Have you all been holding your breath as I have the last couple of months? Well, you can breath out and feel happy for me - I got paid! The financial ease is beyond documentation even though it falls far short of what I'm due (a most usual scenario with injured workers). The fear and doubt that the compensation won't continue will be ever-present. Being treated repulsively for years can never been forgotten - it's a kind of irreversible trauma. I will forever doubt these monsters. Trust was never incorporated into this relationship. So am I settled, is it done, and am I feeling ecstatic? Nope. There's grief and anger to get through now. Grief for the life we lost due to the insurer's dirty tactics . Anger for having to unnecessarily begin a whole new life miles away from everyone and everything we love. If this compensation was delivered as it should have in 2014, I could have been waking up to a completely different day today. One with less uncertainty for the future; where I was working with Theo in our existing 17 yo design business (where we also employed a brilliant young graphic designer) where I lived and worked from a beautiful premises renovated to suit my chronic health issue where I owned that premises outright (a home/office environment Theo and I molded to fit us perfectly) where I walked a pavement I was familiar with and that I loved and that embraced me each step where I felt the community around me was mine and I felt I was theirs where I was close to my family and friends where I expected to live for many years to come where I could be as comfortable as possible where I was connected, and where I had 'home love' For 17 years, each hour and day, Theo and I felt 'home love'. Our home provided us with a feeling of safety and a kind of bliss that wrapped around us all day. It was our great love. Establishing love takes a long time. This can't be fixed with the compensation. 'Home' will not exist again for Theo and I for a very long time - in fact we're renting now in a town that's not ours. We haven't even begun to make 'home' which means 'love' is also ages away. As brilliant as this next part of life may turn out to be, we've suffered a huge loss and starting again is hard. 'Home love' is ages away. My situation and circumstances (as far as the WorkSafe Victoria's requirements for an injured worker go) were not different between the first 93CD application and the second 93CD application . The only difference between each 93CD application was that an insurer employee existed who was filthy hungry for his bonus and drew on the insurer's dirty tactics to get it. He got it. He no longer works with my insurer. He wouldn't even have the faintest that I no longer have my home and even if he did, I doubt he'd care much. WorkSafe Victoria should care. So should the insurer. In my mind, both these organisations will forever be responsible for the loss we've encountered and for the unnecessary rebuild of life we're having to deal with right now. Yesterday when the first reimbursement was making it's way into my bank account my phone rang. It was the number that makes my heart skip beats, my stomach fall to my feet and makes my pain levels escalate. My new case manager was calling. Theo returned her call and she said she was calling to say 'hello' and to ask how I was. I'm not sure I'll ever speak to her. How will I contain myself from speaking my mind, from expressing my loss, and from letting her know how much I despise the work she and her employer do? Perhaps I should just email her this post. Or should I photograph my diary entry from September 1, 2007 (5 months after my accident) where although I was injured, I had 'home love' to comfort me: "The phone rang after I rested for about 3 hours... it was Louise. I had just managed to start (in the studio), Theo was in the Dandenongs. She just wanted to know how I went with Cortisone. I thought, 'f*•k it' and walked up there. This thing is not going to beat me. I knew I had dinner to get through and then Sunday we were lying in the park with friends so I could take a risk and push it a bit. I ended up being at St. Luke for about 2 hours. Lou convinced me she does lay down on her stretching table every day and makes phone calls so I thought 'what the heck' and layed down for a rest. It was heaven... and allowed me to stay longer and have wonderful chats. So many people came in - Port Jackson staff, Mark Chapman who helped hang the show and I even bumped into Deb (Williams) when I rocked up there!! It was lovely... I just love how the day worked out perfectly... such a spontaneous day. I felt so free... walking up was amazing. The sun was out, it was wonderful. I know I'll be fine... at least I can still do that. Once work is sorted and I don't lock myself into exhibitions I'll be able to space everything out and have time to walk and do things that might still aggravate but not set me back..." And Thank you to all of you who subscribed to my website when I needed a little help. I should be able to maintain the website from here on given today's news.

My rants | pudendalnerve.com.au

It’s Official! It’s ok to Treat Injured Workers Immorally and Unethically
It’s Official! It’s ok to Treat Injured Workers Immorally and Unethically

My rants, system, Work / System, Workcover

It’s Official! It’s ok to Treat Injured Workers Immorally and Unethically

By Soula Mantalvanos|2019-12-09T10:15:56+11:00December 7th, 2019|My rants, system, Work / System, Workcover|

No one within the system has fear of prosecution - not even a fear of a single penalty! No one within the system has been or will be called to explain their actions and held to account. This makes my blood boil! I haven't even heard the support will be returned to workers who were delivered unfair decisions and had to walk away from their support. But I want my money back! Where are my years of wages after having a decision overturned unfairly at the Accident Compensation Conciliation Service (ACCS) by the Agent? And the rest...?

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Insurer Request: Your Full Clinical File Please!
Insurer Request: Your Full Clinical File Please!

My rants, system, Work / System, Workcover

Insurer Request: Your Full Clinical File Please!

By Soula Mantalvanos|2019-06-30T14:27:05+10:00June 30th, 2019|My rants, system, Work / System, Workcover|

If you dress well - this system assumes you couldn't possibly have a health issue. If you speak well, there's no way you have suffered trauma. If you manage to stay alive through your darkest moments, they assume you can forfeit your compensation. When you are honest and remain transparent, they only abuse your information.

0

Worksafe Agent Loses Call Recording
Worksafe Agent Loses Call Recording

My rants, Work / System

Worksafe Agent Loses Call Recording

By Soula Mantalvanos|2018-12-23T10:06:57+11:00December 16th, 2018|My rants, Work / System|

As long as WorkSafe and their Agent keep treating me unfairly and refuse to support me in the way that I am entitled, I’m going to keep my reports coming! What have they done now? [...]

0

Took 7 years… but I won!
Took 7 years… but I won!

Blog, My rants, The pain, Work / System, Workcover

Took 7 years… but I won!

By Soula Mantalvanos|2018-04-04T14:19:57+10:00April 4th, 2018|Blog, My rants, The pain, Work / System, Workcover|

I won but why did I have to fight for pain treatment in the first place? This is typical treatment for an injured worker in Australia. What was the real point of my stubbornness and the on going battle? I [...]

8

When It Pays to be Dumb

By Soula Mantalvanos|2017-12-11T09:18:41+11:00November 16th, 2017|My rants, system, Work / System, Workcover|

The effort my insurer makes to appear stupid and ignorant in their daily work, and the effort they make to voluntarily communicate their ignorance, today, for some reason (let's call it this fab new medication) made me want to laugh.

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Treatment Reimbursement Fight Continues

By Soula Mantalvanos|2017-12-11T09:37:21+11:00November 3rd, 2017|My rants, system, work, Work / System, Workcover|

I'm still fighting for reimbursement of my peripheral and sacral stimulation implants. Insurer X (let's call them that but really what I call them is irrelevant - they're all the same!) are investigating valid reasons to support my treatments (or [...]

0

I Got Paid
I Got Paid

My rants, work, Work / System, Workcover

I Got Paid

By Soula Mantalvanos|2017-12-11T10:00:20+11:00February 16th, 2017|My rants, work, Work / System, Workcover|

Have you all been holding your breath as I have the last couple of months? Well, you can breath out and feel happy for me – I got paid! The financial ease is beyond documentation even though it falls far [...]

6

What it means to be believed
What it means to be believed

My rants, system, work, Work / System, Workcover

What it means to be believed

By Soula Mantalvanos|2017-12-11T09:18:41+11:00January 25th, 2017|My rants, system, work, Work / System, Workcover|

It means I rose above the monsters and didn't let them defeat me. They didn't get to keep something that belonged to me. Sadly they did destroy Theo's and my most valuable belonging - our home. I'll be adding to this post as the insurer responds to the Medical Panel Opinion which finally arrived and states:

4

Only because of their stupidity…
Only because of their stupidity…

My rants, system, work, Work / System, Workcover

Only because of their stupidity…

By Soula Mantalvanos|2017-12-11T09:18:41+11:00January 19th, 2017|My rants, system, work, Work / System, Workcover|

How can there be no simpler way to support an injured worker while they are attempting to return to work? It's disgraceful that any professional could see this process as an acceptable method for help. Of course I'm left to wonder if they're stupidity is indeed blinding them as Franz Kafka suggests.

4

A horrid equation: Medical + Legal = Medical Panels

By Soula Mantalvanos|2017-12-11T16:20:26+11:00December 6th, 2016|My rants, system, Work / System, Workcover|

From where I’m standing, you could never believe our Government has set up a system to support injured workers. This very system that was established (apparently) for the injured worker is very well calculated and excruciating to navigate and whilst [...]

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