No Clue

[Sandra]

Hi just thought I'd post something newthat I have ran into. I thought I had delt with most everything life has to offer with respect to living with this disease and Auto Immune disease. But there's always something new.
In Feb 2007 I was in a car wreck, I was hit from behind while at a red light, the car was demolished. I was hurt in my mid back, shoulder and neck. Later I got to fing out what whiplash was...mostly it's not any kind of good. I am still doing physio for it. But the problem never stops at the neck and shoulders when the soft tissue pain flares up, oh no, when adding the flare up of the whiplash my entire system is up in arms, the inflammation roars through me like a house on fire. So my insurance company has been good, they are paying for my physio. But it's been almost 2 years, on Feb 23/09, and I have been warned my chance to sue the other company will end on that date. I have never wanted any of this and that includes sueing anybody. The gentleman that hit me was so kind and appologetic and took full responsibility right at the accident site...it was an accident period, I don't and can't blame anybody for it. But my problem is that i am not getting back to where I was before the accident. That is I can't move my head and use my neck as I did without pain. Well it really is only when I look down for  longer periods of time or up too. So no reading, no card making, no mosaics, careful with my bookwork,etc, etc... So on the recomondation of my insurance company I spoke to a lawyer about the possiblitly. Remember I reallllly don't want to have to do this, but it is costing me a fortune for help with yardwork, housework at the least and at worst my ability to enjoy life as I did. When my neck starts up, I am in terrible pain, tylenol pain, demerol pain and stuck in bed for a month pain. So my lawyer has advised me that the deposition alone would be "soooo terrible" and that in comparasine to another client who lost his eyesight my issues were mere...... yadda,yadda yadda....I am so blown away does no-one understand the impact sjs and other's like lupus and MS have on a human life? What kind of chance would a client like me have if the very lawyer defending me can make a gross and uneducated statement such as that? Not to mention the beating I would take from the other insurance lawyer with nobody on my side? I am ticked right off, I deserve help, I did not ask to be in an accident, I did not ask to have sjs and a bunch of other AI stuff, sorry I can't mend as well as somebody who doesn't. and I am sick of paying for it over and over and over in my life. Gosh the medications and far away DR visits and time off work is enough to break a person. So what a position I am in, feel guilty everytime I have to pay my neighbor to cut my grass, and my vaccuuming lady to vaccuum for me and my garden helper to do my flower beds......or go get beaten to a pulp just for asking for a little help that's well justified, and possibly end up losing and paying a bunch of legal fees on top of everything else! Living with this kind of illness I guess will never cease to amaze me. Thanks for listening, Sandra

[Cheryl]

Sandra,
   I had a similar accident experience in 1993.   I didn't sue, because soft tissue injuries are hard to document.   Insurance paid all of my initial medical costs.   As I recall, there were no legal fees, although a percentage of a settlement (1/3?) would have gone to the lawyer.   I understand your frustration.   I wasn't disabled by the injuries, but my neck and shoulder have never been the same since.  I'll be interested to know what you decide to do.
Cheryl

[Dolly Dimples]

   Sandra ,if your Insurance company advised that you put in a claim, you must do so... 
     Of course most people are so sorry for causing accidents and most are just decent people...
       yet that does nothing for you finanicially , does it...
    I take it you are in the US.. I'm in UK,          But life has to go on, same bills to pay each week. 
      If your struggling then you must put yourself first ...
    I I were you I'd go ahead , nothing is worse than worrying about money when one is suffering .
            Best of luck, Dolly x

[harrigan]

Sandra - i read your mail with so much interest and compassion for you - I was in the middle of SS diagnosis when I was knocked out by a basket ball in school and have suffered severe whiplash and been off work 4 weeks since then.  I can't work out what is SS and what is normal response to severe trauma.  I know I am sore, stiff, unable to drive, work, or move around easily.  I hope to return after half term (23/02) but am worried that the incident is confused by my ongoing health problems.

Can anyone say whether having an AI makes injuries like this worse and harder to recover from?  I'm trying to work out what is going on with my body at the moment and wating for 2nd rheumatologist visit in March

[Sandra]

Hi Harrigan, so sorry for your incident and for the consequences. As far as the question about if trauma makes SS or AI issues worse, I have absolutley no doubt. When my accident happened it was so strange, much as you describe...I thought what is happening to me? I just could not put my finger on it, and after a short visit with my GP some weeks later, here we are very short on Dr's and getting an appointment isn't easy.... in fact I ended up seeing and ER dr first, I had no idea what was happening still and was told to wait for a neurologist visit about 3 months later. Those three months were horrible. I thought I was losing my mind not to mention the pain and uslessness my body was to me. It wasn't til I saw an ER dr yet again and was given an order for physio that I began to understand what really was happening to me. The first visit to my physio was an eye opener to say the least, I was asked to do a bunch of routine antics regarding my balance. I found out I had no balance on the left side, I mean when standing with my right foot raised I fell over every time, to the left. I was never so stunned or so happy at the same time. Now I finally started to understand what whiplash meant. The cognative stuff was terrible and I thought I was really losing it. Thankfully after a relatively short time the exercises and some head/ear manipulation got my eyes and those little ear crystals back. I used to laugh with my physio lady and say I felt like one of those cat clocks with the moving eyes, it felt like my eyes and head never stopped moving! Now having said all that and hopfully not scaring you to death i am much better now, and living soooooooo much better, I just have this issue with my neck and looking up or down too long. About a month ago i helped my girl friend with flowers for her mom's 75th birthday party (I am a florist) and after spending the day making a dozen arragnements.....well this flare is what I ended up with. And as mentioned then everything likes to join in the big old inflammation party. BOOO! Anyway to heck with lawyers and the household stuff I will continue to take care of me the best I can and enjoy what I can do for short periods be it may. Just wish all those "smart" people had a clue. Take Care of yourself, have you tried a visit with a physiotherapist? Sandra

[irish]

Sandra, I am a little confused. If your insurance company tells you to file a lawsuit I am thinking that they are to supply the lawyer. Is this correct???

The stress/shock of any illness or injury can increase the symptoms of an autoimmune disease. You can have a flare that may last a long time and, yes, it is hard to tell what is AI and what is injury.

Also, because you have an AI disease you can bet that the other sides lawyers will say that you are having AI issues that are unrelated to the injury. Are you doing any exercises at home? Many times people will be given a neck belt that can hang in a doorway that help with extension of the neck muscles.

I would do a lot of investigating and talking with my insurance company. Ask for other people in the insurance company. Talk with medical personnel if they have any or medical people that handle the medical claims. Good luck and keep us informed. Irish

[Sandra]

I've decided against sueing anybody. I'm too tired to take on yet another job. Not to mention the added fatigue and pain I would end up with. As far as our insurance...here in Ontario we have something called no fault insurance, it's weird, after the accident where I was 0% at fault my insurance paid for my car repalcement and my physio, but I still reserve the right to sue the other driver's insurance for long term personal injury etc....but at my own expense and suffering in this case.
My insurance is to pay for my physio for up to 10 years if they se fit but you know insurance companies. I will continue to be examined by who ever they want when ever they want to be entitled. I am getting better, slowly, so it's just whether they will continue to help me work towards my best result. Who knows, but I am for darn sure not putting my health and welfare in the hands of any lawyer tht has no clue. Sandra