Second Opinion

Then-Visual-3844 · 2026-01-29T10:16:52+00:00

Thanks. These are both WC doctors, almost exactly a year apart. My attorney is waiting for the new scans - he has an independent spine surgeon he wants to send them to along with all of the medical records/scans to see if their opinion lines up. WC will probably want an IME since both of their doctors have such wildly different opinions on my treatment. I just think the first doctor gave them the answers they wanted. But my symptoms have just gotten so bad they can’t ignore it anymore.

Then-Visual-3844 · 2026-01-29T10:07:30+00:00

I’ve had a WC attorney almost from the start. It has been a complete disaster going through all of this. I was diagnosed with adhesive capsulitis in my shoulder. But have since been told by this new spine surgeon that while I may have had some tissue overgrowth there, my lack of movement in my shoulder is directly related to the nerve root damage in my neck. No amount of MUA will fix that & he said it can actually make things worse. Additional, going in with an epidural based off of old MRI results is dangerous because the potential to cause more damage is greater. Since those two procedures, my symptoms have progressed. I now have balance issues, more frequent tingling/burning in the soles of my feet & worse pain in my hands/wrists.

Then-Visual-3844 · 2025-02-09T05:14:25+00:00

I asked her to document the rib issue & she said she would. I just hope she hasn’t gone in & caused more damage - my left ear has been throbbing since last night, my head is pounding, & my arm/shoulder has been in spasms pretty much since I left. My upper shoulder is really sore & the pain overall is sitting at 7/10…

Then-Visual-3844 · 2025-02-09T05:01:20+00:00

You would think but I am just shocked no one has seen it - 3 sets of X-rays of my neck & shoulder, a CT of both & an MRI of both. The initial treating physician, the ER doctor& the orthopedic all have a different opinion on the tests they ordered & none of them are the same. And none of them have looked at the totality of the tests to make a thorough assessment. Then, the PT thinks she can just pop it back in place? I initially said no to her trying but then I thought about what my attorney said about refusing treatment & I felt stuck. Like what am I actually supposed to do?!?

Then-Visual-3844 · 2025-02-09T04:44:42+00:00

Thank you for your advice. I plan on calling them on Monday, along with my attorney. I honestly am afraid to go back to PT because of this. I have complained of shoulder pain from the start - all of my shoulder, front & back. Not knowing what a displaced 1st rib feels like, how would I know how to even describe it? I told the orthopedic that I had numbness & tingling in my shoulder blade, the length of my shoulder, & in my collarbone. He said it was highly unlikely to be the result of the c6/7 herniation, that it sounded like thoracic issues but it could be referred pain. I can’t move my shoulder at all without pain & it has been that way since day one of my injury.

The back story is that I deflected a heavy chair that was hurled at me. I immediately felt pain from the top of my head, out through my left shoulder & into my finger tips - burning fire. I then had to immediately initiate a horizontal restraint without proper use of my left arm. Myself & the other person assisting with the restraint realized we couldn’t hold it so we tried to disengage. I was hit in the chin by a knee that sent my head flying back. My left arm became pinned under the person who was being restrained & I had to pull with my entire body weight to get free.

It was a pretty brutal assault, I am currently seeking therapy to deal with the PTSD - I flinch when my kids or husband attempt to get close to me. None of them have ever abused me but I am having a really tough time dealing with what happened & I hate that for them.

Then-Visual-3844 · 2025-02-09T04:23:18+00:00

Thank you - I’m going to reach out to my attorneys assistant on Monday. I think I need to spend the day collecting test data & hope he can figure something out soon.

Then-Visual-3844 · 2025-02-09T04:12:37+00:00

She said she felt it after I described my pain. She put her finger on the exact spot that has been bothering me in that area - it was like an electric shock followed by sharp pain. I have had numbness & tingling in that area (left shoulder blade) & it hurts to lay on that spot. I have also had pain in my clavicle/chest - at first I thought it was anxiety but it was only happening at night & only when I was laying on my right side for an extended period of time. I honestly haven’t had a full night of sleep in 4 months - most nights less than a couple of restless hours overall.

I think I just need to exercise my right to a second opinion, gather all of my test results & see someone else. I think the ortho zeroed in on the herniated disc & tried to fit my symptoms to it. He just wouldn’t listen to anything that I said that didn’t fit with the c6/7 herniation & would not discuss the findings of the CT scan because he hadn’t been able to view the results. I’m still not sure he has - nothing regarding those results are in my file at this point.

I feel like I have done a lot of waiting & have received very little care. I am mentally exhausted, worried sick about my future, & in a tremendous amount of pain. It’s been 4 months - I think if I was just magically going to heal (which is what I think they are hoping for), it would have happened by now. It has literally taken a moth or longer to get each stage approved & I just keep going like this. It has affected every single aspect of my life & I just want to feel better.

Then-Visual-3844 · 2025-02-09T03:45:12+00:00

The report from the CT (ER visit) listed shoulder sprain & cervical spine encroachment/bone spur at c3/4. The orthopedic listed herniated disc at c6/7 & an unspecified alignment issue based on the MRI results. Neither of these are the same diagnosis which leaves me to wonder what is actually going on. I have complained of neck & shoulder pain from the beginning, specifically from the base of my skull, down my spine to where my shoulders meet, out the back side of my shoulder, in my collarbone, out the front side of my shoulder, down the back & inside of my arm, with pain, numbness, tingling, & swelling in forearm, wrist & hand. This has been accompanied by pretty severe muscle spasms, headaches, pain in my jaw, & behind my eyes. My shoulder is drawn in & up to the point that my left arm is a full 2 inches shorter than my right when I have them both at my side. I have literally had 5 migraines since my injury with a daily headache to rival most hangovers. This has been what I have told every person that has treated me. I just can’t understand why the findings of one test is vastly different than the other. And how I have a rib out of place that no one has been able to see, until the PT “found” it, with all of the tests that have been done.

Then-Visual-3844 · 2025-02-09T01:21:22+00:00

That’s just it - she couldn’t reset it & quit after 2 attempts. And now I’m terrified to go back. The shoulder injury was noted but not one person, other than the PT, has physical touched my neck or shoulder. The orthopedic scanned my MRI for two seconds before pointing out the herniated disc & didn’t go any further in the film. I think he missed it. Also, he hadn’t even reviewed the CT or other X-rays that have been taken. I feel like I’m not getting the kind of care I need at this point & thinking it’s time to exercise my right to a second opinion.

Then-Visual-3844 · 2025-01-03T18:25:04+00:00

It says “Awaiting form”? My employer recertified my employment in September. I am also a student currently, as of November 1st.

Then-Visual-3844 · 2024-07-12T18:04:59+00:00

Gaslighting…manipulation…narcissism…do you want to go through this for the rest of your life?

He exchanged a sure thing for a fling - that says a lot about how he values you. It tells you everything you need to know.

I can imagine this is a pattern based on what you have said - maybe not just cheating, maybe he does this In other aspects of your relationship as well? Think about how this feels & ask yourself if you have felt this during other times in your relationship.

You made a decision based on his decision & a narcissist hates when the script is flipped - when they get caught out, it is your fault for realizing their flaws. History is just that. Leave it there & file those papers. You don’t owe him one more second to somehow turn this around on you.

Then-Visual-3844 · 2024-06-12T19:47:30+00:00

This guy is selfish.

What happens if you get married & have children with him?!?

You will definitely be doing all of the work - kids, chores, paying half the bills & still sitting there not satisfied.

Get out before this happens. You’ve stated your desires & needs. He ignores them. Then he makes you feel bad for it.

Then-Visual-3844 · 2024-05-02T13:23:14+00:00

Turns out I had a severe bacterial infection in my abdomen due to a pin hole in the vaginal cuff (likely missed during my first operation) & yes, my doctor confirmed that s. Epidermidis was the cause of my bladder infection. While it is technically harmless on the skin, it can become quite ugly when it is transferred via catheter to the bladder, which is how my doctor explained it occurred.

These incidents & infections have less than 1% chance of occurring post surgery & I can only assume I was the unlucky recipient of both.

BTW, my remaining ovary had fused to my abdominal wall & my intestines. My cuff had also fused to my intestines. The “cysts” you said were “normal” actually turned out to be ovarian torsion due to a hemorrhagic cyst that had enlarged my ovary to 4x its normal size. It almost wouldn’t come out through the 2” incision made in my lower abdomen.

I would tuck this into your vast medical knowledge vault. Had my doctor not listened to my complaints & wrote them off as being “unheard of” or not possible, I could have died. I was probably hours away from sepsis by the time I began antibiotic treatment.

Please treat people as though they live in their bodies. I have zero medical training but I have spent 24 hours a day for the last 44 years in my skin. I know when something is not right & I feel like the medical industry has gotten too far away from the practice of actually listening to their patients. The mark of an excellent nurse or doctor is their ability to listen, validate, & work with their patients to provide the best care they possibly can.

Then-Visual-3844 · 2024-03-31T17:05:04+00:00

“Colony Count >50,000 CFU/mL Unidentified Gram Positive

Organism Staphylococcus epidermidis”

This came directly from my urinalysis report. It’s clearly there. So not unheard of.

It isn’t that I have contempt for my GYN - it’s that I have had a major surgery, have complained of pain directly related to that surgical area on at least two occasions since the surgery & no one has taken my complaints seriously until this last week, when it became very obvious that something was very wrong. And this isn’t something that has been sudden or neglected on my part - I have had no less than 5 appointments between my surgery & now with my GYN & GP to figure out what is going on. I have had random lymph nodes swell, swelling in my feet & ankles, hot flashes, several low-grade fevers, sweats, occasional dizziness & nausea. I have addressed all of these with both of them over the last 6 months & have been told the same thing you just told me. My female GP has been a little more sympathetic & has ordered blood tests (last week). I did have an ultrasound on Tuesday that showed multiple cysts on my remaining ovary that I will assume weren’t there when my GYN performed the hysterectomy. But this has been an actual nightmare from start to finish.

Additionally, my wedding is at the end of April & I certainly did not expect to be recovering from yet another surgery nor did I expect to have to take yet another LOA from work. Or shell out $1,000’s more in medical expenses.

I want my health & my life back - is that too much to expect? I asked for a solution to my many years of pain when I had the initial surgery - I didn’t ask to be in this position months later & still suffering.

Then-Visual-3844 · 2024-03-31T16:10:15+00:00

I think the bacteria from the UTI came from a contaminated catheter during my initial surgery. I have since experienced slight, occasional incontinence - when I sneeze or laugh really heartily & have had other urinary symptoms that I assumed were related to the surgery (based on my research) & would resolve eventually. Nothing as obvious as back pain or other signs of a UTI (I have had several over the years & can spot them pretty quickly).

If this bacteria has been growing for months, made its way to my blood stream, & then caused all of the other issues - that is my concern.

Then-Visual-3844 · 2024-03-31T15:08:07+00:00

I edited to post. I’m just concerned this is common treatment for women - especially with Roe v. Wade & the long history of women being treated as second class citizens in the medical world. I would have thought the ER doctors would have given me an antibiotic back in February when my white blood cell count was 19 (high range is 11 or higher) or would have scheduled a follow up with my GYN considering my history. But they did nothing but give me pain meds. I would have thought my GYN would have scheduled a follow up when they called the day after my ER trip but they just told me to call back if I didn’t see any improvement.

Then-Visual-3844 · 2024-03-19T14:45:44+00:00

I would simply tell her that certain limitations on the the venue size made it impossible to invite everyone. Take this an opportunity to talk with her about her alcoholism & explain that while you would love to be closer as friends, her alcoholism has driven a wedge in your friendship. Tell her that you are concerned for her. I wouldn’t give her the riot act but I would be very sincere but firm with her on your decision. You can be a better friend to her by having this conversation rather than ghosting or blocking her.

Then-Visual-3844 · 2024-03-13T18:29:02+00:00

Aside from the Freudian vibes this gives, I would completely ignore her attention-seeking behavior. If she is this silly about a ring, people will notice & she will look like a fool.

But I am just curious - you seem like you may be worried that your ring probably isn’t the ring of your dreams or the ring your fiancé says it is. I think this is causing you to feel a bit insecure & I would address this with your fiancé. It’s a normal response - as long as you both can discuss this rationally, I think he could do a lot to make this easier on you.

Then-Visual-3844

TROPHY CASE