If you are looking for a great hospital in Dallas this is your place to find some of the best doctors, Professors, Nurses, and great care all in one place. It's a teaching hospital and is ranked very high in 6 specialties.
in reference to: UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas: Find Doctors, Hospitals (view on Google Sidewiki)Friday, October 08, 2010
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
I just wanted people who have been denied by Federal Workers Comp to continue to fight for their benefits. I want to tell you a brief story about my experiences and maybe give that one person hope. I used Gordon Reiselt as my lawyer in Albuquerque, New Mexico, even though I live near Dallas. The fighting sucks and never ever will it stop, so you NEED SUPPORT mentally . I am not a professional writer so excuse me for any grammar mistakes. I want to make a difference in someones day and life.
My injury occurred in 1998 and that is the day my soul died and my troubles began. In 1998 while working for the US Postal Service I started to experience severe tightness in both feet and in my calves. My work week continued and by the third day I couldn't get up out of my bed. The pain was so severe and I had no clue what was happening to me. The mail handler job consisted of working 6 days a week and up to 12 hours per day on a hard concrete floor. I went to several doctors the first year and the doctors found nothing wrong. I had Kaiser Permanente insurance at that time and I wasn't receiving the proper medical treatment. I remember sitting all day long in the waiting area just to try and see a doctor. It took a year before I was diagnosed with Peripheral Neuropathy according to a test called an EMG. The EMG machine has wires that have electrodes attached to the end. These electrodes are then place on the area to be tested and a electrical current is sent to the electrode. The EMG is very unpleasant, especially when you are in extreme pain. I have had so many tests which include; several EMGs, MRIs, Spinal Tap, Nerve Biopsy, and tons of blood work. I COULD WRITE A BOOK ABOUT MY DECLINEING HEALTH. The worst experience has definitely been this year which all started in September. I had formed a blister on the bottom of my foot and didn't know the blister was infected because I have no feeling in both feet. This is turn caused a septic infection which is very serious and you could possibly die! I ran a 105 degree temperature for three days and it was Hell, they even had to ice me down with bags on my entire body. I don't remember the nurses icing me down until my wife told me when I was getting better. I almost lost my right foot but thankfully found a doctor three hours away that could reconstruct my foot.
There are many hurdles that come with Federal Workers Comp and the first thing is proving your case. My case was denied at first but I didn't stop fighting. I wanted to end my life because of the severity of the pain and the hopelessness I felt. The system is wacky and somethings just do not make sense. Don't even try to debate the system because you will lose and waste a good amount of energy both mentally and spiritually. There are so many codes the govt uses for insurance purposes and those codes must match your diagnoses. My condition was very hard to prove, but I know without any doubt , that my workplace caused this huge mess because of prolonged walking and my high arch feet. It wasn't like negligence by the Postal Service but they do work the shit out of their employees, this is were the term "Postal" comes into play. My doctors didn't recommend that I return to the postal service so they paid for me to go back to college where I received my degree.
I was placed in a pain management program that lasted three months and consisted of forty hours a week, before I went back to college. The program consisted of psychical therapy, workouts, group therapy, personal psych therapy, acupuncture, biofeedback, and learning crafts. This program lifted the fog from my head and my depression was more controlled. I was READY TO FIGHT and become that same person that I was before October 1998. I had Hope and Faith and received my associate degree in 2002 from a community college. I was on a mission and tried very hard in school, I wanted to be the best, a B grade wasn't good enough. I made most A's but one C in Algebra II, I hadn't studied math in 12 years. I missed one question on my FAA dispatch license test and passed an intense oral examine. I was on my way to show myself, my family, and the world that I wouldn't stop the fight.
The next stage in my life was to become employed and I landed my first job with American Eagle as an Aircraft Dispatcher. I was fired three months later because my medications impaired my thinking and reaction time. The position requires you to be on top of your game, it is a very fast paced job with lots of stress. Also, I don't think I was trained properly, my first trainer would doze off while I entered data into the computer. This was the best thing that could have happened to me because I was miserable at this job. I became employed with the best company in the world, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES. I will always remember my co-workers and the company for giving me hope in humanity. I worked with the best human beings you ever met, these people had life and spunk. Southwest takes great care of their employees and it's like having another family. I experienced more medical problems during this time and should have been fired for missing work.
My first wife decided she wanted a divorce. I do not blame her one bit for leaving. When you experience constant pain you become very irritable and depressed. There is no stability in your life when you go through something that controls your life every moment. Southwest decided to close their Dallas Reservation Center down to try and save money. We had a choice to transfer or pick another position here in Dallas. There were no vacancies at that time that would accommodate my sedentary job restriction. I did not transfer because my daughter is my world and I could not imagine living so far away. I then became employed with a company called Flexjet, they are a fractional ownership company for the Learjet. I asked my boss if I could have a fax machine at my station and that request was denied and would really change my life. I rubbed a blister on my right foot after three months of employment and I had to take off of work. My doctor would not release me back to work and my short term disability with this company would take effect. The short term disability ran out after 6 months and I was fired once again and I felt like a total failure. I had no income for four months because my long term disability company, UnumProvident denied my long term disability benefits. I had no money now and was living with my mother at the age of thirty five.
I met my current wife Robyn and she brought so much to my life when I was down and out. She had one daughter and a son and we would later marry in December 2004. I never thought another person would have anything to do with me again. She has been through some tough times but has stuck around for some odd reason. I now had a breath of fresh air in my life.
My father died when I was 22 years old of an apparent mixed drug intoxication suicide so I used that as motivation. I could not let my wife and kids down and I did not know how I was going to provide for my family. I eventually was approved for Social Security and I retired from the Postal Service. The Postal Service was still responsible if I could not hold employment and I Thank God. The Texas Attorney General was sending me letters because I was know three months behind on child support, I had no money at the time and my Social Security decision was pending. I wasn't providing for my daughter and I felt very guilty, even though my ex-wife made good money and she wasn't struggling. Things eventually worked out and I now have income, I even received money from the government from a high impairment rating.
I write this story today to try and share my experience with someone else that might be going through the same problem or about to deal with Federal Workers Comp. I don't know what I would have done if I had not met my current wife. You need to surround yourself with positive people that will be there for you emotionally. Keep in mind that people usually don't understand how it is to be partially disabled and they will judge you fast. I look like a normal everyday person but that is far from the truth. I struggle just to do chores around the house and take care of my children. I don't know what the future holds for my family but I know I have to fight everyday. I have more to tell and I have simplified this story as much as possible so it doesn't become a book. I struggle financially even with the impairment rating money because I was about three years behind. My lawyer received a huge amount and the govt took $17,000 of my money so I could have a lump sum. I elected the lump sum to pay my bills and not incur any more interest. Federal Workers Comp has many problems but I am very thankful for my case manager and also, that there is even such a program for injured Federal employees.
I have no affiliation with the lawyer who helped me and these are my opinions and suggestions only. Please contact Gordon Reiselt or any other lawyer that has EXPERIENCE in dealing with the Federal Workers Comp program or Office of Workers Compensation. There are very few lawyers that specialize in this arena because there is little money to be made compared to other areas of law practice. I am not a religious person but believe there is a God. If you aren't religious or don't believe in God then PRAY to a higher power. A higher power is something else besides your damn ego. Good Luck!!
Please provide Positive or Negative Comment Feedback, Thanks.
My injury occurred in 1998 and that is the day my soul died and my troubles began. In 1998 while working for the US Postal Service I started to experience severe tightness in both feet and in my calves. My work week continued and by the third day I couldn't get up out of my bed. The pain was so severe and I had no clue what was happening to me. The mail handler job consisted of working 6 days a week and up to 12 hours per day on a hard concrete floor. I went to several doctors the first year and the doctors found nothing wrong. I had Kaiser Permanente insurance at that time and I wasn't receiving the proper medical treatment. I remember sitting all day long in the waiting area just to try and see a doctor. It took a year before I was diagnosed with Peripheral Neuropathy according to a test called an EMG. The EMG machine has wires that have electrodes attached to the end. These electrodes are then place on the area to be tested and a electrical current is sent to the electrode. The EMG is very unpleasant, especially when you are in extreme pain. I have had so many tests which include; several EMGs, MRIs, Spinal Tap, Nerve Biopsy, and tons of blood work. I COULD WRITE A BOOK ABOUT MY DECLINEING HEALTH. The worst experience has definitely been this year which all started in September. I had formed a blister on the bottom of my foot and didn't know the blister was infected because I have no feeling in both feet. This is turn caused a septic infection which is very serious and you could possibly die! I ran a 105 degree temperature for three days and it was Hell, they even had to ice me down with bags on my entire body. I don't remember the nurses icing me down until my wife told me when I was getting better. I almost lost my right foot but thankfully found a doctor three hours away that could reconstruct my foot.
There are many hurdles that come with Federal Workers Comp and the first thing is proving your case. My case was denied at first but I didn't stop fighting. I wanted to end my life because of the severity of the pain and the hopelessness I felt. The system is wacky and somethings just do not make sense. Don't even try to debate the system because you will lose and waste a good amount of energy both mentally and spiritually. There are so many codes the govt uses for insurance purposes and those codes must match your diagnoses. My condition was very hard to prove, but I know without any doubt , that my workplace caused this huge mess because of prolonged walking and my high arch feet. It wasn't like negligence by the Postal Service but they do work the shit out of their employees, this is were the term "Postal" comes into play. My doctors didn't recommend that I return to the postal service so they paid for me to go back to college where I received my degree.
I was placed in a pain management program that lasted three months and consisted of forty hours a week, before I went back to college. The program consisted of psychical therapy, workouts, group therapy, personal psych therapy, acupuncture, biofeedback, and learning crafts. This program lifted the fog from my head and my depression was more controlled. I was READY TO FIGHT and become that same person that I was before October 1998. I had Hope and Faith and received my associate degree in 2002 from a community college. I was on a mission and tried very hard in school, I wanted to be the best, a B grade wasn't good enough. I made most A's but one C in Algebra II, I hadn't studied math in 12 years. I missed one question on my FAA dispatch license test and passed an intense oral examine. I was on my way to show myself, my family, and the world that I wouldn't stop the fight.
The next stage in my life was to become employed and I landed my first job with American Eagle as an Aircraft Dispatcher. I was fired three months later because my medications impaired my thinking and reaction time. The position requires you to be on top of your game, it is a very fast paced job with lots of stress. Also, I don't think I was trained properly, my first trainer would doze off while I entered data into the computer. This was the best thing that could have happened to me because I was miserable at this job. I became employed with the best company in the world, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES. I will always remember my co-workers and the company for giving me hope in humanity. I worked with the best human beings you ever met, these people had life and spunk. Southwest takes great care of their employees and it's like having another family. I experienced more medical problems during this time and should have been fired for missing work.
My first wife decided she wanted a divorce. I do not blame her one bit for leaving. When you experience constant pain you become very irritable and depressed. There is no stability in your life when you go through something that controls your life every moment. Southwest decided to close their Dallas Reservation Center down to try and save money. We had a choice to transfer or pick another position here in Dallas. There were no vacancies at that time that would accommodate my sedentary job restriction. I did not transfer because my daughter is my world and I could not imagine living so far away. I then became employed with a company called Flexjet, they are a fractional ownership company for the Learjet. I asked my boss if I could have a fax machine at my station and that request was denied and would really change my life. I rubbed a blister on my right foot after three months of employment and I had to take off of work. My doctor would not release me back to work and my short term disability with this company would take effect. The short term disability ran out after 6 months and I was fired once again and I felt like a total failure. I had no income for four months because my long term disability company, UnumProvident denied my long term disability benefits. I had no money now and was living with my mother at the age of thirty five.
I met my current wife Robyn and she brought so much to my life when I was down and out. She had one daughter and a son and we would later marry in December 2004. I never thought another person would have anything to do with me again. She has been through some tough times but has stuck around for some odd reason. I now had a breath of fresh air in my life.
My father died when I was 22 years old of an apparent mixed drug intoxication suicide so I used that as motivation. I could not let my wife and kids down and I did not know how I was going to provide for my family. I eventually was approved for Social Security and I retired from the Postal Service. The Postal Service was still responsible if I could not hold employment and I Thank God. The Texas Attorney General was sending me letters because I was know three months behind on child support, I had no money at the time and my Social Security decision was pending. I wasn't providing for my daughter and I felt very guilty, even though my ex-wife made good money and she wasn't struggling. Things eventually worked out and I now have income, I even received money from the government from a high impairment rating.
I write this story today to try and share my experience with someone else that might be going through the same problem or about to deal with Federal Workers Comp. I don't know what I would have done if I had not met my current wife. You need to surround yourself with positive people that will be there for you emotionally. Keep in mind that people usually don't understand how it is to be partially disabled and they will judge you fast. I look like a normal everyday person but that is far from the truth. I struggle just to do chores around the house and take care of my children. I don't know what the future holds for my family but I know I have to fight everyday. I have more to tell and I have simplified this story as much as possible so it doesn't become a book. I struggle financially even with the impairment rating money because I was about three years behind. My lawyer received a huge amount and the govt took $17,000 of my money so I could have a lump sum. I elected the lump sum to pay my bills and not incur any more interest. Federal Workers Comp has many problems but I am very thankful for my case manager and also, that there is even such a program for injured Federal employees.
I have no affiliation with the lawyer who helped me and these are my opinions and suggestions only. Please contact Gordon Reiselt or any other lawyer that has EXPERIENCE in dealing with the Federal Workers Comp program or Office of Workers Compensation. There are very few lawyers that specialize in this arena because there is little money to be made compared to other areas of law practice. I am not a religious person but believe there is a God. If you aren't religious or don't believe in God then PRAY to a higher power. A higher power is something else besides your damn ego. Good Luck!!
Please provide Positive or Negative Comment Feedback, Thanks.
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