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Friday, April 20, 2012

My Journey with RSD - Entry 2


Well scratch the audio version of my entry; I can’t get the audio work so I will have to try again later.

For the past week I have been digging thru what seemed like Pandora’s Box looking for visits to doctors. This was a major feat due to my lawyers lack organizing skills and I thought I did pretty good job keeping thing straight but I was half ass also. I guess with all the stress just made me think I was better at it than I was. I kept any and every piece of paper I got during the suit and placed them into folders but without order(oops). This also opened up old wounds that I was finally getting over, like the anger that I had at my job and their insurance company.

I hadn’t opened the box but just once since the suit was over and that was just to get a copy of my medical records for my current doctor and didn’t look then just grabbed one of the envelopes the lawyer sent me. So any ways here is the next entry……



Entry 2



Ok I got hurt on May 20th and took a few days off but then it took until June 4th before I started to see the company doctor. I saw P.A. Tan. three times during the month of June. All three time he diagnosed me with Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. The treatment was 2 wrist splints (one I had to pay for) and aspirin or Tylenol only to have him tell me that the splints were making the injury worse and I shouldn’t wear them, like the splints were my idea (ass). I had told him before that the splints hurt severely but I was wrong and he was right, and after the 3rd visit he referred me to Ortho Dr. Rib. Mind you, I never got an X-Ray or any other test besides him twisting and poking the area that hurts. After this I decided to get my own doctor and happen to schedule their new doctor with my doc the same day.

During the time between to upcoming visits my employer decided that I need to try to get back on full duty since PA Tan didn’t say otherwise even though I had been on light duty before. In between my first three visits my employer kept pressuring me to get back to regular duty with the splints on since they protect my hand and even after my protesting when trying to use the hand. By my employer I mean my direct supervisor. If a little thought had gone into his actions instead of just being a dick, had my injury only be temporary, the use before healing only prolongs the time of being on light duty (duh). This guy was a constant pain throughout this whole journey and he even continued talking about it after I was no longer with the company. I did hear the guy is still in the same position since I left hmmm wonder why.

Towards the end of June I visited Dr. Rib. and guess what, the first thing was an X-Ray then I saw the doctor, and after seeing him he scheduled an EMG. Wow two procedures scheduled or performed on my first visit. He was a very good about going over everything and listening to me about where and what made the pain worse. The one main thing that I noticed about the doctor’s dictation was that in one section he notes that there was sweating in my hand but in another section he notes not sweating. Some doctors I swear need to pull their head out but I guess with a good thing he needed to counter it by putting contradictory notes.

On the same day I visited the doctor’s clinic I found during work one day. I first saw a PA for the first several visits which bugs the hell out of me. I believe that when someone goes to a clinic or office the first visit or 2 you should see the doctor then maybe see the PA. Nothing against PAs but I go to Dr. “Such N’ Such” to see that doctor not to see PA “So N’ So” and makes a new patient feel unimportant. Ok back to my visit at Dr. Wol.’s clinic to see P.A. Schul.  

I received the common poke and prod of any doctor and the questionnaire I also had another X-RAY P.A. Schul. Prescribed Naproxen, back on light duty, and put in the request for Physical Therapy. His diagnosis was pretty much the same as Dr. Rib. Which was crush injury, hand and wrist derangement and possible Carpel Tunnel but Schul. wasn’t quite for sure what else to put down or the extent of the injury.

July rolled around and first on the list was an EMG that supposedly showed nothing. I say supposedly because I watched some adjusting happening to the results by the technician. This just helped my insecurity of thinking about how my employer was putting pressure of these guys to get me back to work. My employer sent someone with me every appointment I went to but, with my doctor they never showed up.

My next visit was to see Dr. Rib. And get my EMG official results and for a follow up. Sweat was present again and my complaining of the pain still. After talking about problems I was having he said that he was inclined to say I had RSD but not too worry because it is fully treatable and curable but until it was contained I would be uncomfortable. (Don’t know what he was thinking) He told me my next test was a MRI and he was sending me to see another doctor for a SGB. His official written diagnosis was crush injury and traumatic carpel tunnel nothing about RSD.

That same day I went to see P.A. Schul. for a follow up and discussed all my issues again. Repeating everything over and over even the same day is something that is tiresome but also you kind of get used to doing. Light duty was to continue but higher restrictions because the weight limits and time was too hard for me. He also prescribed Lyrica and a light dose of Norco. My PT had been approved and started the next week.

Mind you I had to drive at least half my day getting to and from work during my job and doctor visits but that was no concern to my employer.  When I first began my meds I had a few problems driving but I had to or worry about repercussions from my boss. This does become a major problem later on because I pushed the issue. That comes later.



Thanks for your support and please send me feedback.



This entry was rushed because I told you guys that I would have it up by now so some of it is jumbled, I apologize for this!

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