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Bonnie
 Aug 8, 06 - 9:40 PM |
L&I issues and my blog
Hi I just added the following to my blog and thought it might be a good idea to paste a copy of it here. It has to do with what has happened to me over the past year: ----------------------------------------------- Custodial workers have one of the hardest and most unappreciated jobs. What they do is a vitally important job in supporting, maintaining schools, teachers and other support staff not to mention parents and relatives who attend those after school functions, such as games, meetings, band, choir, orchestra, plays, etc. Most are asked to do more than their assigned tasks. Assigned tasks? Most are assigned tasks that are nearly impossible to complete in the time given then they have those extras... More tasks get added and time gets taken away. What happens to most workers is that with the repetitve motion of mopping, sweeping, window washing, bleacher set ups, chair and table set ups and put aways, etc., is that they are very likely to sustain some sort of injury. My injury occured from multitasking: trying to complete my tasks ...the hurry of getting my regular tasks done as well as extras of an event set-up (bleachers, chairs and long table set ups). Then while tossing garbage into the dumpster my shouder was injured, was torn. I have broken a bone before and this hurt worse. Now the wonderful district I worked for - to have the least expenditure had hired a go-between to L&I. I cannot get the shoulder repaired, told it's in my mind and have been sent to independent exams (IME) which are basically doctors paid by that company to say it is in my mind. Still in pain was sent back to work, had to go home to recover, ice and pain meds, then sent back to be reinjured...again and again until I resigned. Now I am hanging in the wind with an injury that has not been repaired, no job, no income, no insurance. They are still trying to close the claim and send me forth to those IME doctors who are hired to try to close the claim. I am thinking this must have happened to others. I am sure of it. Such a lack of honor on the part of the school districts to treat their employees like throwaways. I am beyond disappointed in them. These are the people who educate my children. What have my children learned recently? What my children have learned is that the school district threw away their mom. They learned that managed care is a lowest of the low. They learned that when you work for someone that most likely you won't be considered "part of the family", but instead a thing to be tossed when broken. They learned that our school district values money over lives. Ironically, what has happened in my opinion is that more money has been spent keeping me from proper medical care than if they had just let the doctor do his job in the first place. Pissed? Yep! |
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Nigel
Aug 9th, 2006 - 3:42 AM |
Re: L&I issues and my blog
My wife had the same sort of injury while working for a cleaning contractor, she was carrying a box of 4 gallon jugs down a stairwell and lost her footing, she pulled or tore muscles in her shoulder and arm. She whent on workers comp. for a year and then they said it was all in her head. Funny thing is they cut off her wages but still cover all her meds. If its in her head why would they cover meds? |
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Bonnie
Aug 19th, 2006 - 6:10 PM |
Re: L&I issues and my blog
The following email came from visitor, Breeze Cleaner. She gave me permission to post it in the forum. I felt that what she had to share could help some of you: -------------------------------------------- Hi Bonnie Thank you for having such a wonderful site! I would like to reply to your posting of your injury ... You should contact someone who is in Occupational Health and Safety - especially someone who does or has knowledge on Disability Management and Ergonomics. This person would be able to explain your injury, examine your limits and help you with WCB. You might even want to see a Doctor who specializes in Sports Medicine They have a better idea and understanding of this type of pain and injury. Custodial work is a "Sport in its own way!" We have games and sometimes we win! Don't give up - I will give you a short story example (my husband) Truck Driver - very tall - Air ride seat - he is so tall that he has to remove all the air and the seat sits on the frame to see out the windshield, He feels every bump bang into his back. One day he couldn't move his toes in one leg??? Story short - he pinched off a nerve from his back and it blocked and did permanent damage to his Plantar reflex - that is the ability to rock your foot to put your weight up on your toes. Losing this meant he couldn't climb up the box of the truck to pull his tarps and a very poor ability to climb steps. He had to jump through all the hoops of like you said it's in your mind, the doctors here couldn't help, WCB put him in their assessment institute (900 kms away) and sent him off to more doctors. Finally after 8 months one doctor said he had to go through some electrode testing to see about the nerve damage and they where able to pinpoint his exact areas and the extent of his damage and give him a better recovery plan. WCB was then told it wasn't in his mind nor was he faking it. He did lose the nerve function in his toes but was able to retrain other muscles to take the place of those lost. He also knows how to better look after his back, and to watch the equipment that he uses to not further his injury. From start to finish this was 18 months. I hope this helps you to keep going -- Your shoulder might have scar tissue or a torn muscle that they can't see on x-ray and you may need a MRI? Maybe it is also connected to your upper back (like my husband's story) and you haven't been treated for it? I am not a doctor, but have a back ground in Health and Safety. Also when you went back to work did your Doctor give you the ok to do all work tasks? Did your employer ask you if you where fit to return? Did you tell your employer that your shoulder still hurts? Does your employer have a Modified return to work plan? If not you should be telling your Doctor all this to strengthen your WCB claim. Regards Breeze Cleaner |
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