Those Of You Who Have To Work Through The Pain....

[SpcDearman]

Can anyone that is currently working through the pain of your service connected injury help me find ways to manage pain. i really hate to put this out there but i am at a point to where if I dont manage it I WILL be involuntarily looking for different employment.

I wake up at 5:00 am every morning with both shoulders locked up. I take about 100 mg's of ibuprophen (I refuse to take tramadol at 6:00 am) to attempt to alleviate the pain. I attempt to use my artic thunder (ok i got that from Tropic Thunder) cream about 10 times a day to maintain but its starting to not take affect as quickly and intensely. I maintain a work cubicle and do have to type quite a bit which does add strain to my traps. After about 6 hours, i literally have to type two sentences and relax for 5 minutes and then continue.

I am not rich. I have never been able to afford health coverage. I have dealt with the pain for 15 years but it is becoming quite unbearable.

I just want to be able to take care of my family by working until the VA sees fit to award me. If i cannot sit here then I cannot take care of my family.

[StreetWalker]

I've got a lower back injury and I worked through the pain for many years. I delivered mail on a walking route.

Finally this year it got to the point where I was taking 5mg of Vicodin every four hours just to take the edge off.

Right now I've been out of work since the end of July. I've been awarded SSDI that will start paying out in January. I've filed for TDIU and OPM Disability Retirement.

I'm currently taking 5mg of Oxycodone every 5-6 hours along with 600mg a day of Lyrica.

If you're having the level of pain you describe then I'd guess that you're only causing more and more problems by continuing to work.

[SpcDearman]

i am waiting for my claim to be decided. I have so many complex issues that I keep having to get reexamined for C&P. I have lived my life by one Mantra that my father taught me. If you dont work you dont eat. i dont really have a choice. If i dont work t hen bills arent paid and my family is on the street. I am deathly afraid of Oxy's. I was taking Tramadol HCl but could feel myself becoming dependant on it. I have started back on Motrin but I cannot take much due to my stomach hurting. Funny how 15 years of heay Ibuprophen usage makes your stomach feel. I had a talking to about me missing days due to my shoulder issue. Needless to say if I cannot find a better way to manage pain then I wont have to worry about working. My job may make that decision for me.

[Gridsmasher11]

Ask your primary care physician for a prescription for Diclofenac it is used for athritis and pain management.It is not an opiate.I was prescribed it when 800mg Ibuprofen wasn't working very well anymore. And I preferred not to take the Tramadol as often. It works pretty well for me, it reduces inflamation and eases the pain.I now very rarely take Tramadol anymore. I do still have some pain but it is manageable and I am not as stiff.When my refill is slow getting to me and I run out I can tell the difference.Also consider a claim for Depression caused by the constant pain.Being in constant pain tends to make one depressed and that goes hand in hand to make you hurt worse.I hope you get some relief........Grid

[SpcDearman]

Thank you for your words. I am now really supposed to take two medications daily. i only take one. i am to take Etodolac (Naproxen ripped a new one in my stomach) and Tramadol. the Etodolac is twice a day (my stomach doesnt like it either) and the Tramadol HCL is for extreme pain. I really do think arthritis is setting into the actual joints worse now. I am going to file for Depression but get this. I have been researching and finding instances of soldiers that arent as bad as me getting TDIU. Here is one.

His left shoulder disability is rated as 50 percent disabling and his

gastrointestinal disorder is rated as 10 percent disabling.

His combined service-connected disability rating is 60

percent. ---Issue " I have worse issues with both shoulders"

Entitlement to a total disability rating for compensation

purposes based on individual unemployability due to service-

connected disabilities is granted, subject to the laws and

regulations governing the award of monetary benefits. --Synopsis

Is that a light at the end of this tunnel?

[john999]

I was a postal worker suffering from chronic pain. I was taking vicodin about three times a day. It started to affect my moods and thinking. You are really not safe working or driving taking a lot of this stuff like I was. I retired on OPM, SSD and got TDIU. I did get fired and went through many months of anxiety. When you body tells you that you have had it you should listen.

[StreetWalker]

Before the Vicodin I was taking Tramadol like candy. It's a good drug. But if it's not helping it's time to move up the ladder.

Good advice about filing for depression.

You can file a claim for TDIU. However you can't be working when you file. You could also possibly file for SSDI.

Like john999 I'm a Postal Worker, just taking LWOP right now. Waiting for them to fire me is what it amounts too.

The combo of TDIU, SSDI and OPM disability retirement will give me an take home income double what I was making in the Postal Service.

At what point in the process is your claim right now?