consultation neurosurgeon

[timm90]

What is the name of your state?ny
i need to have surgery 2 large herniated discs i.m.e doc says it. also my doc says it,my doc says go to a few neurosurgeons,for consultation, for opions
and find one i can feel comfortable with, well, question is? will compensation pay for more than 1 visit will they will be willing to pay for a couple of different nerosurgens visits, after all we are talking about my neck here ,the thing that holds my head up? shoud,nt i be able to find one i want and not one everyone thinks are good, after all its my neck not there,s like how the hell am i going to find one i like till i look around and go see them , what do you guys think will comp pay for these different consultation visits ,thanks

 

[automanfl]

Hello,I read your other post too.Your atty.is the best to give you advice on how w/c in your state works.I do know after mmi.though its true the w/c company is to treat you for life as your atty.said,(unless you settle your case for $$$)but understand,once your mmi ,meaning that you arent going to get any better,not meaning that if you get worse they will jump in and start going through testing,and all you are going through now,once mmi,you will need approval for treatment through your w/c company,possibly have a copay .It just gets harder to get help and thats why many people end up settleing.You on the otherhand reall shouldnt be in a rush for mmi,for that reason,with surgery being suggested and severity of your injury,you do want to keep the case open in the event you need a surgery down the road.If you decide not to have the surgery the dr may put you mmi because without you wont reach maximum medical improvement tying the dr's hands,you do have the right to refuse,but the ins. co wont continue paying for lose of pay,or perhaps meds etc. because the dr.feels you may improve to a point that you jmay be able to work,and not need meds.I have read where some states allow for second opinions,I was sent to a neuro.for consult after an ortho.said I didnt need surgery and the neuro said I would benefit from it ,but to continue on more conservative treatment for long as possible,because I would need a 3 level fusion,and the other disks above and below the fusion would then become problematic.I was forced to stop working because of my injuries and now go to a pain mgt dr.for meds and whats called an rfn. its kinda like an epidural but instead of injecting meds they use a fine needle that produces heat and desensitizes the nerves.Works for me.Your issue with work,the employer most likly wont put you in any position without the ok from the Dr.maybe you can speak to the Dr.about a trial time for the lighter position.It doesnt sound promising for returmnn to work without surgery though.You should try to get an answer from the Dr about whether or not Dr. believes you can return to work if you do have the surgery. It wouldnt make sense to rush to surgery if you not going to be able to do the work anyway.Thats what my thought was ,I had a very physical job,and all the Drs said with or without the surgery Im not returning to my former type of occupation.I also suggest you check this site out. It was a real God send for me,i still go on it to give and get info. theres alot of people there with actual life experiences good luck http://brain.hastypastry.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=-1&f=69

 

[timm90]

great advice

thankyou for the great advice, as far as surgery on my neck, i dont know,actually i,m afraid of the outcome, i have talked to people who had it done, they feel better but still living with pain,
what if after cosultation from the neurosurgen who i have an appt with january, i feel i am still afraid of going under the knife, what then,comp gets pissed, and they feel i am not going to get surgery, which was told by the i.m.e doc and my docs also say surgery and i say no way, what happens i live with the pain the rest of my life and i sit home and hope it goes away by itself, its 2 years now i have a union job, my job is still waiting for me i want to get back to work, but will i ever, if i dont have surgery,? i,m just trying to get well ,and go back to work, nobody likes surgery , but my doc says 50-50 chance of it being succesful what does the hell that mean ,it means it could go either way, what do i do now,no one can anwser that for me ,but myself , i realize that, but will comp give me a hard time if i say no to surgery,

 

[automanfl]

Sory to say,but without the surgery I doubt the Dr.will ever release you to duty to do your job. As is is right now,if I understand all you have posted,you are unable to do your job ,per Dr.restrictions. The Dr. cant change your status until something changes, and nothing can change without going for the 50/50 operation. I can well understand your apprehension,but without the surgery you arent likly to return to your job. Also,if the only remedy left is the surgery,then more than likly,the w/c carrier will expect your Dr. to put you at mmi based on your refusal.At that point ,you will lose your benefit for lost pay.The whole idea of w/c is to get the injured well ENOUGH to return to SOME work.Anyone who ever had a serious injury (like me and now you)know it stinks and is geared favoring the employer who pays the premium.That other site I posted about does have a few people pretty sharp . One is Tamarashadow,you might want to post for her,she was a past w/c atty.

 

[timm90]

thanks you are very helpful

Sory to say,but without the surgery I doubt the Dr.will ever release you to duty to do your job. As is is right now,if I understand all you have posted,you are unable to do your job ,per Dr.restrictions. The Dr. cant change your status until something changes, and nothing can change without going for the 50/50 operation. I can well understand your apprehension,but without the surgery you arent likly to return to your job. Also,if the only remedy left is the surgery,then more than likly,the w/c carrier will expect your Dr. to put you at mmi based on your refusal.At that point ,you will lose your benefit for lost pay.The whole idea of w/c is to get the injured well ENOUGH to return to SOME work.Anyone who ever had a serious injury (like me and now you)know it stinks and is geared favoring the employer who pays the premium.That other site I posted about does have a few people pretty sharp . One is Tamarashadow,you might want to post for her,she was a past w/c atty.

yes i will post to tamarashadow,thankyou
as i was saying in my last posts my doc suggests surgery but my other doc says he does not advice it,as sometimes in time the cervical herniated discs can heal themselves, with time
its 2 years already ,and i am no better off then i was now if there was such a thing as a time period then thats fine, but everone is different ,
its a terrible thing to be in ,and a terrible desicion to make. oh well we will see. thankyou again for you help ,its much appreciatedand good luck with you also.