Workers Comp Help
Broken Vertebra After Lifting a Patient
On December 3, 2000 I was lifting a patient on a gurney at work, I was a paramedic. I was in very good shape, and worked out in a gym often, always watched my weight and took care of myself.. anyway, After getting the patient, who had flu like symptoms, onto the gurney, he stated he forgot his wallet and tried to jump off the gurney. I was using proper lifting techniques, bent knees the whole thing, lifting patients is something I do several times a day. When he jumped, I twisted my back and immediately felt pain.
I toughed it out on the ride to the hospital and when we (my partner and I) got to the hospital, I told my partner he needed to come back for me. By that time I was unable to walk. I was given pain meds and sent to the company doctor, a chiropractor who I would later find out was not only the only person who was right about my injury but the only person who would believe me. From him I was sent to a regular family practice doctor, I was literally being dragged in to the office on the shoulders of my room mate. I had an MRI which I was told showed nothing and was treated for a muscle strain. 6 months of Doctors and MRI's I still couldn't feel my feet, I had bladder problems and wasn't able to walk.
Finally I found a doctor who specialized in back problems, unusual ones. He took his patients by review only. He reviewed the file and if the patient is bad enough, he takes them. The problem, I wasn't able to change from a Orthopedic doctor to a neurologist without a referral. I finally told the doc at the ER I had been visiting weekly, if he would refer me, he would see me no more. He gave me the referral.
All this time I had been told nothing was wrong and it was all in my head. I had no reflexes on my left side and only a partial reflex on my right side. Again, I was told it was "all in my head" The pain was incredible. Everytime someone would touch my back it would send me through the roof. I finally went to the specialists, he took one look at my original x-rays taken 2 days after the original accident and said, you broke your back in two places at the L5 junction. You need surgery and new bone. I was in surgery 3 weeks later.
It has been over a year now since the surgery. I still don't have feeling in my feet and still have bladder problems. I was told because of the delay, I may have permanent nerve damage.
I used to be active, now I sleep all the time, I hurt all the time and can't do the things I used to do with my family. I, like many people who have written letters, want my life back. But that isn't going to happen. I recently went to a IME, and was told that I should be fine now and he can't imagine what my problem is. The insurance company has denied everything they can possibly deny, and have done their best to cause me as many problems as possible.
They send me to IME's 50-60 miles away. I'm so tired after these appointments I end up sleeping on the way home. The last one made me wait in the office over an hour for my appointment. This is the worst system I have ever seen in my life. I watch my neighbor, who is also on comp, run, play, go out with his friends and never show any signs of problems yet claims to have back problems. I actually watched him lift a 50lb bag of dog food on his back and then bend over to pick something up off the ground. And they are telling me IM FAKING, unbelievable!!! There has to be something that can be done to help us along. This sickens me, the stories and the sorrow. I have never had a work related or any other kind of injury in my life and I am treated like a chronic abuser.
Ok, well, Im done complaining. Thanks for reading this and giving me an outlet to complain. I hate this, I truly do. I can't imagine a worst way to live ones life.
Thanks