jude0531
12-19-2006, 10:59 PM
I have arthritis in my spine and hips. I can not positively say that it was caused by work, However, my former job did increasingly aggrivate these condtions. I have been treated for carpal tunnel, left hip/knee and leg pain, as well as hands, arm, elbow, shoulder and neck pain. I have had several incident reports over the last 10 years at this mfg. company. And I do have copies of all of those reports from slipping on ice, to tripping over skids.
In previous years I have earned excess of $50,000/year, because I worked a great deal of overtime. During the last 3 years I have had to decrease the hours of time that I work. Often giving the overtime hours to others. I did this because the physical pain has become so overwhelming that it became all that I could do to make it through an eight hour shift.
This year I have had two elbow surgeries (jan. and may 2006). I have been off work with my back and hip pain and dizziness since Aug.7 of this year. During this time there seemed to be some misunderstanding between the nurse practioner and myself. She knew that I had other issues related to work that she could not and would not address unless she had permission to do so. I was trying to get releases so that I could get all of my treatments from one doctor’s office. And it took a couple of weeks to get the papers from the employer. Any way, some how my medical leave coverage was not covered. There have been discrepencies in the dates I was told to return and what was actually documented. Also there was absolute refusal to cover me for the time between when I was seen by this specific NP and the time that I was finally able to see the bone specialist.
I was fired. I lost my health care insurance. And now that I have finally gotten to see the bone specialist, I can't get the tests done that he would like to run because I have no insurance and no income of my own.
I can not return to factory work again. I can't take that kind of pain any longer. I don't know what to do or who to talk to. I'm not eligible for any assistance as I have earned to much money in recent years. I'm afraid that I will end up losing my home, my car, everything before I will be able to get anything settled. I know that even if I do have a case, it is going to take years to get any type of settlement.
So here I am a 53 ½ year old woman who hurts like I’m about 90 years old and on top of that I’ve become depressed, frustrated, stressed, and often panic stricken. I am taking three different psychological drugs. As well as other medications for my physical ailments, and still I’m prone to these episodes.
What do I do? :confused:
In previous years I have earned excess of $50,000/year, because I worked a great deal of overtime. During the last 3 years I have had to decrease the hours of time that I work. Often giving the overtime hours to others. I did this because the physical pain has become so overwhelming that it became all that I could do to make it through an eight hour shift.
This year I have had two elbow surgeries (jan. and may 2006). I have been off work with my back and hip pain and dizziness since Aug.7 of this year. During this time there seemed to be some misunderstanding between the nurse practioner and myself. She knew that I had other issues related to work that she could not and would not address unless she had permission to do so. I was trying to get releases so that I could get all of my treatments from one doctor’s office. And it took a couple of weeks to get the papers from the employer. Any way, some how my medical leave coverage was not covered. There have been discrepencies in the dates I was told to return and what was actually documented. Also there was absolute refusal to cover me for the time between when I was seen by this specific NP and the time that I was finally able to see the bone specialist.
I was fired. I lost my health care insurance. And now that I have finally gotten to see the bone specialist, I can't get the tests done that he would like to run because I have no insurance and no income of my own.
I can not return to factory work again. I can't take that kind of pain any longer. I don't know what to do or who to talk to. I'm not eligible for any assistance as I have earned to much money in recent years. I'm afraid that I will end up losing my home, my car, everything before I will be able to get anything settled. I know that even if I do have a case, it is going to take years to get any type of settlement.
So here I am a 53 ½ year old woman who hurts like I’m about 90 years old and on top of that I’ve become depressed, frustrated, stressed, and often panic stricken. I am taking three different psychological drugs. As well as other medications for my physical ailments, and still I’m prone to these episodes.
What do I do? :confused: