Fell on damaged work stairs, workers comp maybe, out of work for at least 2 weeks.

Good morning,

Sorry this got long, obviously since I started with good morning and am getting around to posting now around 3pm this turned into more then what it started with. Maybe some of you will have the patience to get through it. But just writing it out helps me deal with it more logically for some reason...

I haven't posted in a while but it looks like the rain keeps pouring. I'm going to skip venting about finances as we all know how great insurance coverage is when they can't quite get your diagnosis or treatment right. And now workers comp gets to get involved, even more doctors and forms.

We were finally at a sort of plateau where the pain treatment somewhat helped and allowed me to continue working mostly full time, with fmla accomodations. And I'm on a current treatment with an llnp with the option to see the the llmd for the lyme and coinfections.

And yesterday they were cleaning a stairwell and didn't have wet floor signs up (until after my incident)

To go back a step...
I get access to a side door to make it easier to get to my department rather then having to walk around an entire building due to my mobility limitations recently, at 23, this has been a godsend in terms of not wasting unnecessary walking energy and using it on my actual work. Even though the building has an elevator it's actually much closer distance wise to take the stairs, and this hasn't been an issue before.

I wasnt aware of the wet floor visually and the cleaning lady let me know it was alright to go up as she was almost done. I slipped on the first set of stairs and she told me to be careful... she had seen that I was limping when I asked if it was alright to go up these stairs.

On the next set of stairs, total of 3 to my floor, I slipped a lot harder due the combination of the wet floor and a rise/run of the step being severely damaged,
and was holding onto the railing for dear life but still slipped/fell down several steps and felt an immediate lightning bolt through my whole right side, shoulder down to my toes, and pain in my shoulder, elbow, and wrist due to gripping the railing to hopefully catch myself from fully falling down the rest of the stairs.

Now I'm sitting at the "independent" docs office waiting to be seen for a workers injury claim.


Update:

Apparently my employer hadn't sent them any of my records yet so this appointment was a waste and I have another one next friday. I had to come in on a walk in basis and was there 8-11am, in pain as I wasn't sure how long we'd be there and get very carsick so I couldn't take my pain meds until I got home.

The independent doc was odd, couldn't quite get a good read on him, or where he stood...

I asked for a cane during recovery, he pushed for a walker, so I'm now out of work for at least 2 weeks and with a walker at 23.

Not too excited but, gotta do what I gotta do...

I have an appointment to follow up with my pcp Monday, then I'll be walking into my root canal Tuesday with this injury on top of everything else and a walker, an appointment with this independent doc next friday, and an appointment with my lyme/infection specialist 2 weeks from then.

And in between that I need to help my non-English speaking parents with an old medical debt (that they at that point in an attempt to wait for a car accident settlement paid for with a credit card) that's now turned into a wage garnishment out of nowhere. The debt was sold and resold since 2004, but apparently a judgement they weren't aware of was entered in 2009, which lasts for 10yrs unlike the 7 years for the credit card debt on the credit report itself.

And support my boyfriend through ridiculously unreasonable amounts of overtime (paid as miniscule overtime since he's salary) Where he leaves at 6am and doesn't get home most days til after 7pm, and works most Saturdays. Let's say there's a large nationwide tv service that's launching some new software and he happens to be on a beta testing team. I just want to see his face. And preferably spend some time with him when my body and pain meds cooperate to not feel like I'm dying, I miss that, it's like the one thing I really look forward to is right out of reach. And I've voiced this, but he just says what do you expect me to do, this is what's expected of me...

Could anyone remind me what 23 is supposed to feel like? Since this certainly doesn't "feel" like it. Sorry for getting a bit down.

Just mentally working through it at the moment, and life can't seem to let up.

Thanks for being here as a such an amazing community. Reading others progress or coping has definitely led me towards the right direction, but its just a slow snail pace at the moment.

I wish I could respond in a meaningful fashion, but I've trouble finding the words to even talk to myself really, I'm sorry.

One thing, as far as wondering what we're supposed to feel like at our age, I really wish I knew. I, much like a lot of other people around here, have lost and/or are continuing to lose our youth to these illnesses. There are a lot of wrongs I'd like to right, both with myself and others, but I'm just not able to at the moment.

This is not at all where I saw myself, not at all where I want to be, not at all where I would be, if not for Lyme. But, this is where I am, try as I might to change that. It's a shame, because I still have so much drive, ambition, plans made, and I know I could see a lot of them come to fruition, if I could just get better.

I've heard from the sick sort, doctors knowledgeable on these matters, that we should just try to live, regardless, and do what makes us "happy," which is good advice, and well appreciated, but it's just not the same. Others might be able to manage, but I can't. I need health for happy.

You don't have to apologize for feeling these ways - we all do, or have, at some point throughout this mess.

All you can do is try, keep trying, through all the failure, hoping that there's not too much of the latter along the way.

I hope things work out for the best for you. I'm sorry if I talked to much. I'm sorry if I got a bit down. I'm sorry if I didn't help all that much. I'm sorry for a lot of things. I'm sorry sorry doesn't mean more. I'm sorry a lot. lol

Anyway, you can do it. :)