(Update: July 18, 2014) Yep, I’m one in five… Watch the full ad at: www.anzca.edu.au/fellows/foundation (June 14, 2014) Chronic pain insists on presenting me with the unexpected. Today, I found myself on [...]
(excerpt from www.pudendalassociation.org) Who We Are The Pudendal Neuralgia Association, Inc. was established in 2013 as a non-profit organization in the state of Massachussetts. We provide educational services to pudendal neuralgia patients [...]
I met Rosemary McKenzie-Ferguson advocating an online forum for injured workers. She spoke in a way I'd never heard before, she spoke to me about support, empathy and trust, the ways an [...]
Prologue: This is not really a comedy but without a sense of humour and the odd injection of sarcasm this injured worker would explode from the frustration and disappointment that being in this system has created. I am heading back to conciliation on May 13 to battle for part-payments of compensation since declaring in December 2012 that I have a limited capacity for part-time work. I am also disputing my WorkSafe authorized Agent’s refusal to pay any of my medical expenses over the last 2-3 years. Acts 1 and 2 can now be written but Act 3 will have to await the outcome of the conciliation conference. But as you will see, the outcome could well provide the comic highlight of the performance. You in the audience may laugh, clap or cry as you read my sad little play.
It's astounding the levels the WorkSafe Agent will stoop too (which are the levels WorkSafe obviously set) in order to avoid their responsibility with my WorkCover claim. I'm going to keep up with this documenting as I want to encourage other injured workers to fight these pathetic insurer circus acts. It's unacceptable, not to mention, not what my WorkCover premium was paid for. Where's my 'quality income protection', where is my return to work help, and where is my income and medical financial help?
(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.
