Workers Comp Help
Fibromyalgia After Falling At Work
I fell in a patient's room. I was exam. immediately in the E.R. with a lac. to my head and lip. I was exam. 3 days. later and DX. with a cervical strain. My DX. since Jan. 15, 2001 have included Fibromyalgia, CTS with bilat release, TMJ, Epicondylitis and anxiety. I have3 not worked since the fall. Workers Comp covered my med bills and paid benefits until recently.
I am under the care of a rheumatologist and still off duty per his orders. The ins. company has sent me for a FCT and has cut my benifits to $50.51 per week stopped paying my med. bills (They only paid 1 visit to my Rheumotologist, my health ins. has covered the rest plus my $30.00 co-pay.
Now this is what baffles me, workers comp. was paying for all the meds. my rheumotologist prescribed but not the office visits. I called the Docs office to cancel a much needed appointment, due to lack of co-pay and gas money and they tell me my health ins. has been canceled.
So here I am chronic pain, chronic fatigue, can't remember my name half the time, today I could hardly stop crying and I mean I was bellowing. In the beginning I had a proper amt. of depression but for the first time in my life I am wishing for the guts to end this nightmare. My boyfriend with whom I lived, ended our relationship which has left me homeless, I am now sleeping on my son's sofa. That REALLY helps my pain.
I can't get med. tx. or Rx. refills. My car note is 3 months behind, I am overdrawn, I feel so stupid that I can't even balance a ck. book, guess I don't have to worry anymore. I have explained my situation to my attorney but there doesn't seem to be anyway to speed things up. I applied for a "settlement advance" Illegal in the state of La. My son can hardly maintain his wife and new baby much less his 42 yr old mother. I'm sure this is more info than you wanted but thanks for letting me vent. If you have have resource info for a cognitive impaired nurse with constant muscle pain and fatigue it be GREATLY appreciated!!! I'm truly not looking for a hand-out. I have worked since I was 16.
Update:
It's 4:28am and I'm unable to sleep as usual. I crumbled last week, the physical, emotional and financial pressure pushed me into two options. #1. I put myself to sleep permanently or #2. Go see a psychiatrist. I went with the second option and was adm. to a psych. hosp. for 7 dys. I feel ashamed and weak for letting this get me down. I didn't even tell my son where I was last week, he has always seen me as a strong, self-sufficient and very active "MOM" Look at me now, I can't even spell 1st grade words and I'm sleeping on HIS sofa and eating his groc.
I still have the same problems actually they have gotten even worse. It's going on 3 weeks and no $50.51 from Gates-McDonald. Have not heard a word of explanation, no news from my lawyer. Had to borrow gas money from a very sweet pt. I met while learning them "coping skills." That stuffs all good in theory but helps very little in the REAL LIFE of pain and exhaustion. The doc did manage to get me back on my anti-depressants and gave me free samples to get me by for a bit
As I mentioned in a previous venting episode, I'm still homeless. I've psyched myself up to go begging "the system" for food and shelter. That will probably put me back in the hosp another week. I'll say it again, I do not understand how workers-comp gets away with doing us that! Thanks again for letting me vent.