Finally...

I am thankful that my back is on the mend. The injections that were shot into my muscles of my back seem to have done the trick. I met with the specialist MD last week, and there seems to be room for improvement yet. So, lord willing Workers' Comp approves the request, I'm hoping we will get one more set of shots and then things should be good enough for me to return to work.

The last six months certainly have been hard; made harder by the fact that not all the health professionals bought into the fact that I was even experiencing pain. Tensions flared. Medications were grudgingly given or too slowly given. I felt a whole lot of pressure to work before I was ready to. I felt a whole lot of pressure to work while under the influence of medications that nurses shouldn't be working under.

At times I was told to "buck up" and "learn how to work in pain". I was told that the pain in my back was all in my head. I was told that it was referred pain from the broken ribs. I was told there was no reason for me to be experiencing pain. The way I was treated was disorienting. Dismaying, really. Confusing.

In the end, the right decisions were made. I'm thankful to the NP who listened closely enough to order the consult with the pain specialist who does the steroid injections. And I'm thankful that they seem to be working.

I am still in pain--but it is livable. And it seems to be calming down everyday. By the time I get back to work it will have been six months since I was injured. It was good that we have such things as Workers' Comp to help us through injuries. The system certainly isn't perfect (I learned that); and I still don't think that my hospital should be able to self-administer its Workers' Comp. It isn't a friendly system and you have to stand firm and work with the people who are there to help you. Their job is to get you well as quickly, and as cheaply,  as possible. Your job is to stand up for yourself. Only you know your symptoms.

It is all water under the bridge now. I'm glad to be on the mend.