Bad Times

Been a long time since last post...duh, 1 1/2 years. I have been at home since June 2012 with a torn rotator cuff. Happened over time on the truck with it first occuring in June 2011. It became very bad when hurt it again while in Columbus, OH. The company had a terminal in Columbus and they sent me to a company doctor at a clinic. I had to stay in the truck on the yard almost a week going to the doctor until I finally said this is bull and told them I needed to go home instead of living in the truck 1000 miles away. Well company would only pay for a bus ticket, and that left all my gear on the truck sitting in Columbus. I had to rent a car at my expense to get home and drive the distance with a bum shoulder.

When I first hurt the shoulder I was in Seattle, WA. I'm glad I didn't try to go to a doctor up there the year before. That would have been a long drive home. Cost me $900 for the trip home from Columbus. 

Everything had to be OK'd before each step taken by the claims adjuster. So it was see someone, get a referral, wait 1 to 2 weeks, do next step, get referral then wait 1 to 2 weeks. I was home 2 months before I got the surgery on the shoulder. Glad the pain wasn't excruciating. That came after the surgery. I never went through such pain. They did a nerve block before the surgery, when it wore off 12 hours later gremlins began banging on my shoulder with a chisel and hammer. I was on a morphine drip that I could push every 6 minutes. Didn't work at all to ease the pain. Very bad night...

Finally got home that evening and began 3 weeks of wearing a sling with a large pad that held my arm out from my chest. Also began a month of no sleep. I have been averaging 2 to 3 hours sleep every night. My rehab has finally been OK'd and now start that the end of the week.

After 84 days on FMLA with the company I was "voluntary resigned" from the company I worked for. Didn't like that too much. Now I am unemployed until I am able to pass a DOT physical. That will take anywhere from 3 to 6 months by what I read on it. This will be a long road.