Workers Comp Woes
Let me start by saying this is not a slam on my company or the work comp admistrators. Truth be told they have been amazing.
The woe is my injury. I fell in May on my left knee. The diagnosis is internal derangement of the knee. (LOL I'm deranged and it's now in my medical records). The nature of my job and my location does not afford any light duty options, so I am out of work until cleared by the doctor to return.
I thought I would be released last time I went (about 5 weeks ago) but I was struggling going upstairs, squatting and kneeling. I moved up my follow up appointment to this Friday, August 5...because something is still not right and I NEED to go back to work for my mental health, at this point.
I can walk at a reasonable pace without pain. I'm achy, but I am achy everywhere because I am out of shape. I can walk down stairs. I can walk up stairs, but if I walk up too many my knee on the interior medial area throbs. (The same thing happens if I walk up steep inclines, gradual one i can manage.) The more stairs I climb the worse it gets. Some advil and elevation and I'm fine pretty quick. I figure these issues will resolve as I continue my physical therapy exercises at home and use the pool to build my strength.
Here is the major concern. I went to grab something from under my son's bed. I knelt down and the moment any pressure was on the knee...pain shot through the knee and up my thigh. We are talking a 7 on the scale. After some elevation, ice, advil and about 2 hours I was in a manageable range, but it hurt clear through the next day. There is no discernable swelling, but I kneel inspecting vehicles. I squat to inspect vehicles, which is my other pain trigger.
No one will tell me if this is just my new reality. Will I always have these pains? I moved up my orthopedic appointment so maybe they can do an MRI and see if something is damaged. My stability is good, so I don't know what to think.
My supervisor, my company and the worker comp folks have been stellar, but I feel so unproductive. I can do something! I don't like living in this limbo. It's also painful having reduced salary and having to pay my insurance premium of pocket, especially on a 33% reduced salary. If I don't get back to work soon...I'll have to tap my 401k to cover the insurance bills. (This is personal medical insurance through my company.)
Let's call it what it is...I'm scared. I deal with hemiplegic migraines, I don't want to deal with shooting knee pain. Is that too much to ask?
Wish me luck. I hope, at this point, that I am being paranoid. If something is wrong, maybe Friday will give me some answers.
The woe is my injury. I fell in May on my left knee. The diagnosis is internal derangement of the knee. (LOL I'm deranged and it's now in my medical records). The nature of my job and my location does not afford any light duty options, so I am out of work until cleared by the doctor to return.
I thought I would be released last time I went (about 5 weeks ago) but I was struggling going upstairs, squatting and kneeling. I moved up my follow up appointment to this Friday, August 5...because something is still not right and I NEED to go back to work for my mental health, at this point.
I can walk at a reasonable pace without pain. I'm achy, but I am achy everywhere because I am out of shape. I can walk down stairs. I can walk up stairs, but if I walk up too many my knee on the interior medial area throbs. (The same thing happens if I walk up steep inclines, gradual one i can manage.) The more stairs I climb the worse it gets. Some advil and elevation and I'm fine pretty quick. I figure these issues will resolve as I continue my physical therapy exercises at home and use the pool to build my strength.
Here is the major concern. I went to grab something from under my son's bed. I knelt down and the moment any pressure was on the knee...pain shot through the knee and up my thigh. We are talking a 7 on the scale. After some elevation, ice, advil and about 2 hours I was in a manageable range, but it hurt clear through the next day. There is no discernable swelling, but I kneel inspecting vehicles. I squat to inspect vehicles, which is my other pain trigger.
No one will tell me if this is just my new reality. Will I always have these pains? I moved up my orthopedic appointment so maybe they can do an MRI and see if something is damaged. My stability is good, so I don't know what to think.
My supervisor, my company and the worker comp folks have been stellar, but I feel so unproductive. I can do something! I don't like living in this limbo. It's also painful having reduced salary and having to pay my insurance premium of pocket, especially on a 33% reduced salary. If I don't get back to work soon...I'll have to tap my 401k to cover the insurance bills. (This is personal medical insurance through my company.)
Let's call it what it is...I'm scared. I deal with hemiplegic migraines, I don't want to deal with shooting knee pain. Is that too much to ask?
Wish me luck. I hope, at this point, that I am being paranoid. If something is wrong, maybe Friday will give me some answers.
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