Carl.... I had to go back to work this past Feb....Bad back and all...as my Disability was denied once again....and the Ol lady was to get laid off Aug 1st.. her Bank branch closed down..So that was 35K a year we didnt have coming in...

The Oldest Daughter moved back in with her Daughter 3 years ago....and hasnt kept a full time job since then...Just living off of us...

I hired on at Sam's club..just to make the house payment...and put some food on the table..I had to sell all the parts for the 463" stroker motor..Glenn's a witness to that Chit!!

I have for many years now..Have a crushed L3 and L4 disc in my back..in which push on the Syiactic nerve,-SP? and cause my left leg to go numb and my toe's on my left foot...

I was tossing freight at night for the club..doing Merchandising and setting up displays....So when the store opened up at 7am for the business people...the store would be set and ready...

Then..I hand My rib cage up on one of the steel racks....and tear all the meat out in-between them.....and worked with busted up ribs for 2 weeks thinking..it would just go away?? It Didnt happen!

So now the back is out..and I have a busted up Rib cage to boot...and havent missed a day..But Hurt LIKE a MF.....They say after time the Rib cage will heal..But it takes longer for us old farts!! LOL.. But the back will just keep getting worse! Nothing I can do....

And for the first 6 mos..on this Job..I was tossing 15K to 20K lbs of freight a night!! Just to make sure we didnt lose the house...

And I know I live in the South Now..and it cant be done out west..I did spend 38 years out in SoCal...But My little $10.30 an hour job..is just barely holding this program together...

And I have NO choice...work hurting..or sleep in the street...I have 6 mouths to feed on that pay...and its a Bitch...Thats why I hadnt been in the forum for quite some time.....So dont get down about it Bro...Sunnier days are coming!!

I'am hoping with my Bonus check in March? I can buy another new block? and start Chit all over again..for the 4th time...But I refuse to give up..LOL..I just wont do it!!

Ol Blue..my 70 F250....Looks like chit..Now..I just havent had the time or the money to work on her...But I know she still loves me..lol... Chin up Bro..its tough all over...

RJ

 

The only way to beat L&I is to get a lawyer. I know because I just recieve my first permanent disability check the 15th of August. Totally thanks to my lawyer, otherwise I would be in your boat.

 

Is the wife getting any unemployment? Dang that sucks to hear. With 3 teens in the house we spend over $200 a WEEK just on food!! Over $800 a month. Unreal.

I'd be trying to find a boyfriend to marry the daughter bro!!! She needs to have her own life again. Shoot if Dan never met his wife i think he'd still be here too!!

Yea the back thing sucks. Besides trucks and engines that seems to be something we all share as well.

 

Hey Russ! Glad to hear your still among the living, though barely vertical!

I have a friend going thru Work. Comp and disability right now. Got hurt at work in Feb, been off since(living on nothing, though wife is paying bills). He's been doing Chiro to get straightened out, won THREE court cases, but still being denied payment for last 6 months. New doctor is now fighting and I'll find out tomorrow how it's moving along. Hopefully to get back wages, though he's been doing fab work for all racing buddies to help put food on the table.

Keep the positive thoughts man.

Yup, bad backs, they suck! Got that problem myself, and really makes it rough to work in the garage. Get down on the creeper....and can't get back up LOL!

 

Hell at 40+ years of age if most of you dont hurt you didnt do it right!!!! I'lll have to agree with Bear on the lawyer scenario...seems the nitch to every dispute these days. You get screwed one way or the other...internal design of the system! Hey you could be living in "ANOTHER COUNTRY" so look at the bright side while you can....

I cant complain really all my hurt is from stupid **** done away from work. Kinda hard to get injured making keystrokes on a Macintosh LMAO! But I'll figure it out!!! When first starting in this line of work I thought..man I gotta find a real job...20+years later it is paying pretty well..little time off as the prepress guy(whole shop stops without you) but it's good to be needed. After paying off the Dodge 5yrs at 550.00 mo + ins things are looking brighter..finally have some pocket change. I'm sure Uncle Sam will find a way to screw that up soon enough though!!

 

You can almost be guaranteed that any disability claim will be denied without a lawyer. Why? Because the lawyers get their cut all the way back to your original claim denial. The longer you wait...the more the lawyer gets in back payments after the appeal is won. At least that's how it is around here.

Also, as much as we all love our kids, there comes a point where you have to kick them out. Otherwise they wont get their chit together and move on.

 

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that it took the lawyer 4 years and 2 months to win (never would have because L&I wouldn't even approve the surgery the doc said I needed) and this is the only law he practices so he knows he stuff and his staff is led by and ex- L&I supervisor. But he not only made sure I got paid every 2 weeks but he got it raised to the maximum and got it retroactive to when I got hurt. Was heworththe money he cost, well my payments are higher now, even with his cut coming out than they were before I hired him, So yeah, woth every penny.

 

That blows to hear, but as said before good to hear you're still amoung the living. And pullin through

Oh and by the way if you need a good ol'ford collecting boy to talk one of our teenage daughters off your hands.... or a 1970 Ford, either one. LOL hope you have a good one!

 

Yeah Guys..I'am not going to let it get me down!! I havent lived to be 52 to let chit stop me....and Hello Gang you all know who you are...I told the wife last night..the oldest daughter has until next spring to get her damn act together!!

Or I'll go to court for Grandparents rights and see about us getting the kid...that otta get her off her A$$?? LOL...

But I know I'am gonna have to get a second job to do the build....I should get a decent bonus at work in Mar. and that should cover the new block....But just a block wont make the vehicle run!! LMAO!!

And G, yes the Ol lady is approved for un-enjoyment..But hasnt received one check yet? So were waiting..

So I'll be ok...Its just so Freakin frustrating !! LOL.. Oh I feal better now..just being able to VENT!! lol..

Thanks Guys...

RJ

PS..where the hell is Art at?

 

It took me 18 mo to get on SS Disability, also bad back L5-S1. After 5 surgeries and 4 procedures on my back 2003-2004. Can relate to the pain in a big time. I had a nerve root get cut with a bone chip. I have nerve pain the runs down my left leg into my foot and toes. At times I can not have any thing touch my toes, they are very sensitive. I did not have to go to court. Some $4/hr person miss entered my data on my surgeries. Once it was pointed out to their Dr that examined me, I got in. But I did have a SS lawyer bird dog mine throw the system after being denied the first time. It has taken me 4 yrs for me to get movement into my toes. Not much or smooth but movement.

I have one of the spinal cord neuro-stimulators implant to help manage the pain. Alone with 3 different pain meds (2 nerve), muscle relaxers to fight cramps all the time. And injection ever 3-4 mo. Pain I have plenty of.

I have finally got to where I have a couple hrs a day where I can be up and move around. I try to spend it on my 68. I figure 2-3hrs/day is better than nothing. It may take me 6+ mo to have it painted but it will get there. Doing prep to paint the inside the cab now.

One thing my Lawyer pointed out is that you must have surgeries to try to correct the problem. And test to prove that you have nerve damage. With these 2 you can usually get in after a struggle with the system. But with out surgery, the odds are low.

I wish you the best in your quest, and hope you get in. It can be a long journey.

 

18 months?, that's high speed for SSD. I know one guy who beat it at 5 months, but both the VA and state L&I said he was screwed and he had all the medical records from both. Everyone else is 5 to 7 years, that's YEARS not months.

 

If mine was to go to court it would have added another yr.

My lawyer really liked the way I filled the appeals and the reason why. It turned heads which is what you have to do to get them to look at it. I did not hold any punches back and stated the facts they were ignoring. I had full records and all test backing my claim, still have them just keep adding more documentation to back my claim when it comes up for review, like they sometimes do. I even had a myelogram this spring showing a bone chip/spur on my s1 nerve root, along with tons of scar tissue.

 

They don't really care if you are hurt or not. They policy is deny, deny, deny regardless of evidence to the contrary. Every time it got to seeing the judge they would back down and then of course they start denying again. I had to go thur the evaluation for able to work twice because they didn't want to believe their own employee's assessment. Isn't just wonderful how a state agency that is suppose to look out for you and take care of you, works so hard to screw you over?

 

Wow I filed back in March this year, got a lot to look forward to called starvation. SSD sent me to a medical exam July 9th, mental exam July 11th, hell eveyone I know say i'm crazy.
A fellow electrician got his approved in 5 months after he filed, had both shoulders operated on now moves around as normal and only 53. The pisser his mom owns 17 houses and 23 apartment rentals, all he does is check on everything and ride his Harley.

 

All I can say is it depends. My lawyer did say that my case was right at the extreme of state screwing around. Actually I had 3 cases, they denied the chemical exposure, a proved the hearing loss and the nerve damage with loss of dexterity and strength in both hands and arms (half of which was caused by the nerve agent I was exposed to and denied, you figure out how they figure it). All I care about is it is over with, finally.