The man's side of it!

I have one more day of physical therapy!

It has been a long battle getting my shoulder back into shape. last January, 2003, I tore my rotator cuff at work. It took two months for the third party insurance carrier to decide I needed surgery to fix it. April I had the first surgery. It was very painful. All the pain medication I was prescribed I became very allergic to. I vowed to have my arm cut off before I'd have that surgery again. In June while doing a new exercise at PT I tore it again. My shoulder hurt so bad the doctor tried a Cortisone and Novocaine injection to ease the pain. Now I'm allergic to the Cortisone.

They finally found and prescribed a pain medicine that I wasn't allergic too, Stadol, it's a synthetic narcotic. This stuff is great! Two squirts up my nose and I'm feeling nothing! I was able to walk about two inches above the floor (if you know what I mean) This went on until august when the insurance company authorized me to get an Arthrogram (X ray with a dye contrast injected into the joint) The radiologist confirmed The repair on my shoulder broke. I would need another surgery. I wasn't very happy with having to undergo another surgery, but I needed to be able to get back to work.

The doctors tell me that men are able to endure the post surgery pain better than women. Well if that's so I really feel bad for the Gals, I'm a pretty strong guy, and I have a very high pain threshold, it hurt so bad I suffered for about a week. But then the pain dropped to a tolerable level very soon after that. I had to try to sleep in a recliner sitting up, keeping my arm in a sling, propped up with pillows so I wouldn't roll on to the arm if by some miracle I did fall asleep.

I had the second surgery in the middle of October. For some reason which I didn't find out about until next May, after the surgery the pain never really went away. I went through physical therapy like the last time, only I was being a lot more careful. There was no way I could go through this a third time. After a few months of PT the doctor asked me when I wanted to return to work. I told him I didn't think I was ready. I still had a lot of pain and very little strength in my arm. I couldn't hold a gallon of milk without supporting it with my other hand (a gallon of water weighs about eight pounds). So the doctor sent me to work hardening PT. There they build up the muscles in the areas you have specific problems in relating to your job duties.

I am a Union Sheet Metal Worker and I injured my shoulder swinging a hammer while assembling some heavy duty commercial ductwork. I was swinging the hammer when I felt the rotator cuff tear. The pain was so bad I cried.

So now it is the beginning of May, 2004 and the insurance company sends me for another Arthrogram. the film shows a small tear and some scar tissue. MY doctor agrees with the results and says he wants to open my shoulder again. The insurance company decides they will send me for a second opinion. The doctor they send me to is like a robot (Cassie calls him Dr. Roboto, his real name is Peacock), he shows no emotion as he goes through the examination with me. finally he says he is done and I can leave., then walks out the door. What's that all about, I tell my wife. Isn't he going to give us his opinion. So we ask the receptionist as we leave and she says he works for the insurance co. not for us and the insurance company will give us the report.

The stupid insurance company decides there is nothing more that can be done for me medically and insist that I am fifteen percent disabled in my shoulder. they will not authorize any more medical care and they stop paying my disability except for $680.00 a month. which is what I was getting a week. So I told my doctor to go ahead and schedule my surgery and I'll use my own health insurance to pay for it. Then I got a workman's comp lawyer to fight for my rights.

I had the third surgery at the end of July, 2004. Dr Farrel my surgeon said he found a band of scar tissue that had caused the third tear, which he removed and then fixed the tear. I had been on very strong pain meds ever since the second surgery in October. Two days after the third surgery I was able to stop the medication, I had no pain at all! The doctor had me start PT two weeks after the surgery to minimize any scar tissue forming again. And this time I am doing very well. The insurance co. sent me to a third doctor to get a third opinion to see if I needed a third surgery but I had already had it done.

The third doctor (Dr. Falconieri a really great guy) agreed with my surgeon completely. He also would have performed the surgery if I had been his patient. My lawyer was able to get the insurance co. to finally agree to pay me all the money they owe us and to pay all the medical bills I incured. that was a month ago. We're still waiting for the check. The insurance company is Selective Insurance, God bless anyone who has to deal with them.