Posted: 6/3/2007 6:06:35 AM EDT
| I hurt myself at work on the 23rd, I had an MRI which shows a bulging disk and also a tear in a disk, I believe to be the L-4 and L-5 disks, The burning down both of my legs and burning in my lower back are UNBELIEVABLE. I have an appointment with a Nuero surgeon on Wednesday, Anybody know what i can expect???? My GP was real Vague on the matter. Any comments would be appreciated...I am sitting at home taling 800 mg Motrin, Vicoden(which gives me a helluva headache) and Lyrica(some kind of nerve pain medication) |
and I know several - including me - who have recovered 100% |
Really? A couple guys I've worked with had to get back surgery, and they say they're much better, but only to about 70-80%. My back acts up from time to time, usually about once a year, and it scares the hell out of me if I really screwed it up. I have pretty good insurance through my employer, but I'd rather not use it. ETA - What did you do to your back? And what'd you have to get done to fix it? |
the neuro will suggest a discectomy. |
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Get the Worker's Comp paperwork filed ASAP! Don't do what I did. I wasn't sure if I was "hurt" or just had a backache that wouldn't go away. My PCP was little help, and the fractured disc was missed on the first set of X-rays. By the time I found out there /was/ a fractured disc and that it was a work injury, it was three months after the fact. As you can guess, it's touchy right now with the Worker's Comp insurance and our HR department has been no help. HR Manager: "Well, I filed an incident case, send your stuff here and you can call them at that number." WTF, too much work??? I have not had surgery, as it wasn't absolutely necessary in my case. On the flip side, while the numbness is gone from my leg, I still have pain on the right hip area without ibuprofen. Your GP is most likely over his head and just trying to control your pain until you see someone competent to determine treatment. The surgeon should be competent to tell you what's happening and whether surgery is going to be more beneficial than harmful. If the surgeon says surgery is your only realistic option, ask them who /they/ would have perform the surgery on them if they were injured so you can get a second opinion. Once you're cut open, you aren't going back! (No pun intended, really....) |
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Microlaminectomy. Bet you a quarter. I've had two of them and each one helped me immediately. I could hardly walk and was suffering so bad that I wanted to die but when I woke from the anesthesia, I sat up, went and pissed, walked out of the hospital and went home. My problem is that I'm a lot stronger than my spine can handle and I pick up heavy shit. Stupid, huh? 
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+1..and get ready for a fight. There is SO much worker's comp fraud and fake injuries that EVERYONE who gets injured on the job is suspect.  Seriously, be prepaired for the insurance company to fight tooth and nail and even send a private investigator to watch you.I've seen people have to get 2nd and 3rd opinions from doctors and then have to go to a doctor contracted by the insurance company before they would pay a claim. That said, I hope you recover from your injury. A cronic back injury can cause pain for the rest of your life. |
+1 I didn't file because I figured it was just a strain. Took me 6 months to get the MRI that confirmed a problem, in the interim I was layed off. Wound up having to go back to school and retrain for a new career on my own dime because being a carpenter (30 years) was no longer an option. Make sure all your paperwork and reporting is in order, the odds are that your employer's insurance company will try to screw you. Nothing personal, just business, ya' know? Best of Luck, and look at all the non-surgical options before you decide to go under the knife. |
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Sorry to hear about your injury; back injuries are some of the trickier ones to deal with. As others have stated you need to hook up with a doctor who is very practiced in this area. One who has a good reputation and will give you the honest scoop. Your employer will not be happy as this is costing them through their worker's comp. insurance. Because of the levels of fraud with regards to worker's comp (especially back injuries) you will be kept track of very carefully by the insurance company. If you elect to have surgery do not miss any doctor appointments or therapy (if that applies) and if you must miss some call the doctor and make sure they know you are not going to make it. The insurance company will be checking on your progress constantly and some will assign their own nurses/doctors to keep track of you. If no surgery or with it follow all recommendations of you doctor. If he says don't lift over 5 lbs, no squatting, climbing ladders, etc. then do it. The insurance company will call to check up on you. If they think you are ripping them off they will have investigators follow you/tape you to see if you are screwing them. When you are released to MMI (maximum medical improvement) by a doctor you need to know how YOU feel. Some people may be released to MMI and still have pain or other issues. This is when lawyers typically come into play. I deal with workers comp on a daily basis (from an employer side). Your employer, depending on how they feel about you and the legitimacy of the injury, can calm the insurance company down or release the dogs. Its going to depend on how your HR or whoever deals with the insurance company is. Also, call your employer during your treatment/recovery and let them know how you are doing. Simply showing them that you are working towards recovery and that you want to return to work ASAP is a good thing if they are unsure if you are legitimate or not. ETA: Prescriptions related to this claim should be paid for by the insurance company. You may need to get instructions on how to properly process them. Do not pay for them yourself is I know its a PITA to get reimbursed from the insurance company. I've been nice and paid for them for our employees out of petty cash; I've then turned the receipts back into the insurance company. It may take months for them to issue us a check. |
herniated two discs. I had titanium (BAK) cages put in where they took out the bad discs. Dr out me on a PT schedule. Told me I was good as new. Go back to what ever you were doing before.  I work out now and keep the weight off. My back feels great. I worked in voc rehab after that and most of the people who complained were morbidly obese. 
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It's not as bad filing a workman's comp claim as some are stating here. Just get yourself a reputable lawyer and let them deal with it. As a workman's comp case they're entitled to ~15% of your settlement. You'll likely get bounced from doctor to doctor like a hot potato to get second and third opinions on your back. Stick to your guns! |
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