(http://americannewsreport.com/nationalpainreport/my-story-a-pain-in-the-coccyx-8823596.html) The National Pain Report, my story. April 14th, 2014 by Soula Mantalvanos I begged my neurosurgeon to do anything, even to chop my coccyx off. But after getting opinions from other surgeons, he suggested not to go the invasive path as we had the option for an implant called a peripheral stimulator, a treatment that was reversible. It made more sense.
(Sing with me, to the tune of 'The 12 Days of Christmas'': 16 points of stimulation, multiple case managers, too many Independent* Medical Examinations, 9 anaesthetics, Several investigations, wasted complaints to WorkSafe, Four conciliation applications, Three operations, Two Medical Panel Opinions, One Impairment Assessment, and, no Partridge in a Pear Tree to be found...
How's this for an opening line to my post: Perspectives on workers compensation issues from Dr Peter Sharman – Occupational Physician. Hopeful and hopeful is it not? Finally a practitioner putting it [...]
21st May, WorkSafe’s Andrew calls My long wait was over, or so I thought, when on 21st May I received a call from a Service Review Analyst working with WorkSafe’s Capability & [...]
I begged Professor Teddy to do anything, even to chop my coccyx off but he (and his backed up opinions) suggested not to go the invasive path just yet (removal of the coccyx had also not been very successful in treating chronic pain), we had an option for an implant, a treatment that was reversible, it made more sense. To 'qualify' for a stim you have to go through a trial first. The trial period was two weeks and in that time I had half of two leads placed inside my body (yes this is a full anesthetic/operation), with the remaining half of the leads hanging outside my body connecting to a temporary unit. It's a risky period, one very highly susceptible to infection but it allowed me to test the device and its impact before we implanted the $60k (or so) unit. Am I grateful I had private insurance? You bet! My WorkCover insurer certainly wasn't going to pay, eventually dismissing the surgeons reports as not having providing enough information.
Dear WorkSafe Victoria, We have been acquainted now for over seven years, and to commemorate this occasion the least I could do was to pen you a few heart-felt words. Today I came across WorkSafe's Clinical Framework For the Delivery of Health Services and I would like you to know that it made so much sense to me from my perspective as an injured worker. I was very impressed reading through it. It ticked all the boxes and its approach (Purpose) was exactly what I had hoped to experience in my own chronic pain journey under your watchful eye. The guiding principles caught my attention:
I declared I had a capacity in 2013 after being indefinitely written off for life by the Medical Panels (a Federal decision) in 2009. In what should be a most positive experience I have not received one cent from my WorkSafe Agent since January 2013 when I first declared I was attempting 9 hours a week. It's so difficult for me to work, I'm completely reliant on Theo but my moral ethics will not let me rest, never-failing to notifying me daily that I am able to contribute to our business and in doing so and remaining honest, this will bring a positive outcome. I've had no one within the system guide me or offer help during this process. The system's drive seems purely for the WorkSafe Agent to make any process as difficult and stressful for the injured worker so that they give up their rightful compensation or worse still, change their ethics making them so fearful that they never attempt work again. I have never, in the whole 7 years of being exposed to this system, felt I could trust anyone, felt supported, given hope, treated with respect. I have not felt any kind of care but rather I'm left to feel and be treated guilty of my crime - a workplace accident. I won't accept this treatment, I won't accept this poor income protection WorkSafe calls 'quality income protection', and it's lucky for me I have help to battle and savings to live off (which are rapidly diminishing mind you). Not being intimidated, fearful, or swallowed up by this system and its primitive ways is the reason I found my diagnosis and got myself back to work! It's the reason why a Medical Panels, for the first time, has acknowledged someone with Pudendal Neuralgia (even though they can't verify it!!), and it's the reason why, I'll get my entitlements too!...
The post many of you have been waiting for… Theo’s thoughts, sacrifices and life experience of his daily ‘caring’. I should add that Theo and I have [...]
I know many of you have been waiting for this post. I have been waiting to post it myself but one guess what was in my way? A response from my WorkSafe Agent... and I'm still waiting for it! I received my Medical Panels opinion and they agreed with the capacity I had presented. I was honestly stunned. My opinion read: Question 1. Whether the worker has a current work capacity and, because of the injury, is, and is likely to continue indefinitely to be incapable of undertaking - (ii) further or additional employment or work ; or (ii) further or additional employment or work that would increase the worker's current weekly earnings and, Answer: (i) yes (ii) yes Question 2. If not so incapable, what further or additional employment or work the worker capable of undertaking? Answer: Not Applicable Further to, the report that followed bewildered me, tears streamed down my face. I actually didn't want Theo to read it to me, I was too fearful I'd read another limiting opinion, like the previous one that has me bound to a 'Chronic Pain Disorder' that no one understands. Or, worse still, it was going to be like the Impairment Assessment where the Neurosurgeon on that panel wished me 'a miracle' on the way out whilst contributing to the decision of: '0% whole person impairment... The degree of impairment is permanent'. Theo began... he read mostly accurate details that I had voiced to the Medical Panel, I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
I would have had to be dead not to front up to an opportunity where I could present my pain journey to 180 chronic pain interested practitioners.
Was I terrified? Absolutely! But as if chronic pain hasn't trained me for that, pushing me past all my boundaries and limits, and facing constant fears... this was going to be a piece of cake in comparison!
The Alliance for Improving the Management of Pain 2014 (AIM Pain 2014) was held in Sydney and PainAustralia were searching for a patient to tell their story. My first thoughts were; I had to be able to tell my pelvic pain story through art, Ms Soula had to be on the stage with me, and I worried that this was impossible to physically manage without Theo's help. As it turned out all that was ok, in fact the organisers were most enthusiastic about the creative side, and the support for both Theo and I was 100%.
I was asked to present my story as honest as possible and in my own words and pictures.
