Quote:
Originally Posted by Liz
hi jjames,
i'm so sorry you are struggling. can you find a place near you that can perform your MRI, call Dr. Yue's asst and have them fax the referral to that MRI facility? you need to get it going if Dr. Yue's office can't. This is what i just did for myself with my surgeon in less than 24 hrs (MRI in a few wks). I know you have a lot on your plate so just try and take one thing at a time. Then, i think you need to try and get a hybrid op or even a 2-level fusion if that is indicated after the MRI results as you sounds like you are deteriorating. I don't know what meds you are on but it doesn't sound like you are comfortable driving that far and you're putting yourself and others at risk.
Can you take a sick leave or time off under the Family Medical Leave Act? I would ask your HR person about it. When i was struggling pre-op to perform my own job duties I took part-time off under the Family Medical Leave Act for my own illness.
Since you've come this far w/Dr. Yue try and get the MRI and surgery w/him soon (unless your gut tells you otherwise) but if not get another opinion. I don't know of anyone in Boston but i'm sure people on here will. i've heard good things about Dr. Fabian Bitan in NYC, but I have no personal experience with him. He performs a lot of hybrid operations, but i believe he uses the Charite. Try and get the MRI and then maybe see if other surgeons will review your films remotely if you have trouble getting into Dr. Yue.
Hang in there,
Liz
|
Thank you for your input, Liz. I've contacted Dr. Yue's office again today and am once again awaiting a call regarding scheduling the MRI. He feels very strongly that all such diagnostic tests like these should be done at the Yale Facility who he is affiliated with as that way the images and results are more easily accessible to him. I'm actually okay with making the lengthy hour+ drive to have it done there if it helps expedite things.
I have given a lot of thought to what options may available to me regarding my job and my family income if I were to take some sort of leave. I've spent the last 20 years of my life working my way up to my current position within this company. I am certainly not raking in big money by any stretch, but it is certainly far more than if I had to start all over somewhere else assuming someday my back issues would even allow that. I do not know how the "system" works for losing or leaving your job for medical reasons. If it were only me that I had to worry about it would be a "no-brainer", but I must consider my wife and my children and their futures. I simply don't know what else to do except to continue struggling and trying to make it to the end of each work day so that I can lie down. My idea of a "perfect weekend" is 2 days of laying in bed to prepare my body as best I can for another work week!
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to navigate programs like the Family Medical Leave Act? Does anyone have any suggestions on how to survive financially when your condition becomes so poor that you can't do your job anymore? My wife's income could only cover a small fraction of our expenses. My income keeps us only slightly better than living paycheck-to-paycheck, in addition to providing the medical insurance.
Thanks for any information and all of the kind thoughts and compassion - Jeff.