Need Advice


         Yes, get them accepted. Your doctor may be able to expand the claim without you filing a claim.

Hello...I have three accepted conditions, carpal tunnel, desquervains, and lateral epicod. Recently, I was diagnos with joint arthrosis, type two acromion, mild shoulder tear. My question is, being that all these problems are on one side do I need to get the shoulder problem accepted by owcp also. Thanks

Handling It

     You can always ask for an increased impairment rating. Ask Dave. He has done it many times I think. You know what they seem to look at is ROM. I know pain figures into it, but ROM and strength seems to be the main factors. They want some objective measurement, which is silly since you can be suffering from phantom pain and be totally disabled.

Outtablue


       The OWCP can send you for these second opinions as often as they like. You must go or you will lose your benefits. I would go to this exam as I am on my worst day. If the doctor asks you how you are doing don't say "fine". Tell him you feel awful, depressed, paranoid anything but fine. He is going to be looking to see if you make eye contact, the way you are dressed, your grooming. I would write a cheat sheet so that I could make sure he hears all your problems and symptoms. As soon as you get a copy of his exam via OWCP take it to your doctor and he can rebut each point the SECOP makes. If the SECOP says you are better and your doctor says you are not you have a right to a referee opinion. The SECOP cannot xray your brain so he is going to go on what you tell him and what he sees. Bring your meds with you.

I am seeing a shrink, courtesy of D.O.L. that I had the 'luxury' of picking. They are now sending me to a manadated appt. w/another shrink "for a second opinion."
They will reimburse this Dr.also. (What a colossal waste...but anyway....) When I questioned my claims examiner he said that it was the law. Within 1-2 years of a claim, they could do this. Whatever....I am more concerned about the invasion of my head. It's one thing to have a second opinion on a broken leg and quite another to just spill your guts to a stranger that you didn't get to pick....or at least get used to before you tell them crap. There should be a line drawn when it comes to psychological.

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated!! I don't guess there's any help I can ask for if this is supposedly 'legal'.

course i am sure they are getting me ready for the NRP..

john king.. yea i know you are right about the stress and pain going hand in hand.. i just don't know how to go about it as i returned to work....

Thanks Handling It.. you gave me a great starting point.. a union steward also once told me.. make it short, sweet, to the point and leave your emotions out of it, OWCP goes with the facts.. i have found that to be true..

Also thank you CDoane.. when i ask for something from dr i like to word things right, he in turn hopefully writes it down the same way.. get it done right and less problems from OWCP

Edited by author 05-14-2008 01:05 AM
I asked the supervisor to show me in writing who disapproved the COP leave, he finally showed me a leave slip where the Inj Comp person had scribbled something about no medical rational for the leave? LOL, yeah it will have to be grieved, the time period is covered by a CA-17 from my Doc that says no work for 2 weeks, the other one that Inj Comp supposedly disapproved covers the time before they had a written job offer. They want to call me awol, but they seem to not understand that without an accepted job offer I do not return to work. I looked over the 14 day thing, he cites things that already have been grieved and removed, and I flat out told him you have no basis for this, if he tries to go ahead with it, it will be grieved also

john: well, it is what it is. there's nothing i can do. i'll just wait a year then go to ellis for an update. i'm tired of all the waiting. we can do it after one year, correct? that 5% error i found was worth about $9.000. i'm grateful for that. thanks much.

Edited by author 05-13-2008 06:37 PM
Just back from the good old state of Oklahoma and the wonderful Ellis clinic. People are so friendly there. Well now I am loaded with questions. Here are a couple if anyone could answer. 1. (If you remember my husbnd has a hurt foot and ankle. He completly tore the main tendon away form the bone, will be in a brace for life) The ellis clinic gave him a 61% imparment rating on the lower extremity. Here is the question OWCP goes by parts of the body giving them weeks for each part. What is the lower extremity? Foot=205 weeks, leg=288 weeks 2. What are our chances that OWCP will except this rating? Thanks for any help. P.S. I want to move to OK City good people, great food, and CLEAN!!! (except for the stockyards but what can you expect?)

ME

  Probably if you get your new stress claim accepted just go out and stay out on OWCP. Give yourself a few years of rest. The stress in probably making your pain worse and vice versa.

Handling it

       With all those surgeries there is just no way it could only be 10%. There comes a time with bad knees when you have to get a replacement. Now you are talking a much bigger impairment rating. I got 10% on my right wrist and they did nothing but scope it. The doctor did manage to make it worse.

Me, Just have your doctor right a new script for the foot support, and then have them document the need for replacements due to wear and tear to OWCP.

me: here's what i did. facts. i copied my stubs. highlighted hrs. on separated sheet listed hrs. for the prior year. in cover letter i stated. regulations state one year prior. here is my prior. excluding OT. do it neatly. no emotion. just facts. they don't care about your emotion. po is deliberately refusing to honor regulations. please help me.
cc: local congressman, senator. then do cover letter for the congressman, senator stating what has occurred. just facts. mine was done correctly. give it one more try.

need: return to work? i cannot and you are worse than me. the po could not come up with a job offer. or wouldn't. whatever. i'm just home on owcp. i go to the doctor. pain mgmt is my treating. both knees, foot, shoulder, fused neck, arthritic spine. if they think they can find me a job, let 'em. i'll retire then. get a good dr. willing to fight for you. that is the best thing i ever found.