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New Member Hurt at Work 11-22-04

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Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Posted 8/4/2005 10:46 PM (GMT 0)

I hurt my back at work in Nov. 2004 (after a clean bill of health just two weeks earlier) by lifing concrete at a const. site. Went to Er with sciatica and extreme pain radiating down my leg.  This went on for several months, doctors said I was crazy, ER's just gave me pain shots and said it would go away and the Const. Co. I worked for said it was too late to file for workmans comp, when I told them about the injury the next day and then they fired me. I was STRESSED big time.   My health plan got me 2 new doctors and after many test and more pain almost everywhere (big time pain in feet radiating up my leg) I was told March 29, 2005, I tested positive with HLA-B27. After more test with possible this and that disease,  my Rheumy told me 7-13, I had inflammatory arthritis, that will probably evolve into RA. But she said my back pain was unrelated to the RA, and could be still related to the back injury.  I go to my primary doctor and he said he thinks I have Inflammatory arthritis of the spine or AS. I am on : Plaquenil, Soma, Morphine, Methotrexate, Prilosec and blood pressure pills.  I just feel like I have no life anymore, just pain.  I just need someone to talk with that has gone through this and will understand, instead of telling me the pain is in my head.  Thanks for letting me vent.

Posted 8/5/2005 2:30 AM (GMT 0)

Hello Scott,

Welcome to HW. I am really glad you found us. From what I read in your post you are terribly frustrated, in alot of pain and feel your drs are running you in circles. We have a great group of peeps here on this board. We come here for support, knowledge, to vent, or tell how rotten of a day we are having. I think you get the picture. Nothing is sacred with us here on this board. LOL.

I have some questions, what state do you live in, what are the comp laws in your state as far as reporting an injury to employer. Here in Tx they say report it immediately, but state law says you have 7 days to report an injury. Each state is different.

Have you had any testing, such as an MRI or CT SCAN, or an emg to see if there is nerve damage going? If any of these tests have been done what was the final results of the test. Has any of your drs said you need surgery? Have you been seen by a rheummy to confirm AS & RA? If not you need to consult with one. They are the better judge of confirming these two.

Due to the amt of pain and medicine you are on and you are still in pain, have you considered seeing a pain management specialist? Alot of times peeps end up with chronic pain as a result of an injury, very true if you did not get proper care immediately. I am under the care of a pain mgt dr and have been over a year. Due to severe chronic pain and not being able to tolerate alot of meds I ended up having a morphine pump implanted on June 29, 2005. It really has helped me.

Please write back with some answers to my questions, and again welcome to HW.

Susie

Posted 8/5/2005 4:40 AM (GMT 0)
Scott,
At tho bottom of this I am putting a link to the Spondylitis Foundation of America website. There is a wealth of information and discussion forums for AS specifically. There is life with AS - I know I have it.

http://www.spondylitis.org/about/main.aspx
Ides
Posted 8/5/2005 5:00 AM (GMT 0)
Scott, welcome. I don't have much info beyond what Straydog said, but I wanted to say IT IS NOT IN YOUR HEAD. I spent a few years with doctor's telling me that it was and I was crazy....after a while I thought maybe I was, I became so depressed from being in such pain and agony with no help from anyone, that I was ready to jump off a bridge. Wish HW was around then 10 years ago (if they were, I had no clue), they have been a life saver for me these past few months.

You should call some worker's comp lawyers about this and see what you can do. Your old company really pulled one over on you, I think. Are you now on disability of some sort?

Good luck. Don't ever hesitate to vent here - we all do it!!!! It's good 'medicine.'

**

Posted 8/6/2005 4:12 AM (GMT 0)

Susie and All, thanks for your posts.  I live in Tucson Az and I found out I have 1 year to report an injury.  I am working on the Industrial Claim.  And filing a complaint against the doctor that told me it was all in my head.  I had  MRI's and all sorts of tests.  I do have a Rheummy and she seems to be a good doctor and is trying whatever she can to help with my pain.  Arizona has a real problem with Pain Management Specialist, the last one  that was at the U of A just up and quit.  The U of A is closing the pain clinic soon.  I hope this new medicine helps me without killing my stomach and ruining my eyes.

I want to thanks you all again for writing to me and letting me know someone cares.  This site is the best.

Later,  sad Scott

Posted 8/6/2005 6:26 AM (GMT 0)
Good luck Scott....I do not envy what you are going through. I'm glad you are taking action. There is no reason anyone should have to go through all that, but it seems many of us have.

I've been on Plaquinil since March and will be starting Enbrel at the end of the month. I was on Remicade but had to stop....you might want to discuss with your doctors the possiblity of trying a biological drug like those 2 or humeria.

Take care.

**

Posted 8/7/2005 5:57 AM (GMT 0)
Scott,

I am so glad yopu checked into the reporting. Is the one year to report the injury to the state or employer? Thats an awful long time for reporting to an employer. Hope you will double check this. I imagine you will have to go to a hearing at some point.

I hope you will hang out with us and keep us posted on how you are doing. Susie
Posted 8/10/2005 5:32 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Scot,

Have you gotten any answers relative to your case? Hope you will post and let us know how you are doing,

flopsie
Posted 8/10/2005 5:41 PM (GMT 0)
Flopsie, I will be going to the industrial hearing in a couple weeks and I will keep you all posted.
I sorry I have been slow posting but since I started MTX I am sooooooo sleepy.

Scott
Posted 8/10/2005 6:39 PM (GMT 0)
Scott, Good Luck and keep fighting for your rights!!!! Do not give up. Let me know the day of your hearing and I will pray extra hard that day and send lots of positive thoughts your way.

BTW when I first started taking methotrexate I would sleep for almost 2 to 3 days. Now after having been on it for a year, it only makes me tired for about one day.

The Humira seems to have made a big difference already.

Best wishes,
Judy/Effie
Posted 8/18/2005 3:46 AM (GMT 0)
I feel at work in july2004 they tried to get me to come g=back to work and i seen drs at redmed and you don't see same ones they all had a different answer but thought it was dumb going to work with cruches when i stand 8 hrs and only get a 10 minute break but they all said a mri and ortho dr work agreeded to pay then said i would get disability pay never heard nothing about paying bills or disability pay so i had to get hateful right back i was getting sued for these bills so after 28 years i got a lawyer and let her take care of it i wasn't going to do any think but after 28 years at this job i realized they didn't care about me or my health so hang in there it isn't about money i told the lawyer its the idea of it .then the w/k dr said i was fine to go back to work but i seen a group of ortho drs the same week and all three of them said no work till knee got fixed so its been 14 months and they still haven't done nothing so hang in there and worry about your self DEB
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