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Posted 8/28/2012 1:37 PM (GMT 0)

In March of 2012, I was rear-ended while waiting for a red light to change to green. I was pushed all the way in to the middle of the intersection. Almost immediately after the accident, I started experiencing lower back and leg pain. Luckily, I have medical insurance and was able to see doctors immediately. I was able to go and see a pain management doctor and was prescribed very potent pain killers. While that works for me in the short term, I have come to the understanding that my back problems are only getting worse. Back in March, my pain seemed to be off and on, but now, I am unable to sleep, my pain medications are not working as well, I am always depressed, and I feel like no one understands how painful it is.
I put my family first. I drive 110 miles roundtrip every day to work. I have a great job but I know that my employer is on to me. I have been called into the directors office numerous times because I have been caught falling asleep at my desk. I feel like my days are numbered. I have to take multiple breaks a day because my legs are so antsy. Once I take the break and start walking outside, I get extremely fatigued because my legs get tired easily. It is also not unusual for me to almost fall because I am having the worst time with my coordination. Like I said before, my family depends on me, and I haven't failed to deliver yet.
Today, I went to a Neurosurgeon. One of the first questions that he asked me was about my insurance and the status of my lawsuit. I told him that I haven't made any claims to the other driver's insurance and that I am concentrated on getting better before I worry about getting monetary relief. After I told him that, I felt like he wrote me off. He told me that the pain killers only relieve the pain in my mind and that he doesn't want to do any surgery. I have a torn l4-l5 and I have a collapsed l4-s1. I am having muscle weakness in my left leg and I have sensitivity differences between my legs. When I left my appointment, I cried. I realized that this wasn't about my legs or my back. This decision did about him. He did not want to waste his time on my situation. What would you do? Would you want to testify for a 23 year old who may not pay you after he gets a settlement? (The settlement is meant to pay him, but he is probably assuming that he would never get paid) Judging by the Rolex on his wrist, he means business and wants his money now. I know I need surgery. I have tried spinal decompression, chiropractic, massage, tens unit, pain killers, Epidural steroid injections, physical therapy, stretching, walking, and a heating pad.

Does anyone else suffer from the overwhelming depression that results from this? My mind is always racing. I had hope with this appointment because I knew I was so close to seeing a doctor with the tools to fix my back. At this point, I don't know what to do. I walked out of that office today crying because I knew at some point I will be fired and they will never understand the pain that I suppressed that entire time. I feel like I am stuck and have nowhere to go. I feel alone and lost while I suffer. I know there is somebody out there who knows what this feels like.

I don't know how much longer I am able to tolerate this level of pain. I am open to any all suggestions. Please help me, I'm new here!          

Post Edited By Moderator (Screaming Eagle) : 8/28/2012 7:50:17 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/28/2012 2:36 PM (GMT 0)
Hi there...

Welcome to the boards...we are sorry that you have chronic pain and have to be here:(

If I may ask a few questions that are a bit confusing from some of the other posts you have written as well...

Who is prescribing all the medication you are taking now? I have to say in my 11 years of being in PM...I've not seen the dosages that you are on...

You say you change your Fentanyl patch 75mcg every day? And are on 12, 8mg Dilaudid a day?

And then I wasn't sure if you are on Oxycodone pills, as you wrote that you also take 12 of these a day, but wrote that you are on Oxyfast, 5 bottles of this a month...

So, I am not trying to make you feel bad here....I just haven't seen one Dr. prescribe so many opiates for a patient each day. Unless you see more than one Dr. who prescribes these for you?

I am just very concerned for you as you mention in other posts how you have run out of medication early many months and have had to go cold turkey many times.

Are you also on nerve pain medication as well as a muscle relaxer to take as needed? These types of pain are not covered by opiates....so most of us with nerve pain are on these as well.

I would certainly be making an appt. with another Neurosurgeon and if you truly need surgery...then I would think that you should get at least 2-3 Board Certified Neuros who are recommending that you get the same surgery.

There are thousands and thousands of people who have these surgeries and do really well afterwards and go on to have little or no pain....So I hope that is something that can be done for you..

There are not many PMs that will want to continue pain management with such high dosages that you are on if there is a possible surgical way to help you get better.

I couldn't tell from this post...but did you go to the ER right after the accident and get MRIs done? Or were the MRIs done at a later time....

And I guess I am not understanding why you aren't making claims against the other person's insurance to be caring for you and all these appts, tests, medications, and possible surgery?

Sorry for all the questions....just trying to understand your situation a bit better....Hope you will stay around and share with us some more...

Posted 8/28/2012 2:42 PM (GMT 0)
 

        Good morning dhitt...and welcome to our chronic pain forum!

      WOW!...I'm sincerely sorry for all the pain and drama the crash has coused you. shakehead  I also work, and understand the pressure to provide for your family. At one time I was considered one of the best machinist and hardest workers in my shop...but ever since my lumbar back problems, I have fallen off of those bragging rights, and my boss has also noticed that my production levels have fallen off. However he does have some sense of loyality and gratitude for my past performance, and he notes that I so continue to produce quality parts. It has not been easy and is quite a struggle as you may well know.

   ..aaahhh!...car wrecks!....the rules seem to change when those take place and it's unfortunate especially for those not at fault. It seems to be the same with workmans comp as well...and I have seen many a injured worker go through the headaches when dealing with this.

    My step-daughter has been going through the same type of thing after her wreck a couple of months ago. What we did was seek legal cousel and so far that was the correct path to take. They have even sent her to their perferred Dr's...getting MRI's...PT and so forth. The Dr's they sent her to are willing to work without payment up front, but that scares me, thinking that the other drivers insurance may only pay so much and she may get stuck with the rest of the bill.

     If you are off work, the insurance company should pay a portion of the wages, but it may differ with different insurance providers.

   Have you spoken with a lawyer yet? If not, then I would advise you to do so. Most all of the consultations are free and many lawyers will only take a percentage of the final award. They can guide you through the process, and may be able to help protect your work rights at the same time.

    Depression!...yes it is very common when dealing with chronic pain and especially with all the stress that you are going through. You might visit with your Dr and let him know that you are suffering from this. It may be that he can help by either sending you to a counselor or scripting you some med's to deal with it.

     ...also, I would certainlly seek out another surgeon for an opinion.

    Again,..I feel for you, and hope you find a solution soon. Feel free to visit us often for support...we do understand chronic pain here. I edited your post as it looked like it was coppied from another forum of sorts and some of the wording were hot linking them to that forum.

       Take care, and enjoy the forum and it's members!

     SE wink

    

Posted 8/28/2012 3:24 PM (GMT 0)
 

    ...I also happened to read some of your other post after my reply here, and I too am a bit concerned,... at least about how you go about getting your med's earlier than the normal 30day supply. A 75mcg Fentanyl patch every day? WOW! Feel free to explain..if you wish, as we are open to listening.

 SE

Posted 8/28/2012 3:43 PM (GMT 0)
Actually, I see only one doctor here in Dallas. Since i have a problem with absorbing medication, I have to be placed on a larger quantity. I learned that in the early days of pain management. So I may take a large amount of medication but it is really like I am taking a third of that. As far as the shortage of medication goes, that was a couple of months in the last 4 years that I have beent taking medication. On those months, I would have to call my doctor after hours because I was so close to going to the ER and he would give me temporary permission to take more during that month instead of coming into the office. My doctor is really strict when it comes to medication plan adherence, so I don't have much wiggle room. They us Mass Spectometry urine test, so they can tell how much I am actually taking. I never had a real benchmark for other's medication plans. Sounds like I am on the higher end of the spectrum. That's why I want to get a surgeon to perform surgery on me. I know that there is something physically wrong with my back and it needs to be fixed. Since I have a pending lawsuit with this car accident, most surgeons don't want to perform surgery because of the testifying that they might have to do. It's all about money in their eyes.
Posted 8/28/2012 3:51 PM (GMT 0)
 

      Thanks for explaining!....I have seen the Fentanyl patch scripted in that fashion before, but it is rare. I too could not make a patch last any longer than 32hrs or so, and had to get off of them for that reason....but it can be a very effective med.

   Not sure what to tell you about the surgery and a surgeon...but your Dr should know of someone who will take your case on. It would not be the first time he has run across this, or your lawyers for that matter.

    SE

Posted 8/28/2012 4:01 PM (GMT 0)
I appreciate you sharing more.....

When you say you you have been on this medication for 4 years....did you mean 4 months? I was thinking that your pain issues started with your accident in March of this year? Or did you already have injuries that you were in pain management for previously?

Again...I'm truly not trying to judge at all...just understand things...if you get to know me on here I am the question gal...LOL...

The main reason I was speaking about the levels of your pain medications is that this may also be hampering your possible surgery propects from Neurosurgeons as they see someone prescribed such unusually high amounts of pain meds in that trying to care for you pain wise during and after surgery is daunting to them.

Believe me...we all can empathize about severe pain. This is why all of us are here on the boards...

I would think that if your Pain Management Dr...(is that the type of Dr. you are seeing in Dallas?) could speak directly to the Neurosurgeon than maybe that would help things along as well. To be able to provide information about why you are on such high doses and for them to take care of your post op pain medications may ease the Neuro's mind.

And I guess I just don't understand the lawsuit details...(there are some other members on here who are much more knowledgeable about this) but I'm still confused on why you haven't at least claimed medical through the other person's insurance? Isn't it well documented by the police that it was their fault?

Is your car insurance taking care of all the medical for you? Or is it coming out of your own health insurance? That's the part I don't understand about the pending lawsuit...if you are "fronting" all the medical costs for all these months of treatments, injections, tests, meds.....then why not do the same for the surgery if it is needed now.

And I am truly just asking because I have never been involved in any type of lawsuit or car insurance/accident.....so not sure how it all works...

Again...we are happy that you have found us here...and as SE mentioned....I hope that you are getting treatment for the depression as well...Many of us know what it's like to live with chronic pain for many, many years...And I hope that you will be able to resolve these issues soon and that you won't have to be a chronic pain patient!

Post Edited (Snowbunny21) : 8/28/2012 10:12:33 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/28/2012 4:38 PM (GMT 0)
I am so sorry guys for the poor explinations. It took a lot of strength to join these forums because I didn't know how to deal with my situation. I didn't realize that there were so many people in this world that were in similar situations.

I will start off by explaining my ties with pain management.

In 1999 (Age of 11) I was involved in a bad hockey accident. Ever since my accident, I had really bad migraines. It was until 2007 (19 years old) that my migraines started to take over my everyday life. I started to go to the ER all the time and I was in constant pain. After seeing many Neurologist and specialty doctors, I found a Neurologist that wanted to do an MRI of my brain. My parents and I thought it was really odd but we figured that it wouldn't hurt. To my surprise, they found a growth in my brain the size of a grape. (non-cancerous) The actual growth is on the cerebellum. My doctor was into writing prescriptions for fancy medications, but they didn't work. When I got to a point where nothing he prescribed worked, he told me that I was considered chronic and needed to go to pain management. (This was 2008). I have been going to this doctor for 4 years now and he has been very helpful. Over those years, I still had challenges. Like I said before, I found out after about a year that my body does a poor job of absorbing medications through my stomach. The Fentanyl patch has been a lifesaver. He still believes that my overall ability to absorb these medications is poor. I started out on 75mcg once every three days. After two days, I would feel really crappy. He then prescribed it once every two days. Through the years, I had to increase the dosage of the Fentanyl because I wasn't responding to oral medications well. We just found that wearing two 75 mcg patches at a time does me well. Ex-On a Monday, I will replace patch 1, on Tuesday, I will replace patch 2, on Wed., I will replace patch 1. That way, I don't suffer from the ups and downs. I have been on this dosage for over a year. As far as routine medication, I would take the Dilaudid to help with the everyday pain and OxyFast when I was in serious pain.

Since I was already seeing a pain management doctor in March of 2012 when I had my accident, I went to him immediately after and he increased the dosage because two of my disc went bad.

As far as the lawsuit goes, my attorney has advised me that I need to get surgery and any other treatment before we assemble a number to be negociated. At this point, the person who hit me only knows that I am seeking treatment and that we are going to be filing on her insurance. I am using my employers medical insurance for all of these bills. It is milking me dry. I took off from work immediately following the accident until May 21st of this year. I have been toughing it out since. It is documented that it wasn't my fault and our goal is to set it up to have her pay for my medical bills the rest of my life. We are just concerned that she has a very small insurance policy. If only I knew her limits.

A day in my worklife is the closest thing I have felt to hell. I suffer from migraines and back/leg problems all day. I am not allowed to bring in my own office chair and I have to use the one that they provided for me. (Did I mention that I switched jobs in July?) I am still on probation here, so I don't even have an opportunity to miss a day of work.

As far as the depression aspect is concerned, I am affraid to ask my doctor about it. I know that depression is a part of the experience, but I am concerned that my doctor will give up on me because it is too risky. Like you said before, I am on a lot of medication and adding depression to the mix could look bad for me. What do y'all do for all of your depression problems?
Posted 8/28/2012 5:01 PM (GMT 0)
 

     ...your lawyer should be able to get the information on how much coverage they had. I would agree with your lawyer as well...that if you need surgery it should be done...or you could short change yourself later on if the surgery was put off.

    Your in a bad spot, but you have to find a surgeon to take another look and see if they will take on your case. I hear the fear in your writting here about employment problems...and feel for you. It's not very solid ground to be on for sure!

    You don't need to apologize for anything here on the forum...as it is a learning experience, and you have done a fine job so far. We as members of the forum are caring...but it sure does help us to know as much as we can about your chronic pain and the causes.

    It's a real shame that you have been put in this horrible position, and that insurance is difficult to deal with in order to recieve treatment.

    Again Welcome!...and enjoy the forum.

     SE wink

Posted 8/28/2012 5:04 PM (GMT 0)
dhitt, first I would like to say welcome to the forum, and yes, everyone here, from one thing or another is very familiar with chronic pain, and is very supportive on every level. No one here is judgmental, and when they ask questions, it is not out of judgment, it is out of great concern, or curiosity, so that they may get to know you, or your situation a little better, and perhaps be able to offer some insight, on how to find some resolution for your issues. Feel free to vent if you ever need to, we all do it sometimes, and noone is more understanding of that need than the members here.

Alright, some of the legalities of your car accident. You did not say what country you live in, so I can only assume, based on the time of your post, that you live in the United States, and posted before leaving for work, if you do not live in the US, then the laws I'm about to talk about would not be applicable to you, and either way, you'd be wise to stop putting off seeking legal representation, depending on the civil suite laws of your country. The other reason I'm assuming you're in the US, is that you said you have health insurance, most of the countries in Europe have a national healthcare system, at least that's what I've been led to believe lol.

Ok, the nero surgeon has a very valid reason to be concerned about payment. Depending on your healthcare policy, your health insurance may have no liability over your claim, but whether they do or not, would be entitled to compensation from the third party in the event of a lawsuit, and if there is a clause in your policy, which denies coverage for 3rd party liability claims like this, you could have your coverage of these claims dropped at any moment. The neuro surgeon also knows that there are statutes of limitations, that strictly limit the amount of time you have to file a law suite, in my state, that limit is one year from the date of the accident, it can be more or less time, depending on your state, and in some states, you only have 6 months. After the statute of limitations has passed, you CAN NOT file a law suite for that accident.

There are a number of better health insurance policies that will continue coverage, regardless of 3rdyour party liability, but some will do so based on the idea of future reimbursement from the third party, I would suggest you read over your policy very carefully, and possibly go over it with an attorney, so that you know what to expect from your insurance company down the road.

Regarding your job, there are several federal acts that will protect your job under a lot of circumstances, and you will find that your employer may actually be very supportive through this whole ordeal, but they do have rights too, and one of them is to know when they have an employee using heavy narcotics, if you are using a company vehicle at any time, you can be terminated immediately for doing so and not notifying them of your prescriptions. I'd hate to see you lose your job, so you really need to get them on board with your care, the Americans with disabilities act, actually entitles you to some reasonable accommodation, but only covers you if you give your company due and timely notice of the problem. If you are hesitant to talk to your employer, you may want to seek the advice of an attorney to put your mind at ease, and it may give you some ideas on ways to approach your employer, and how to phrase everything, so that they do not misunderstanding anything you are trying to convey.

I would strongly, strongly urge you to seek out legal representation as soon as possible, you really need to know what the reality is of what you are dealing with. Male sure you get multiple consultations, and bring all the info that you can to each consult, including info and photos of the accident, any medical records or work releases you might have, receipts from prescriptions, and also the declaration of coverage on your auto and medical policies, those should be rather large booklets or packets which state the fine details of your coverage contracts. Also, do not forget to bring receipts of any bodywork on your car, any rental cars you had to use, and try to get a list of all trips for this whole thing, medical trips, and trips for your car, and figure out the mileage for each one, all of that should be compensable, if not a tax write off.

If your state bar certifies attorneys as specialists, you will want a personal injury specialist. I would advise you to have signed an attorney within the next month at the most, you really need to get on this, time is against you on this matter, and a tear in a disc is a dangerous condition, a good attorney will be able to get things set up for you, to get real treatment besides just medications, as soon as possible.

I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you will find some relief for your pain. I live in the state of California, and am most familiar with the laws here, if you also live in California, and would like to talk some more about the specific laws for this state, let me know, I'm very familiar with a lot of them and would be happy to help where I can, but I'm not a substitute for the representation that you really need to obtain. Take care, and God bless, and I hope you are able to take action on this soon, the longer you wait, the less likely you are to be taken on by a good attorney for your case.
Posted 8/28/2012 5:13 PM (GMT 0)
Lol, ok, I was typing very slowly while a lot more of the details were being put on the board, so I missed some of them, but a lot of what I said about your accident is still very applicable. If you don't have a good personal injury attorney, you need to get one fast, I'm not very familiar at all with Texas law, but I have some resources that other people may not have without waiting for some books to come in from Amazon. Just let me know if you'd like me to check on anything for you, I'm very good at legal investigation, and would be happy to assist, I've got nothing but time to kill at this point lol. Take care.
Posted 8/28/2012 5:16 PM (GMT 0)
No need at all to apologize for anything....I truly ask questions in an attempt to get to know you better so that we can try to help in the best way possible with suggestions.

You have definitely been through a rough time lately and really hope that you can find a good Board Certified Neurosurgeon/Orthopedic surgeon to figure out the best route of care for you. As I mentioned....having your PM Dr. talk with them directly about your pain medications will be best so that the surgeon doesn't worry out about the amounts and your PM will handle your post op pain. This is also important as I said, many surgeons worry about pain control/anesthesia during surgery so they want to lower the amount of pain meds before surgery....so if they are working with your PM...this may not have to happen.

I also hope that you are on a nerve pain med as well as muscle relaxer as those are very helpful for specific types of pain that goes along with disc issues. Again...I, and others, can truly empathize what you are going through. I have had 3, two level, fusions over the years and have active herniations right now in the lumbar area as well as lower cervical/upper thoracic. But for me, I am not doing another fusion until it's an emergency situation.

Chronic pain takes a huge toll on us. I don't see why you should be worried about getting help for your depression though. I can't imagine why your PM Dr. would get upset or give up on you. Most all PM Drs. understand that depression happens frequently with those in chronic pain. And if he has been your Dr. for this long...I can't imagine he would do anything to change this.

He would probably be very happy that you are seeking out treatment from a Psychologist/Psychiatrist. You may/may not need any medication for it but there are many options for treatment and even just counseling can be extremely helpful. So I would not put this off....

Thanks again for sharing more about your journey.
Posted 8/28/2012 5:18 PM (GMT 0)
Hi,

Now I know why my doctor's asked me about MY lawsuit. Geesh! Money must be more important to them.

I would tell your employer exactly what is going on otherwise they might have their own theory in their heads and you don't want them to think something completely different then what is going on. It really sucks, but you have to adapt to your limitations especially at work but also at home. If you need to get up every once in a while let your employers know. I would assume that they want you to be at your best and if some changes need to be make they should be all for it. If there are other things that need to be changed see if you can make them happen. I only worked 1 yr with my RSD and I had to stay in my seat and not walk at all. I worked at a doctor's office so people had to bring files TO me instead of my walking to get them.

It's hard at first because the pain is so new but you will learn how to work with and around the pain...and what makes it better and/or worse. It takes time to find the right medications etc..

Feel free to change doctors until you find one that can help you. In 20 years i've probably gone to 30 doctor's. Every pain doctor is different. Only 5-7 of those doctors was able to help me. Pain doctors are different than other categories of doctors. They all have different theories on things that can help you. 1 will say surgery will help and other's will say it won't. Keep searching.

My story........

I've been in pain since I was 16 and i'm 36. Ive had a whole schlew of pain conditions going from 1 to another. I was only pain free for 1 yr which was 2004. Then I had a freak accident which was someone elses fault. It was hard to deal with because someone ELSE caused it which i'm sure you're aware of. I have RSD which is nerve pain that covers my right leg, foot and rear end. As of last Nov. I also have 2 seperate back problems.

If you ever need advise on anything, let me know!

I hope you feel better soon!

Heather

 

Posted 8/28/2012 6:00 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for all the support. You guys are incredible. So I got in the accident on March 9, 2012. On March 14, 2012, I called a lawyer. That day, he came to my house, visited with me and took on my case. He has been sending me to doctors ever since. Immediately after I hired my attorney, he sent me to his own doctor which put me on some muscle relaxers and made me do one month of physical therapy. I can't tell you how bad PT is when you have physical damage in your back. Anyway, I decided that I wasn't very happy with his doctor, so I made my PM dr the primary doctor in this case. In the last two weeks, he sent me to this Neurosurgeon. (He told me that they are really close- So close that the Neurosurgeon wanted nothing to do with his patient) I am in the state of Texas. We are not allowed to figure out policy limits or assets until we have gotten to a certain point in the lawsuit. For now, he told me that getting me better is key. He has filed paperwork with my insurance so that they know that I am receiving care because of a car accident. I received a couple of letters from my insurance companies saying that they are investigating claims and that they have been notified that some of my claims are due to a car accident. So that's good that they are continuing to cover me.

One of you said that are really good at investigating. What do you mean by that? Do you think that you would be good at investigating the person that hit me?

Do any of you have any suggestions for me as far as my legs go? I am sitting her at work in the worst pain. They feel like they are restless, tired, and heavy. I know that I have some type of Neurological problem because I am having problems controling my legs. I am worried that I will need the assistance of a cane here soon. Do any of y'all have any suggestions for home remedies or use canes? I'd be curious to find out the type of procedures that you guys have had. I have a torn l4-l5 that is impinging on a nerve root and a s1-l5 is a condition where my disc is essentially drying out. The condition starts with a D.
Posted 8/28/2012 6:20 PM (GMT 0)
Are you still using the TENS unit? And when was the last time you had steroid injections?

Also....are you on a nerve pain medication? These can be very helpful for the leg pain associated from the disc issues as I mentioned...opiates do not work for that specific type of pain so most people are on this in addition to the opiates.

Dehydration is when the discs are drying out. That particular issue is usually not the result of any type of injury though as it's long term....Do you happen to smoke? This can absolutely cause dehydration issues.

The nerve pain and inflammation caused by the disc herniations is usually the cause of most of the pain in the months right after an injury.

So I guess from what you have written that you did not go to the Emergency room after the accident? That your first time going to a Dr. and when you got the MRI was the Dr. recommended by your lawyer? I'm not sure if that is good/bad for your case as again...I do not know much about the legalities of things...

Matt...2y4t is not an actual investigator or anything like that...no one here is a medical professional or in the legal profession that can give any type of advice like that....we are all just chronic pain patients like yourself...I think he was just saying that he has researched this stuff on his own based on his personal journey. He sounds like he can recommend some good books to look through...

My Neuro and PM Dr. do not like the use of canes at all unless for a very short period of time. They prefer that someone use an actual walker...(I bought the Rollator)...as this provides you to be in an upright position to keep your spine aligned. The use of a cane causes your entire spine to be misaligned as well as can cause knee issues. But again...that is long term versus acute issues.

I would certainly contact your Dr. and see what they recommend.

So with your switch of jobs last month...are you on COBRA insurance or did you get immediate coverage with this new job and they didn't have an issue with pre-existing conditions?

I had just started a new job when I had herniated my two cervical discs the first time around. I let them know about everything as obviously I needed to go to Dr. appts. and then had my surgery. They were so accommodating and were happy to help me through the entire ordeal. I worked from home the first month after my surgery which was two month after starting the job. So I would think you will have to let them know about what is going on pretty soon, especially if you are going to need surgery in the upcoming months.
Posted 8/28/2012 7:23 PM (GMT 0)
I don't smoke. I can't exactly remember what the condition is called. It's esentially the aging of the disx due to age or a traumatic event that causes your disc to leak or dry out. I do need to tell my employer about my problems. I worry that they will try and replace me once I tell them about it. The economy is so rough. I actually had dual insurance up until July. Both were fine with the situation. I did not elect COBRA with my previous employer.
Posted 8/28/2012 7:35 PM (GMT 0)
There is Degenerative Disc Disease....but that is also just an "aging" type of situation and not really a disease per say. It is on many of our official "diagnoses"...but it's also something that happens with most everyone over the years...That's what I meant by it not being caused by an accident. I've never heard of the drying out/aging from a traumatic event....but obviously I'm not a Dr. and just going on all of my personal knowledge from years living with disc issues and surgeries...

But obviously you have herniations that are shown on your MRI....this is what is caused by the accident and what causes the pain. Because the disc has herniated into the nerves and spinal cord...this causes the vertebrae to collapse...

This I do know is crucial for your lawsuit as it needs to show that this was caused by your accident and not just normal aging and drying out. I would assume that it's already written on the MRI report about having the accident and that is the reason to do the MRI in the first place...

That is interesting about having dual insurance...I never knew you could do that....and that you were insured from day one without any pre-existing conditions clauses....that is wonderful for you!!!
Posted 8/28/2012 9:53 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Hitt and welcome to the chronic pain forum. I am glad that you found us but very sorry you have to here. I see that you have been involved in a car accident and have hired an atty. This neurosurgeon you saw, did your lawyer refer you to him? Yes, you seemed to have nailed him good, first off he should not have asked you about the car accident, a little unethical of him to have asked that and none of his business. You said you see a PM dr, could he refer you to a good reputable neurosurgeon? Are your medical bills being paid for by your health insurance? In our state (Texas) the person that caused the accident, his/her insurance company does not pay your medical bills as they are incurred. I am sure you already know that and your atty probably has already told you the same.

I would like to make a suggestion here and that's not to discuss the legalities of your accident here at the forum. Here is why, number one, these insurance companies have ways of snooping around and finding out information that may sound harmless to you but could be turned around and used against you in a different way. That kind of grief you do not need. I have seen this happen many,many times. I worked in the legal field for over 20 years. Secondly, everyone here is very well meaning but the truth of the matter is they really do not know all the ins and outs of what is going on in your case, nor do they know the law in each state and the laws are different in each state. The last thing you need is to get a lot of information that really has no bearing on your case, you will just end up being confused and you don't need that either. You have an atty and he is working for you, so let him earn his money.

It is true that the amount of the other person's policy limits does not have to be divulged until you are in the discovery process of the lawsuit. At that time they have to provide a copy of the dec sheet in their discovery answers to your atty. They rarely ever tell what the limits are until you get to this point in the lawsuit. But sometimes you can get a pretty good idea by looking at some things like the age of the person insured, what kind of work they do for a living, the age of the vehicle, and where the person lives at. Obviously someone driving an older car is not going to insure that car to the hilt, usually just the minimum. These are the things we looked at trying to get a feel for things. Now, I have given you that tidbit which your atty had already told you about on divulging the policy limits. Your atty probably told you not to discuss your case with other people too I am sure. He really would not want you discussing it on a public forum. The fewer people that know your business the better. Like I said earlier something sounding so innocent can come back & bite you in the butt later.

I don't know if you are on any of the nerve meds or not, they work on pain caused by nerve problems. Have you ever tried Lyrica, Cymbalta, or Neurotin, these are a couple of those used for nerve pain. Regular narcotics do not work as well on nerve pain. You mentioned you have a disc that is drying out and you could not remember the term used for it, was it called disc dessication, which means its drying out. I think I am spelling dessication wrong, lol.

Depression and chronic pain go hand in hand for some reason. Many of here at the forum are on medication because of the depression. Sometimes by getting on medication it helps lessen the pain some too. It does not mean that you are weak when you speak of being depressed, you are human. A person can only handle so much stress and grief. I urge you to talk to your PCP or PM dr about this, you have enough going on in your life to be depressed.

I kind of got on here late in the game and know there have been other posts by you that I have not read yet. I have some health issues going on too so I am going at a slow pace here lately,lol. Lets say a little slower than usual for me.

Anyway, I wanted to pop on and tell you hello and welcome aboard. Take care...Susie
Posted 8/28/2012 11:03 PM (GMT 0)
Hi dhitt, no I'm not an attorney, and I can't do investigations on specific people in the manner in which you would want, only a licensed private investigator can do that, and even for them, obtaining information such as the other party's actual insurance coverage would be extraordinarily difficult, you will likely not receive that information until the mandated period before a settlement conference, and such information will be required to be listed in the brief for the judge.

My expertise is in actual law research, I've had a tremendous amount of time spent in that for different law classes, and in my own different legal matters, but when it comes down to it, even I will not rely on my own representation when I don't have to, though in my divorce and custody case for my son, I am pro-per, but have recently hit some major speed bumps which are requiring me to save some money for real representation.

If you've already obtained good legal representation, it would be best to direct your questions to them, since they can not only look up laws, but offer the common interpretation of them as well, the legal system is not just about finding people innocent or guilty, but about offering adequate interpretation of laws to give the closest idea of adequate justice on each matter that the law will provide, and each judge will interpret law a little differently, which is why it's so important to have a well experienced attorney. If they dont like a judge, they can request a different one under certain circumstances.

Most of the books I could recommend would really be most applicable if you were representing yourself, but they can give you a thorough in depth look at what your attorney is doing for you behind the scenes. You can check out Nolo Pres, they write a lot of state specific books on almost every part of the legal system, very informational, including what forms your attorney has to fill out and when, I'd suggest going ahead and looking into it, it may help you accept your attorney's percentage a lot easier after you learn about it lol.

Anyways, I hope you're able to find a good surgeon who will take you as a patient. I know where I'm at, surgeons are all over the place, but the good ones are rare and hard to get into. I wish you better days, and a quick resolution on everything. Take care, and God bless.
Posted 8/29/2012 1:14 PM (GMT 0)
I really appreciate y'alls help. As far as the legal discussion, I think it's fair to say that we need to not include it anymore as a part of our discussion. My attorney is great and he is doing a great job and I can appreciate the rate that he is charging me. I have an appointment tomorrow with surgeon, so hopefully I can get something figured out.

Those were very good suggestions as far as the nerve pain medication. I never thought that narcotics wouldn't be good at relieving that pain. I really appreciate your input on this. You guys are a very caring group and obviously understand the hardships I am going through.

Thank you straydog for picking the word out of my brain. Dessication! That was one of the major problems with my back. From what I have researched, it sounds like I will need to have spinal fusion of some sort. Has anyone here had that? What was it like?

As a side note, I am very lucky as far as insurance is concerned and I am paying all of my bills as they are incurred. I am very unlucky here in Texas because I am bearing the brunt of these bills. They are very costly.
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