any nurses out there with back injuries

[rehab nurse]

Hi there fellow nurses with disabilities!!! Wow, I am SO happy to have our own forum for us to get together and chat about how we are adjusting in our own ways. So thanks Brian for adding this forum for us!!!

I was wondering if there are any nurses out there with serious back injuries/chronic pain? I have herniations in my lumbar spine at L2-3; L3-4; L4-5; and L5-S1. I have all 4 with annular tears (or however you spell it). My pain is mostly caused by the severe dessication and the chemical irritation constantly by the nucleus bathing those nerves. I feel like there's a knife in my back, and someone's twisting it, and that its on fire. (And that's just the normal feeling). If I stand, it gets worse. If I sit, it gets worse. If I bend, twist, pick up my children (I HAVE to sometimes). It is hard for me to walk (I'm now with a walker most of the time), it is hard for me to do laundry, and other household chores. I also have osteoporosis in my lumbar spine and hips, which causes pain. I am filled with arthritis. So, my dx list also includes: DDD, DJD, OA, OP, SLE, Severe Asthma, Metabolic Syndrome, PCOS, Endometrial Ca (under chemo now),severe migraines, intractable back pain. And other things I don't remember right now. I also have anxiety, depression and PTSD due to some bad things in my past.

I am unable to work due to the cancer, but before that, I was only working one day a week due to the severe pain. I was just about on my way out of work when I had cancer, and that was the deciding factor. I have two kids, and I am a single mom.

I don't know if I'll ever be able to be a nurse again, and that saddens me. I've been encouraged to apply for SSDI, but that is a long waiting game, and I am so young I know I will have to fight long and hard. I am just 30. I get no child support, but that's a whole other thread. I get no assistance, I was denied. I have used up what I had in savings and 401k. So I don't know what I'm going to do. I almost wish I could quit chemo and get a job, but who am I kidding? I know I will be a bad employee, because I have such pain when I work and I can barely walk. Who will hire me?? Plus, I take morphine every 6 hours for pain, and that also makes me ineligible to work. I even tried looking for some telephone triage and/or desk jobs, but what little is out there all require a BSN, which I don't have. I am between a rock and a hard place.

Anyway, I just wanted to reach out to see if there are any other nurses who suffer from serious back injuries and how you cope if you do work. I really need to have benefits, my children have multiple medical needs and my health also is not the greatest. I really feel like a rotten mother for not being able to support them like they deserve.

I hate that our profession just thinks those of us with disabilities are disposable. My mind is still there, and that decade plus of knowledge is still there. I wish I could find someway to use it so I could support my kiddos. Our economy is HORRIBLE right now. Why does the "healing profession" not help us to "heal"? Are we not worthy once we are injured???

Anyways, I will stop griping now. It's late and I can't sleep due to the pain. It's been a particularly rough day and my pain is hovering at a 8. No way can I sleep with this. I usually get no more than 3 to 4 hours of sleep a night. I would love to hear from some other nurses who either have back injuries or any other injuries/disabilities that restrict them from working and how you cope. I am at the end of my rope here.

[woody62, RN]

I need to post a few corrections. SSDI's application is more then 16 pages long. You need to complete it completely, obtain copies of your medical records, especially the doctors who have said that you are unable to work for the next twelve months or more. You submit everything and it takes about six months for the initial review, which is almost always turned down. I believe you have forty-five days to file your appeal. You can add additional medical documentation, if you have it. It takes another six months for another review. You are generally turned down. You then file fore a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. This is a federal judge who will review all your medical records, question you, question the representative for the SSA and allow you to present any additional evidence you might have, including supporting journal documents and/or any work evaluations you may have had done. If you are represented by an attorney, he will generally have a pretty good idea if you will win or not. But until you get your letter of determination from the Social Security Administration. It can take anywhere from four to twelve weeks to get the letter. Your first check is generally deposited the following month.[/b]

If you chose to be represented by an attorney, pick one carefully. You can go to your yellow pages to get several names or call your bar association and ask for the name of several attorneys who specialize in SSDI. Your choice should be an attorney who practices primarily disability and WC law. As him how many cases he handles a year. And what his success rate is out of that total. If he is vague, I wouldn't hire him. I had one leg up on others, I could and did go to a judge I knew and asked him for one or two names, which he gladly gave me.

Woody:balloons:

[akwesook]

I had my first fusion in 95(lumbar) second in 96 (cervical) and third a year ago. Apply for that SSDI-and if you get denied appeal. I went through 8 months of NO income when I was first injured (husb divorced me when I became a non-wage-earner and took the joint savings with him) Mine was an auto accident caused by ex. It took me years and I went through a lot of hell but I manage the pain and Social Security is paying for my LVN to BSN upgrade!

[deehaverrn]

all this is interesting to me, but i can't even get a doctor to take me out of work...i have several annular tears, and as undivided heart says (yes...exactly!!) i would get up in the morning with mild pain but it started gettin worse as soon as i started doing anything!! by the time i was washed, dressed, and drove to work i was all ready having trouble walking because of the pain level, i think i actually have a good pain tolerance but some days i couldn't take it and it was even worse the busier i was and the more days i worked in a row, some people acted like it must be nothing because i don't have a problem with straight leg raises nor pain in my legs (other than numbness and pins and needles but nothing sharp). i have been unable to work full days but have worked partial days...sometimes i am unable to even walk out to my car until i lie down and rest my back, anyway at present i am off work but they will probably send me back again soon, i had a procedure called an IDET which heats the annulus to form scar tissue and seal the tears ..it doesn't have a great track record but i am desperately trying to find something that doesn't require me to be on all these narcotics but still be comfortable because i just CAN't face going back to work and being in that much pain every day again!!!

The really annoying thing is that if i ever need to file for ssdi...i have read my doctors records since i have been involved in litigation over worker's comp my lawyer gets copies of all of them...and it is really disturbing how inaccurate the records are..since i know they are used in court for worker's comp as well as disability rulings. For example, despite the fact that i sometimes have numbness and pins and needles in my feet that is so bad it is difficult to even feel the pedals in my car in order to drive myself..this is not mentioned in the doctors notes once!! the fact that my teeth are cracked which i told my doctor my dentist had attributed to my clenching my teeth so often due to pain is not in there ( i've switched from that doc) and even though i have had problems sleeping for over a year..my recent records continuously say "denies sleep problems"...What?!! From someone who has always been scrupulous in charting this is especially offensive. I'm not sure if I mentioned my sleep problems at EVERY visit, but i am positive that i have never denied them. Oh well, enough ranting...but if you find any links to those articles about annular tears i'd love to read them.

[Simplepleasures]

I think that there are MANY MANY nurses out there who have ruined their own health taking care of others.Some have ended their carreer by being forced out by unnscrupulous, uncaring employers.Then they have to face the long arduous task of getting approved for SSDI,which takes up to two or more years( if denied on initial application).In the meantime their health continues to go down the tubes and the lack of healthcare access slaps them down even harder.Cobra costs a fortune. OK, OK I know I sound bitter and I guess I am, but I choose to believe that we have it in our power as voters and Americans to change the federal programs that dont work, we can join the health care reform movement by voting for those who dont work for special interest groups with GREED as their agenda.I am one of those with DJD, DDD of spine and DJD of bilat. knees,inflammarory arthritis of hands and inflammatory ocular disease.I am waiting for over a year now for my SSDI hearing.Thank God for my children or I would be out on the street. Lost everything but my will to go on.

[mpolice]

For any nurses out there with herniated discs - have you heard of the new spinal decompression table? It's like a computerized traction that is supposed to alleviate the herniation and prevent surgery. I urge anyone with a herniation to check it out. I've been at my chiropractor's office for help with some arthritis in my back and I noticed several people going to and from this table over a course of 5 weeks. Lumbar and cervical herniations were being totally relieved! At the end of 5 weeks, these people were walking out of there on their toes! All of them looked 100% better. They didn't need their back braces or neck braces anymore, they were smiling and happy. The table is a DMX-9000. It must be amazing cuz all these people looked totally painless. I am amazed at what this table can do. I guess you could just type in DMX-9000 or Spinal Decompression on the internet and get info. I hope this helps someone cuz percutaneous fusions and laminectomies are so permanent. Marie

[Hoozdo, ADN]

For any nurses out there with herniated discs - have you heard of the new spinal decompression table? It's like a computerized traction that is supposed to alleviate the herniation and prevent surgery. I urge anyone with a herniation to check it out. I've been at my chiropractor's office for help with some arthritis in my back and I noticed several people going to and from this table over a course of 5 weeks. Lumbar and cervical herniations were being totally relieved! At the end of 5 weeks, these people were walking out of there on their toes! All of them looked 100% better. They didn't need their back braces or neck braces anymore, they were smiling and happy. The table is a DMX-9000. It must be amazing cuz all these people looked totally painless. I am amazed at what this table can do. I guess you could just type in DMX-9000 or Spinal Decompression on the internet and get info. I hope this helps someone cuz percutaneous fusions and laminectomies are so permanent. Marie

My husband had a herniation at L5 and tried this treatment. I don't want to be discouraging, but this therapy actually made him worse. He ended up with a diskectomy and his pain is 90% better. This tx is not covered by most insurances and is expensive to.

With chronic back pain, almost anything is worth a try. He tried and it didn't work

[mpolice]

Hoozdo, I am sorry to hear that it didn't work for your husband. I wonder why. Was the herniation too serious? Some of the patients said it wasn't covered on insurance and then others said their insurance covered a percentage. But with an 86% success rate, I'd be tempted to try it vs surgery. At least your husband is 90% better. I hope he can enjoy life now. Marie

[nowplayingEDRN]

I am newly back injured with a herniated c4/c5 c6/c7 c7/t1. I fell at work when this happened. Workman's Comp is a pain in the ass to deal with. To top it off, in my state, the max workman's comp disability payout is ONLY $375 a week! My pain is severe including pain around the scapula, down the L arm and partial numbness in the hand.

Hooz...I don't know what state you are in but in NY state they have a program called VESID(Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities) they help you try to find something that you can do so that you can return to work and be more productive. When trying to stop a stretcher with a fresh post op patient from smashing into the wall and some equipment in the hall (my transport attendant decided that they did not need to help anymore at this point and walked away! yes, they still have their job and I am sidelined from the work I love) I developed Facet Arthropathy at L4-5. While i realize that this is not as serious as herniations and the like, I do have hronic back pain and it interferes with my ADLs, standing, sitting and laying. i can not lift more that 10lbs on a regular basis and ocassionally I can only lift up to 20lbs, so of course I can no longer go back to working in the recovery room. In NYS the max worker's comp pay out is $400 bucks, of oc urse I am down to 300 a week and now they want to cut it even more. I don't know how I am supposed to survive on even less when my poor hubby is on disability and has to take most of him money to pay for his medications! Of course comp pays for my medication. I had 3 facet joint blocks, which helped a little, I did PT is 2 6 week increments 3xweekly but that didn't do much for me at all except fire up my sciatic nerve from the intake exam! My next step is a median branch nerve block at the L4-5 level (I am currently awaiting authorization, something I won't get till I go to court at the end of this month.). I have trouble walking for longer than 5-10 m inutes and standing becomes aproblem usually after 5. It makes doing things around the house interesting and I don't dare take the jug of milk out of the fridge with 1 hand. In addition, non work related I have severe herniations at C5-6 and C6-7 but being out of work for as long as I have, I have no benefits to get that fixed...but I ramble.....

Back to VESID....they are helping me get a certification in case management, not exactly what I want but it will give me a pay scale close to what I am used to and I will have access to health benefits and it will be easier to keep the physical restrictions my doctor has set for me. They do also send people on for BSNs or MSNs as well as other continuing ed courses things that have good marketability to get you back into the work force.

To the young lady that started this thread....I take it that when you suffered all those herniations that you were not a surgical candidate? I realize that surgery is not the end all and be all of pain management and I know that most folks that go through back surgery still have pain but is it an option? Acupuncture is just a pain management tool and does not solve the whole picture. Maybe you should try to find the best neurosurgeon or orthopod specializing in spine surgery in your area for a consult. You may have to go as far as 2 hours from your home, if you are able to travel that far. I worked in an orthopaedic specialty hospital in NYC when I sustained this back injury (ironic, isn't?). My heart goes out to each and every one of you that have had such injuries. And I look forward to discussing this further with you all.

~C

[Hoozdo, ADN]

Good post Christie. We share your pain:angryfire

Do you have unbearable pain in any extremities? If so, check out my post on RSD. Do not have ANY surgery until you read up on the symptoms of RSD (reflex sympathetic dystrophy)!

Heartfelt hugs to you

[nowplayingEDRN]

:balloons:

Hooz..

Thanks for taking the time to read my post. I am blessed that I do not have that sort of pain in any of my extremities, nor do I have any symptoms of RSD. I have intermitten pain down the back of my leg(from the sciatic) and intermitten pain running down the outside of my left leg into my foot. My toes pretty much stay numb as well as the bottom of my foot which is why they keep looking for herniations but they can't find any! I am a medical mystery!! Hehehe!:monkeydance: No, surgery is a last resort treatment for facet arthropathy, which I have decided is a fancy name of pack pain that they can pigeon hole under any other diagnosis!! And so I pop my percocet with valium and zanaflex(for the spasms) and plug along!

It's horrible to feel betrayed by the very profession you devoted your self to and gave 100% to. It's like the minute they know you are hurt, they don't want to be bothered with you. It's my back, not my brain that's hurt!:angryfire

I just hope and pray that the end result of some of this retraining is a job that will allow me to pay my bills and have health assurance!

[hennesm81]

Good luck to everyone here!

[nowplayingEDRN]

I would strongly sugest that if anyone is planning on applying for SSI/SSD that they get themselves a lawyer as well. They usually take no fee if you do not get awarded SSI and if you do get the SSI, they take between 10-15% as their fee and it is well worth it in my opinion. Also, having a doctor with with you have a good rapport, that keeps excellent records and is willing to assist you in attaining SSI is also a plus. The urged my hubby to apply for it immediately in 2000 but he had hope he would get better but he didn't, he applied for SSI on 2006 and was awarded a retroactive award to 2004. The judge asked why he did not apply sooner and when we told him, he shook his head and said amazing! Each state has different programs for Medicare drug programs.supplimental insurance, for the best assistance, your local office for the aging can assist you in choosing the plan that best fits your needs. I wish you the very best of luck in this venture. Be advised that if during the hearing for SSI/SSD, the judge rules that you can do some sort of work, you could be sent for career retraining(that's how it works in NYS).