Support and Chronic Pain Community Group
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This is my third attempt to write this post. My computer keeps messing up and deleting it on me. Lets hope this one makes it through.
A rehab guy from my insurance company came to see me last week. He is setting up a gradual return to work for me. Insurance is convinced I am ready to go back, funny I thought it was my doctor that would make that decision. Insurance has called HR at my office and my physio clinic behind my back to set stuff up for me whether I'm ready or not. I told him that I won't be doing anything until I talk to my pain doc on Nov. 16th. I see my pcp this week since my current back to work date is Oct. 31 but as I told the rehab guy... I've had 6 back to work dates since March, what makes them think this time is the real deal. My doctor does 1-2 month increments so she can assess my condition periodically but she is not even the one treating my pain. That is why I want to talk to my pain doc first.
Its not that I don't want to go back to work. I am just very scared that doing this will set off a bad flare. Being forced to sit even a couple hours a day could be awful. The rehab guy sat in my kitchen for an hour but I couldn't even sit to talk to him that long. I was up and down out of my chair at least 3 times and stood alot of the time, though that got to be painful too. I mean if I can't even sit for a half hour how will I ever get any work done.
I can see where work is telling each of us what we want to hear. Or maybe they're telling me the truth and HIM what he wants to hear. The last time I talked to HR she insisted there are no projects available that will allow me to work even part time from home and they don't do part time in the office. Well, if I have an end date in mind when I will be able to do full time then they might be able to accommodate that. But I can't make that kind of promise. They told the rehab guy that they are 'diligently pursuing' a project for me that will allow me to work part time from home. If one is not available they will 'entertain the possibility' of a part time start.No mention of an end date or promise when I'll be able to do full time. Rehab guy insists they have to allow it but I don't know. I work for a huge international company and they have their policies.
Today I go to physio for a functional assessment. At least that's what I'm assuming the appointment is for; it was set up for me my rehab guy. Even he admitted that for my job its not much use since I sit all day. I think its just part of their process. Insurance doesn't understand how hard it is for me to sit. I just keep getting 'Well you just sit all day'... I'd like to try giving them a seat full of tacks and tell them to 'just sit' on that all day.
I'm really a mess of emotions this last week... I'd love to be working but I'm so scared of more pain. I really need to talk to my pain doc. He is so good and he really doesn't seem to have much respect for the insurance companies. I told the rehab guy that he could talk to my pain doc if he wants more information about my condition and treatment. He actually said he would fax a request for information right away and he's having my assessment results sent to both my doctors "so they can see it and make a proper decision about your ability to work" I'm sure he doesn't believe my doctors and thinks they are just doing what I want. We'll see.
Has anyone here done a gradual return to a sedentary position with sciatica? Does it get better with time or worse? My pain doc said I'd probably always have pain with sitting so its not encouraging.
A rehab guy from my insurance company came to see me last week. He is setting up a gradual return to work for me. Insurance is convinced I am ready to go back, funny I thought it was my doctor that would make that decision. Insurance has called HR at my office and my physio clinic behind my back to set stuff up for me whether I'm ready or not. I told him that I won't be doing anything until I talk to my pain doc on Nov. 16th. I see my pcp this week since my current back to work date is Oct. 31 but as I told the rehab guy... I've had 6 back to work dates since March, what makes them think this time is the real deal. My doctor does 1-2 month increments so she can assess my condition periodically but she is not even the one treating my pain. That is why I want to talk to my pain doc first.
Its not that I don't want to go back to work. I am just very scared that doing this will set off a bad flare. Being forced to sit even a couple hours a day could be awful. The rehab guy sat in my kitchen for an hour but I couldn't even sit to talk to him that long. I was up and down out of my chair at least 3 times and stood alot of the time, though that got to be painful too. I mean if I can't even sit for a half hour how will I ever get any work done.
I can see where work is telling each of us what we want to hear. Or maybe they're telling me the truth and HIM what he wants to hear. The last time I talked to HR she insisted there are no projects available that will allow me to work even part time from home and they don't do part time in the office. Well, if I have an end date in mind when I will be able to do full time then they might be able to accommodate that. But I can't make that kind of promise. They told the rehab guy that they are 'diligently pursuing' a project for me that will allow me to work part time from home. If one is not available they will 'entertain the possibility' of a part time start.No mention of an end date or promise when I'll be able to do full time. Rehab guy insists they have to allow it but I don't know. I work for a huge international company and they have their policies.
Today I go to physio for a functional assessment. At least that's what I'm assuming the appointment is for; it was set up for me my rehab guy. Even he admitted that for my job its not much use since I sit all day. I think its just part of their process. Insurance doesn't understand how hard it is for me to sit. I just keep getting 'Well you just sit all day'... I'd like to try giving them a seat full of tacks and tell them to 'just sit' on that all day.
I'm really a mess of emotions this last week... I'd love to be working but I'm so scared of more pain. I really need to talk to my pain doc. He is so good and he really doesn't seem to have much respect for the insurance companies. I told the rehab guy that he could talk to my pain doc if he wants more information about my condition and treatment. He actually said he would fax a request for information right away and he's having my assessment results sent to both my doctors "so they can see it and make a proper decision about your ability to work" I'm sure he doesn't believe my doctors and thinks they are just doing what I want. We'll see.
Has anyone here done a gradual return to a sedentary position with sciatica? Does it get better with time or worse? My pain doc said I'd probably always have pain with sitting so its not encouraging.
You may want to talk with a lawyer on this. Tell them your concerns. Throwing around , my lawyer says..... may put you in a better position.
Good Luck sweetie and be careful. The function test is stacked against you. It does not look at endurance, just in the moment. When you cannot do something it will be suggested that you are faking. There are studies on the web that question the validity of the function testing. I do think it best to speak to a lawyer first and the doctor that is actually treating you.
Hugs, Barbara
I strongly advise you to NOT go against medical advice (AMA). If your doctor says NO or, not now or, more gradually----that is the advice you follow. DO NOT MAKE ANY COMMITMENTS, PROMISES, EDUCATED GUESSES OR OFFER ANY INFORMATION. Stick with "I will have to discuss this with my doctors". I might even recommend an attorney if things get icky.
Please be careful to not sacrafice your healing, your health and your pain out of wayward feelings of obligation, fear, etc. Trust me...they are trying to strong arm you.
Hugs and support.
I went to the physio appointment today. When I got there the receptionist asked if I was just there for the same treatments as before. i told her "Honestly I don't know why I'm here, this appointment was set up on behalf by my insurance" She went to talk to my therapist to see what he knew. He had talked to the rehab guy so had an idea but he also felt it wasn't clear what they expected from this appointment. He just talked to me about where I'm at now and how I'm feeling. Then did a quick assessment of my mobility and strength. He'll send a report off to the rehab guy and we'll go from there. He contradicted what the spine specialist had said because he found different results (weakness in my right leg) and said he'd make some recommendation about what type of therapy would be beneficial for me. He also said if I don't see any benefit in it I can opt out an any time, though I don't think my insurance would agree.
I'm going to try to really play it safe with these guys. I'm nervous about all this but I have no choice but to deal with it the best way I can. If I feel I need a lawyer I'll get one but not just yet. Don't want to give the insurance people any reason to think this is going to be a big deal so soon.
Melinda
When I went on disability I would have nightmares real ones of me back at work and not being able to do it and not knowing what to do and it was so real. I would wake up in a sweat and I would like to say even tho I am on SSI now and it has been a couple of years since I worked that they went away but they dont as I think what if one day I have to go back to work when I cant hardly get through the day.
Then you have the normal people who say you are so lucky you dont have to work and I think yea real lucky that I get to sit around in pain and so much anxiety from it all that my head feels like it is going to pop off I would rather be working and in control and no pain then this. Life was so much easier to get up go to work and come home, I knew what I had to do and I knew where I was going. Now it feels like I am scared all the time.
Stand your ground if you are not ready dont let them push you push back and tell them it will help no one if you come back and you are not ready. Document everything as companies are famous for getting people to come back to early and then let them go because they could not keep up. A bunch of crap in my book.
I know you want to go back to work but you may not be able to, You gotta say it out loud sometimes and look at it right in the face as if you keep saying to them I want to come back and they are pushing they wont know why you are not following along sometimes you have to be straight forward with these people and day I dont think I can come back with this pain and I dont know if I will be able to or when I will be able to.
When I was working and I went on disability they would call me with start dates all the time and I would tell them no I am not coming back and they said to keep the disability going they had to establish start dates it is just a matter of policy for them so find out if that is what they are doing.
The plan is for a gradual return but I will remain on disability benefits until I am back full time. They try to make it appealing to 'try' as they increase the benefit rate to 85% from 66% while on this 'rehab program'. The money is not that appealing to me because you can't put a price on pain. I am not willing to tolerate worse pain for any price. I fear that I will start the gradual return, get up to maybe 4 hrs per day and then have to stop... will insurance then decide I am capable of working part time and then make me look for a new job that will take me on permanent part time... my current employer won't do it. So if I can't do full time and they 'don't do' part time they will have to let me go.... will I lose my insurance? I just don't know and I don't trust the insurance people to tell me the truth until after the fact. The HR lady at work hasn't been very nice to deal with the last couple times I spoke to her so I'm pretty sure she wouldn't even care. There are just so many variables and so many ways for them to screw me over.
The thing is I'm sure if I discuss this with my pain doctor he will be considerate of my fears and won't give me the 'all clear' to go back to work until he and I both know I'm ready. it's just so scary knowing that none of the other parties involved really cares what happens, it doesn't affect them and their life so what diff? My pain doctor is my best supporter in this, he is very nice to me and has already expressed his dislike of insurance companies and their policies. I hope he will work with me on this. My pcp is pretty good but she is really out of the loop with my care. She is the one, though, who decides if I go back to work and when... she sets up the start dates but its just a matter of policy. She did 1 month intervals at first until she saw I wasn't improving that fast then went to 2 month intervals. I don't know what she'll do this time with this new development. Even if she thinks I'm ready to go back I'm going to try to get one more month so I can see my pain doc, get his input, and have him send his recommendation to her. I sure hope this all works out well.