partially permanently disabled with a future surgery date proposed. I remain on light duty unsure if I'll be able to return to my duties as a Fireman. I feel like this process is a result of poor medical expertise or decision making as well as the delays in Workers Compensation. Anyone experienced similar?
