HI,
Well here goes;
In Dec., of 96, I had up to 7 spools of rope, fall on me in the over head, and throw me to
the other side of the ladder, and in Nov., of 97, one of the guys at work, dropped a 16lb.
drill, on me from the overhead(20ft.) well if the first didn't tear me up enough, the
second finished it off. (I'm compressed 3 in.) with all that pain to go with it. In
Feb. of "98", I had my first surgery on my R. hand and wrist, to relive the
median nerves,(I had no feelings in my arm, shoulder or hands, and worked that way for
nearly a year) I have nerve damage in my R side. In march of "98", I had
my second surgery, the R rotator.w/2 pins, and 3 anchors, the rotator was totally
severed: When my ortho Doc., had said I could resume lite duties, at work, no
lifting ETC., my spinal Doc., got frustrated with me, after I had gone back to work, and
could still, barely walk, threw his hands up, and put me back full time, no
bending/stooping/or sitting???!!! I cried, what the heck am I supposed to do, I said? I
can't walk, the pain is phenomenal. Please help me!
So, my work suggested I get a lawyer, I did! ( W/C, was trying to say my pain was, blood
related, age, you name it, they said it.) (So instead of being 46, I felt like I was
106.literally, They made me feel like zoo dirt)My lawyers are great, and help me cope, and
always give me good support.(They told me the spinal Doc, I was going to, is a W/C doc.,
and that those kind of Doc.'s, only want to, help W/C, get buy, the cheapest way they
can.) I have a new Spinal Doc., a whole team. In August of "98" I had my
3rd surgery, this was the left hand and wrist. [before each one of these surgeries, I
would cry, from the pain, in my back, neck, and what about me walking, what's going on!]
{my responses would be, we have to take care of the easier things first, (not that they
are really easy, cause they hurt like hell // but W/C will only allow one thing at a time
// and we need the upper extremity, for strength later) My Hubby, would get so so mad, and
I would get more and more frustrated, get all worked up, and of course pain levels, of a
blown out "10". This was a constant thing anyway.
By Nov., "98", My spinal /neuro, Doc., said its time for surgery, still not
knowing, which one we'd do first, I weighed the pros and cons, and tried to determine,
which was worst, upper, or lower. (when we submitted to W/C, a request, for surgery
consult, they denied it. It took till Jan., "99", to get in, and they put me in
on emerg., basis. W/C had already decided, that they didn't want me having metal rods in
my neck, so denied the surgery, and we had to fight for that. March, "99",
I had C 4-5,5-6-7, discectomy, fusion, 5 screws, 2 rods, and a metal plate. they used bone
from my L hip, for the fusion.(anterior cervical diskectomy, fusion and plating using
italic crest bone graft)
well the surgery was a success, and now I have to face the lower, L3-4, 4-5, 5-S1 and the
T10-11. I believe that the cervical did relieve, some of the pressure off the lower,
but the lower is still blown out "10". We are hoping the "T" levels,
will calm down, and was told, allot of times they do! I still have some pain, in the
cervical, sometimes up to a "7", but nothing like it was. (Doc's feel, that this
caused allot of other things, to go on as well.)(my Ortho Doc., feels that the L rotator,
might be torn, as well, and so does my spinal Doc, and PT) This has changed my life,
so drastically, as I'm sure it has, for all of you, So my saying is to myself, everyday
is; This is the very first day, to the rest of my life, at least I'm alive, and can walk
some, and finger Jammen(typing) is fun, when my fingers will work. I do have allot of
determination, and I am going to get better. Sincerely, Claudette
Claudette has been kind enough to offer anyone interested to e-mail her..
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