Well I went to a Doctors Eval today for my Workers Comp case.  The bad news is that in his opinion my back is not fusing (ie no bone growth in the "cages") and that I am 100% disabled.  He also is reccommending in his report that I will probably need another surgery.

The good news is that it was a Defense Doctor that I went to!!!

Woohoo!!!!!!!!!

Morphine here I come!!!

Sgtar15

[white] And this, children, is my us old folks tell you to stay in school!![/white]

"Doctor, is it possible that things other than work can cause a bad back?"

"Doctor, what were his hobbies?

"Doctor, were you aware he served in the US Armed Forces? What would carrying 100 pound plus packs on a daily basis do to a back?"

"Doctor, did he admit to you that he played football in high school?"

"Doctor, isn't it true that his medical records show he actually went to the hospital on a  Saturday, a day he wasn't even at work? Assuming that at the time of trial in this matter we show that his house has a newly poured back porch...could you tell us if heaving 100 pound bags of cement could cause this problem?"

Jesus Happyshooter, do you pull the wings off of flys too?

Happy, I see your point, but mine is definitely work related and I have mnay witnesses to such. As a matter of fact it was my Regional Manager that insisted that I first go to a doctor.

But I am still very cautious...no more shooting .50BMGs that's for sure.

Sgtar15

Those were actual questions I have used, back in those terrible days of yesteryear when I had to fill in for the comp guys at my old firm.

Then there was the time I got two cases in the same week that really weren't the employer's fault...one was because the guy had AIDs and it made his bones die but none of the whores had read the journals for the last 10 years so they didn't know it.

(The doctor your lawyer or union sent you to is their whore, defense whore is the doctor the employer bought. Most of the time they are mid level doctors in their field with 20 years in, they switch their practices to whoring after getting approached by one side or the other and make the really big bucks for 10 years, until the comp referees refuse to read their reports anymore, and then retire. A good whore can see 60 patients in two days and give deps the other two, at 500 per exam and 500 per dep. It don't take long for him to pay off his debts and sock some money away.)

Today I read an article about a disc replacement process being used in Europe. it is being considered for US useage now. I wish that I could remember where I saw it! The vertebrae are spread apart and the bad disc is removed. A flat metal disc is bonded to the face of both vertebrae and a fiber disc is bonded between them. Looks like a good idea to me. I have been through two back surgeries myself.

Damn Pangea!!  I hurt just reading that!!!!

Sgtar15

Would you rather they pry the vertebrae apart and stuff a pork chop in?

Seriously, I'm glad things went well..so far.

Doctors suck.  (Sorry Ed Sr. --  All doctors EXCEPT for pathologists suck. [;)])

[b]
Hang in there Sgtar15...   (Us crippled 'ok bastards have to hold out for technological advances to come to our aid ! [:)])[/b]


I saw the artificial disc mentioned in one of Johnny_Reno's new/pic posts....   I'll try to dig it up.

My neurosurgeon said that we are still years away from anything that will work and be approved by the FDA.  [:(]


Sgt -- were/are you a smoker?   My doc said that smoking was a huge factor in "failure to fuse" failures..??

Get someone else to take your garbage out while you're ailing.    They love to show that 30 seconds on tape and ignore the other 23:59;30 of pain.

You and YOUR doctor should be the ones deciding about surgery or not and if so what kind.  

But like you said, for bad news, its pretty good.

Rbad, you already sent me that article.

PRK, Actually my Doctor already told me the same thing.  It's just nice when a second doctor agrees with it.  It took three visits to see this guy because twice before the Defense lawyer canceled the appointments prior.  Translation; they where setting me up to get pics.

Sometimes I wonder how these SOB can sleep at night knowing their jobs is to take food and $$ out of my kids mouth.

Sgatr15

I knew a guy once who had back surgery where they removed one of his vertebrae.  He got it from the doctors, cleaned it, glued it back together, and attached it to his keychain.   A very interesting conversation piece if ever there was one.

CJ

[img]http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20030520/capt.1053444103.artificial__disc_nyet205.jpg[/img]

For bad news, it's pretty good.  For the rest of you, worker's comp SUCKS, and for every ripoff you hear about, there are thousands of guys like RBAD, sgtAR15, and me who are slowly starving to death due to insurance company ripoffs.  It will teach you to hate lawyers and insurance companies.  Happyshooter, if you actually did this kind of work, someone should kick your ass.  Ops

For your health, you may want to just give your guns to me.

Only if you let me take you into the bathroom, strip your shirt off and let me shave you.........after that I may consider it.

Sgtar15

PS You would also have to fight my son for them.  Sgtar jr is 6'5" @225 and he is younger then you.

Wow, big kid.

Great just what he needs...MORE MEDS![jump]