Has anyone had to deal with workers comp? So 4 weeks ago to this day, I was going up the stairs to my classroom to begin my day and I felt a pop in my knee with some pain. I made it to class, iced it, took ibuprofen, and by end of day, was in considerable pain, but figured everything would be fine. By Saturday morning, I was on crutches and almost immobile. Made it back to work on Monday and filed a report, so workers comp is handling the situation. I have to say this whole ordeal is moving at a snail's pace. Initial doctor exam was the Monday that I filed the report. X-rays were taken Tuesday, and I was given ibu 800, Tylentol #4, and referred to orthopedic surgeon on the following Monday. Ortho doc examined and put me through the ringer...Holy crap was that a painful exam. He figured it was a medial meniscus tear, and ordered the MRI, which wasn't scheduled until the following Tuesday, and that's because I called and b****ed to both WC and his office about scheduling me for the MRI. Two days later, ortho doc saw me and told me it was a pretty bad anterior horn flap tear of the medial meniscus. He said I'd need a quick surgery and should be good after rehab. Going on two weeks now (4 weeks since day of injury) trying to schedule the damn surgery. The docs office is saying the hospital needs a faxed form from wc, and wc is saying that they are in the alliance, so they can just schedule me. One F'ing month in and still on crutches and in pain, and they have not scheduled the surgery. Does anyone have any experience with this. Is this a normal time frame for taking care of an injury through WC? On top of all this, I begin basketball season next Wednesday. I'll need to have a Friday surgery and be on crutches by Monday.
No experience with Workers Comp, but I've been through a medial meniscus tear. I was a sophomore in high school. Tore it working out. I was too scared to say anything to the trainers so I didn't say anything. I just kept working out and the pain went away. Four years later, I was catching in a softball league, and the pain and "locking" started coming back. Long story short, they were questioning an ACL tear as well, but luckily I didn't have one. Had surgery on a Friday. Walked out of the hospital two hours or so later (crutches under the shoulder, but didn't really use them). I was back at school on Monday. Feeling 100% after about two weeks. No problems since, other than if I lay in a weird posting, it's achy for ten minutes or so when I get up. Good luck. Speedy Recovery. It hopefully will be a breeze like mine was.
I deal with wc at my old job and that sounds about right. Insurance companies take there time processing claims because they are under staffed. The doctors office is making sure that your surgery will be covered and paid for. Some insurance companies want you to follow the ODG guidelines specially but depends also on the case manager. I had this one patient with a compression fracture in his lower back and they would not let him get surgery until he competed 12 session of therapy, then a MRI and CT scan and neuro consult. A big issue with his wc claim was that they were trying to deny his claim. Good luck with everything
I coach a team...i need to be able to be there to teach these guys. I will have to get a louder whistle and a longer whip.
@Falcons Talon You just tore your knee walking up some stairs? What's the deal with that? Sorry about the run around you've been given. The whole health industry is completely f'd up. Just read a NPR report from a few months ago about medical errors (surgery, misdiagnosis, wrong rx or dosing) being the 3rd leading "cause of death" in the US annually... A bad system, with doctors who at best have the right intentions and are knowledgeable but at worst are just trying to get through the day like you and me, BIG pharma (all about the benjamins), etc...
I have no clue what happened. I was carrying my computer bag and my copies to class to prep when it happened, I didn't think too much of it. It popped with some pain, but I've had my knee, ankle, shoulder, even elbow pop with a sharp pain before, so I didn;t pay too much attention to it.
Thanks for the response. I can understand that they are trying to make sure they get paid, but damn they sure take a long time.
the best thing to do is to hassle your case manager or aka adjustor on the claim. They have the control over your case which is bs because they have no medical background. if you have any other questions just message me
thank you...That's exactly what my primary doctor told me to do when they took a long time to schedule an MRI. I will say that my case worker has told me that everything short of spinal surgery is authorized since the ortho is in-network, but the ortho-office is saying that the surgical hospital is requiring additional paperwork. Very frustrating. Hopefully, I'll be getting word today on surgery scheduling.
Sorry that's still a ways out. Good news is that you should still make a full recovery before the holidays. Good luck, man.
Your story is really messed up. Walking in a straight line should cause you the least or no pain, but even a slight twist or turn is probably killing you. In the meantime, the torn MCL means you're mechanically putting added pressure on all the other parts of your knee including meniscus, patella and ACL. That makes those things more likely to be injured in the future, which is why the time they're taking is messed up. Physio and rest post op is more important than you can imagine. Most people believe they can tough it out, and those are the people who later regret it. Stay on crutches longer than you feel like you need to. Simple exercises at home in bed that keep circulation and motion in the surrounding muscles is very important. When you start your physio, put a big emphasis on balance as your balance will be totally out of whack (muscles near the injured knee will atrophy) and in order to avoid injuries related to balance (twisted ankles are common) you will need to make sure the leg is strong again + make sure the balance with your other leg and your entire body's posture is good. Also, make sure you take a recording of the surgery. In case of any malpractice, it's the easiest way to protect yourself. Good luck bro.
That was my reaction as well. I was pretty upset about the time frame, and that puts my surgery one day before we host corpus christi miller in a preseason bball game.
Your spot on with twisting pain, but even on crutches, I have a lot of pain above and below the patella, especially when walking. I can put weight on my leg, but any bending is painful. The report of my MRI reads: I'll stay on crutches as long as I need to. My knees need all the TLC they can get.
I had this along with an ACL tear. It's been a couple of years since the surgery and my knee is stable now but it still aches especially after working out. Not sure if the surgeries are similar but I feel like an old man now.
Ouch. And you can't even kick the damn dog. just a joke. i'd never kick my doggie in that situation. poor thing was probably scared and worried why you screamed.
