Do not let your back pain to ruin you financially and your career

[petrkr]

I decided to write a bit of a guide on how to ensure you can deal with your pain, try things to get you better including surgeries, give yourself enough time to recover and get batter without “ending under the bridge” in the process. I think for a lot of people this is only adding to stress and hinders the healing process.


This is not a guide on how to get the most out of “the system”. I am very competitive and swam competitively for 20 years (4-24). This was basically 4 – 5 hours a day of workouts both in the pool and dryland. I won European championship 3 times in 1992, 93. I can tolerate high physical pain and stay motivated for years. I am working on my 4th degree, MBA at Kellogg. I am not interested in being disabled, AND I assume neither are YOU!


So how should you be dealing with your Financial and Career security while you are in pain?


First, ask yourself several questions.
1) With the current pain level, CAN YOU GO AND GET another job like you have now and do it?
a. Can you perform at this new job and establish yourself as a credible leader/member of the team?
b. Would this new role be compensated at similar base level.

If the answer to above is NO, you are teetering on the edge of financial a disaster especially in the U.S. You need to take action now to protect yourself.


Continue reading on if this sounds like you:

2) Is my pain interfering with my ability to perform work as I would be without it?
3) Is the pain interfering with your ability to progress in your career?
4) Do you find it hard to focus?
5) Have you exhausted ergonomic options in workplace?

a. I had standing desk, Zero Gravity Chair, Constant Ice packs on my back, etc, etc.

6) Is the pain making you behave differently and be short with your peers, direct reports and even managers?
7) Do you find yourself standing as much as you can or even laying down in your office?
8) Could your coping strategies dealing with pain be interpreted as non-interest, disrespect or a “Not a cultural fit”?
9) Do you know how to talk to your peers, reports and managers about your pain so they understand your actions?
10) Does the amount of medication you take put you in a daze so your judgment is impaired?

If your answers are yes to a lot of the questions above, you may be at a risk of losing your job, and unless you are on STD or LTD at the time, you will be completely abandoned by medical and LTD insurance.

So here is the advice:
1) Make sure you are paying the highest level of LTD and STD you can in order to get up to 60% of your salary in case you become disabled. Sign up for this now, or close private insurance if you need to. Even if you are close to being disabled right now, at work this should be no problem.

2) Request STD and LTD form from your 3rd party insurance and understand what they expect from you in order to consider your application. You will need a your attending physician to state you were unable to work starting XYZ date. They may need to provide a plan how you will get better, but you want to have this anyway.

3) Explain to your manager at work what pain you are in and that it is impacting your performance and that you are going on disability, your employer does not pay for the disability so they can hire temp help or a replacement. At this point you will be protected under the law from being dismissed.

4) Explain to your physician that you are asking them to fill out Private LTD insurance documentation. NOT Social Security Disability. Have forms filled out by your doctor and with your portions send them in before you are at risk of losing your job because of your pain.

5) Figure out a plan of actions you will take. No matter how slow to get you better.

6) Send forms in, and you should stop working at this point. Wait for a response, and you may need to get a legal help at this point and especial if/when denied.

7) Execute on a plan to get better and document everything and what you are doing to get better. You will undergo periodic review.

8) Now that you got your financial and career covered you can focus on any type of a therapy and or procedures you may need.

9) Do not let doctors tell you when you need to go back to work. This is a private insurance, not a public system. You should go back to work, WHEN YOU CAN GET AND KEEP THE SAME JOB at your work AND (CRITICAL) someplace else.

10) If you are on LTD for 2 years, you may need to prove you can’t have any job in related field. But I would hope you would be up and running after 2 years.

The above will remove a huge stress out of your life and allow you to focus on getting healthy and go back to being productive.

-Peter (wishing he has done the above, live and learn)

[bigdogchief76]

Just my two cents as I lie here with a 5 inch cut in my belly.

You are also hoping that the so called caring and kind insurance providers will not put you through red tape hell to provide LTD or STD benefits OR you are fortunate to be employed and have benefits from the employee. Unfortunately many folks with chronic back pain fit into the sociological group of people without said employment.

[bigdogchief76]

I feel like I'm watching some late night infomercial.

Many long term, chronic back pain patients deal with pain for YEARS, and unfortunately don't simply get up and running after 2 years. Assumptions like that come from insurance cronies behind desks that make decisions for people when they have no business doing so, including LTD & STD insurance providers.

Sorry, not trying to piss on your parade, but I'm more concerned about new members that are struggling with, all to often LIFELONG DEBILITATING pain, who are simply looking for some folks who can relate to their situation. So glad you are highly motivated and can endure high levels of physical pain. Unfortunately MANY others cannot nor do they want to.

There is no assurance some 10 step guide is going to provide that will help me deal with pain. However, it sure is nice to have people who relate to my health issues and are simply there to lend a caring ear. I have no problems being disabled so don't assume that I don't want to be.

[bigdogchief76]

Need to clarify my rantings and ravings.

By no means was I trying to be a dick. I'm a bit short tempered right now and its easy for me to express my current emotions through verbal attacks. You stated an opinion, so be it.

Call it complete and total cynicism to the idea that the patient has the power over insurance company's (medical or disability pay out).

I also don't like it one bit when people make assumptions on how they should feel or be. I don't know how many times I've come close to punching someone square in the face when they say or ask me "Wow, you don't seem to be limping as much today, you sure must be doing better!"

Sorry...I'll stop for now....

[petrkr]

Matt,
The idea of the post was people not to WAIT until they are in a complete despair, but apply for STD&LTD before they get to that place so they can heal. Insurance will give everyone hell, and I am going thought one now. Just wanted to give people heads up how not to let it get that bad.

That is all.

[bigdogchief76]

I know. Wasn't attacking. Just probably came out that way. Just dealt with a lot of crap lately and I tend to unload unnecessarily on whoever or whatever is in my crosshairs at the time. Insurance and pain levels /pain tolerance are big things that fire me up.

Post surgery emotions are affecting a normally calm, cool individual

[petrkr]

How is your recovery going? How is your pain and activity level? I am starting pain MANAGMENT program and will get 2 level ADR if it does not really work.

:-(

[bigdogchief76]

I'm a 95 % new man! Back pain related to DDD at L5-S1 is totally gone. Had single level Pro-Disc L put in 6 days ago. Starting to really feel post-op aches.

[petrkr]

Good for you. So your DDD is gone but you now feel different pains? Are they more or less uncomfortable than before the surgery?

I hope you have a uneventful and steady recovery!
How bad was your MRI before the procedure?

[trkdoc714]

Matt,

Don't get discouraged if you feel "phantom" pains every so often. The nerves have memories. After two years, I get faint stabs occasionally. As time has gone on, they are less frequent and not very sharp.

Glad to see your sense of humor made it through surgery intact.

Heal well,

Bob