My Pain, Worker's Comp and a Doctors Lies

I guess it is time to write about this. On March 9, 2001 I was injured when a box hit me while I was in the warehouse wher I worked. A man on a forklift on the opposite aisle knocked boxes off the top shelf and one smacked me mid-back. This is sort of what it looked like;

I have had surgery on my low back which ended up as "failed surgery" but my neck and shoulder the doctors did nothing about. I have been collecting Worker's Comp since the accident but the time is limited here in Massachusetts so by April 08 I will have no income. I am in so much pain that most of my time is spent sort of reclining on my side.


Some of the WC doctors who are trying to protect the insurance companies have said that the box did not hurt me and that I have degenerative disk disease. Even though I was walking 5 miles a day, hiking, golfing and most of all...WORKING 40+ hours a week...and SUDDENLY after the injury I was doing none of those things...they say I would be like this anyway. It is so frustrating to think that a doctor would say that. What happened to DO NO HARM???


Recently my physiatrist recommended an orthopedic surgeon to look at the results of my MRI that she was concerned with because the disk is buldging into the spinal column. He talked about the danger and that if I wanted surgery...it was warranted.


THEN...after seeing the Worker's Comp insurance doctor's report he changed his whole diagnosis. He said I was NOT a candidate for surgery and that I had degenerative disk disease. He said I need to lose weight...(IN MY HEAD? MY HEAD IS WHAT IS RESTING ON MY NECK!) I sat there crying...I could not believe what I was hearing!


Well fast forward to today. On June 8th. I had an MRI again per Dr. B's orders and when I went in today for him to evaluate the current MRI the VERY FIRST THING HE SAID WAS....well your degenerative disk disease is the same. (The term I had asked him about when I brought the WC doctor report in). This man is incredible. So, instead of reacting the way I normally would, I confronted him. I repeated word for word what he said about surgery the first time I was there and he started back pedaling. He threw in Spondylosis and said that I did not have that and that he had corrected his initial diagnosis. He is lying. He even said he would not operate on me.


This is all jumbled because I am upset and I will eventually get the facts down here all in a row...but suffice it to say...I need an honest doctor. I have one..Dr. R. She is so wonderful, so compassionate and caring. I do feel blessed about that!

More later...when I can get the dates and all straight.