An unfriendly reminder...

[Firefly]

You ever have those moments where you're doing something you've done a million times, but realize that this time, things are a different because you've just gotten too fat?

I was at work today, and well see, I deliver food for a very grease happy company (yeah, I need to change that). Well anyway, I was on a delivery and when I reached the building, I went to get out of the car. Set my left foot on the ground, went to turn to stand up out of the car and my left knee went *pop**pop**pop*, all in different places. My mouth opened wide as if to yell out in pain but nothing came out. I managed to hobble into the building for the delivery, back out to the car and back to my place of employment. This was probably within in my first 2 hours of my 9 hour shift, so I was lucky enough to have to deal with it nearly the wholetime. Yes, sarcasm.

I told the manager and several co-workers about it, but didnt write it up. Now I'm wondering if I should go in tomorrow and do so. The pain comes and goes, it tends to cramp a little which is probably the worst part. I'm curled up with the laptop now and have yet to find a good position to hold it in.

Just another one of those incidences where the self mental beatings come into play. "If I were thin..." "If I werent so heavy my joints wouldnt be so bad..."

grumblecursemoan

[Tricia K.]

Ouch!! I feel your pain, Sara. When I was heavy, my knees hurt soooo bad.

[Firefly]

Normally I dont have much of an issue. Just one of those progression things I guess, wearing down over time. It's my hip actually that gives me the most trouble. It'll just randomly pop out of place. I cant move my leg at all and the pain is unbelievable.

Thanks for the sympathy *hugs* Glad you can no longer completely relate though, you wonder woman you! *strikes a pose then yelps in pain*

:sad:

:heh:

[A1ikou]

OOOh Sara, painful....knees are useful things but boy do they hurt when they aren't at their best!
Watch yourself for a few days because knees are terrible for giving you reminders that they need rest!
Feel better soon

[NurseTeresa]

Sara,, Sorry about your pain! Sucks when I can relate. Can't sleep tonight cuz of how bad my feet and legs ache and throb and I keep landing on my ankle wrong and reinjuring it all over again. Yes, the weight does have alot to do with it. Anyhow.........go get an ice pack and apply it to your knee. @0 min on and 20 off. Take some Ibuprofen if your not allergic to it. IT is a wonderful anti inflammatory(since we aren't banded yet its ok in moderation). Between the ice and the meds it should help some. Yes, go to work and write it up and be seen just in case. That way workers comp has to pay for it. It should be cool since you told your manager. Best of luck! Keep me posted!

[DebbieChoos]

Sara

Since this injury happened on the job, you are entitled to coverage under workman's comp. Since you reported it to your supervisor you started on the right track. If you think that your knee may be, or become serious, then you need to make an official statement to your supervisor. Each State is different, but there is a limited time period that the injury must be reported for workman's comp to cover you.

Your employer may grumble and not want to initiate a workman's comp claim, but tough luck chuck. Knee problems can become expensive, it could be a very expensive injury for you. If you have insurance you could go that route if you want, but especially if you don't have insurance - utilize the workman's comp route. You will be able to see a medical professional and get the proper medical care.

Now, if you really feel that the injury was brought on by your weight and not the job, then you have a dilemma. Would it have happened yesterday regardless of what you were doing? Something to think about. Did you make a statement to your supervisor that it probably happened because of our weight, did he make that statement? Remember, they have to provide you with medical coverage if you make a workman's comp claim.

Take care of yourself, stay off it, keep it elevated and alternate hot and cold. As you are not banded you are clear to take ibuprofen - it will help. Also.....lots of buttershots!!!!!

Hope my two cents helps.....hope it feels better today.

Debbie

[MiaHalliwell]

Sara,
I am so sorry to hear that you are hurting. I have all sorts of knee problems but they started when I was little and very skinny, but I am sure if I was not so heavy now it wouldn't be so bad. As dascjp1 said elevate it but make sure it is above your heart nit just out in front of you. People make the mistake of thinking that if they sit in a recliener that their legs are up, but it will only be effective if your legs are above your heart.
Good luck and I hope you feel better soon and you should definately write it up at work because they should cover it if you have to have medical attention for it.

[JoyceGA]

I've been there. My knee used to just not "be there" when I put my foot down -- it would give out. And it used to pop all the time.

Sara, you need to elevate and rest the knee. Do hot then cold threapy on it. Get some of those gel packs that you can heat in the microwave and the ones you get at the drugstore to squeeze to become blocks of ice. OR use hot and cold towels.

If the knee is still sore two days later, you probably tore something. Get it x-rayed. Recovery from a tear takes about 6 months. Your doctor may advise physical threapy -- which is usually a heat treatment and massage.

Hope it doesn't hurt today.

[Firefly]

Thanks for the tips guys. I really appreciate it.

Today wasnt so bad. I didnt notice anything about my knee until I got home from school and sat on the toilet. Figures eh? Since then it's kind of crampy-ish, which was only 15 minutes or so ago that it started.

Oh, and just to add more insult And injury, this morning when getting dressed, in my sleepy state I put one foot into my pant leg, went to pull my pants up, smacked my good knee into the sink and fell back onto the washer.

Yes I'm a klutz.

[Firefly]

Ok so, I got home a few minutes ago from going in to work to fill out an accident form. I have a dr appointment tomorrow anyway so I figure I'll ask about it while I'm there.


Oh, and my supervisor didnt comment about my weight, that was just me talking. Neither of us mentioned it when I was there, yesterday or today.

[PhotoNut]

Waiting for the report from the Dr.... *grins*

[Firefly]

lol

well, she said that its possible I hurt the meniscus. It'll probably just get better on its own but if it gets worse, a simple surgery can fix it.

So far, things are pretty normal... aside from the loud pop when I stood up today, heh. Not much pain, though it does seem to cramp a little more now after the pop.

[THICKCHICKTIA]

you know every time i walk up the stair my knees sound like popcorn and when i walk down it's like OUCH!!!! WTF Im just 30

but then i remember

I'm PHAT

[Firefly]

Yeah, funny how the two go hand and hand eh? Who'd have thought.

[Dr.A]

Sara. Please do go back and write it up! I think you might need the workman's comp! Any injury while at work is their responsibility! Have them send you to the doctor they use, or go see a doc right away to see if there is any damge.

[Firefly]

Sara. Please do go back and write it up! I think you might need the workman's comp! Any injury while at work is their responsibility! Have them send you to the doctor they use, or go see a doc right away to see if there is any damge.

I did both already :) I think I posted something about it on the first page at the bottom. I had a doc appointment set up already for other things so I asked her while I was there. I spoke with an insurance rep yesterday as well so they have all the stuff recorded should anything develop.

[gadgetlady]

Sara

Since this injury happened on the job, you are entitled to coverage under workman's comp. Since you reported it to your supervisor you started on the right track. If you think that your knee may be, or become serious, then you need to make an official statement to your supervisor. Each State is different, but there is a limited time period that the injury must be reported for workman's comp to cover you.

Your employer may grumble and not want to initiate a workman's comp claim, but tough luck chuck. Knee problems can become expensive, it could be a very expensive injury for you. If you have insurance you could go that route if you want, but especially if you don't have insurance - utilize the workman's comp route. You will be able to see a medical professional and get the proper medical care.

Now, if you really feel that the injury was brought on by your weight and not the job, then you have a dilemma. Would it have happened yesterday regardless of what you were doing? Something to think about. Did you make a statement to your supervisor that it probably happened because of our weight, did he make that statement? Remember, they have to provide you with medical coverage if you make a workman's comp claim.

You know, as an employer this really pisses me off. Sara, I'm not trying to minimize your pain or your injury at all -- I'm dealing with a hip issue right now because of my weight and it SUCKS -- but I've also had employees file worker's comp claims for stuff that just happened to happen on the job but had nothing to do with the job and IMO it's just plain wrong.

I feel the same way about a customer falling in a store because they have crappy shoes and being able to sue the store for it.

Sorry to vent about this on your thread about your pain.

[Firefly]

You know, as an employer this really pisses me off. Sara, I'm not trying to minimize your pain or your injury at all -- I'm dealing with a hip issue right now because of my weight and it SUCKS -- but I've also had employees file worker's comp claims for stuff that just happened to happen on the job but had nothing to do with the job and IMO it's just plain wrong.

I feel the same way about a customer falling in a store because they have crappy shoes and being able to sue the store for it.

Sorry to vent about this on your thread about your pain.

Its cool, dont worry about it, everyone has their opinions :)

I reread my first post and realized I forgot something kind of important. While on the delivery, the ground was cement but the driveway just a few feet away was gravel. I managed to step on a spot with a nice amount of scattered gravel and my foot skidded a bit, this is what caused it to pop out. I was just having a major bad day and was really down on myself about my weight. I wont lie and say it couldnt in any way have been a factor, maybe it was.

I understand what you mean though. We had one employee cut his hand at work. Seemed like a buyable excuse. Said he was breaking down boxes... it was only later, while no longer employed there that apparently he mentioned to someone else that he was really playing with his pocket knife and slipped. Or once there was an elderly lady who fell and hurt herself while going down the only stair in the building while dining in. Normally of course people of her age wouldnt be down there for that specific reason but the group she was with (others her age mind you) insisted they gather in that specific spot when we wanted to put them elsewhere.

[dawg]

All I can say is rest that leg girl. Take some time if you have to - money only helps if you can walk outside to spend it. Rest rest and REST.

On the slight hijack thread... If the employer offers health insurance (at a reasonable price - as all employers should - especially companies like Sara's that make more money than you can shake a stick at), I say it doesn't go on workman's comp. If they aren't willing to offer that very basic benefit though - my sympathy kind of drains away.

[gadgetlady]

On the slight hijack thread... If the employer offers health insurance (at a reasonable price - as all employers should - especially companies like Sara's that make more money than you can shake a stick at), I say it doesn't go on workman's comp. If they aren't willing to offer that very basic benefit though - my sympathy kind of drains away.

I'm with you on that one, but for the sympathy reason only. For a long time we didn't offer employees insurance because, quite simply, we couldn't afford it. That didn't mean we should have been subject to bogus worker's comp claims (when/if they were bogus). And because we're in CA, worker's comp claims are always paid, rarely investigated. We had an employee once who hurt himself snowboarding, claimed he was hurt at work, filed a claim, and rec'd the benefits from it -- even though we told them he was hurt snowboarding.

That being said, I think it's in an employer's best interest to offer employees some benefits if they can. And a company that rakes in the bucks and doesn't offer it will suffer the consequences down the road eventually.

OK, I think we all agree here (have I said lately I love this board? -- no one posts caustic, blasting emails that I've ever seen -- lots of nice people here :nod: ), so all I have to say now is -- FEEL BETTER!

[Chisaimama]

I really hope your knee heals. I have severe arthritis in both knees but my right is the worst. I have had it scoped once which helped a lot. It flares up every now and then and they inject it. DR. says knee replacement but need to lose a minimum of 100 pounds first. I have been accepted for lap band surgery but am waiting on appeals to insurance company. Man , it sure is a long wait.

Good luck with your Dr's. appointment

Chisaimama

[Firefly]

*does her spongebob french announcer-guy voice*

One week latarrrr...

Well, no improvement or worsening of my knee. About 75% of the time there's no pain, but when I'm least expecting it things will cramp up. I had a heck of a time getting to sleep last night because the knee just would not stop yelling and whining. You know how most people pop their fingers and can do so on command? Well I can do that with my toes and ankles... anywho, I was doing this last night while in bed and every time the release in pressure in my foot made the pain go away briefly in my knee. Maybe there's more wrong there than we thought? I guess I'll give it a little more time...

As for resting it, I'm trying. When I'm at work, thats kind of impossible. At least I didnt have to do another 9 hour shift this weekend. I take ibuprofin to make the ache go away and it does seem to help.

[Telly]

Sorry to hear that Sara. My knees used to pop and crack and and kinda felt like the joint was out of it's socket a few times. I understand what you're feeling. It's painful for a week-ish but then goes away. Hope you get that knee worked out.

[Firefly]

Mmm this isnt just a "popping" though. My knee doesnt actually pop. It popped when I hurt it, but that's it.

[Idahobeauty]

Sarah, How is your knee? Can you post us an update? We worry about you.

[Firefly]

Sure IB:) I havent posted in a couple days because it really hasnt changed. Not better, not worse. I guess I just should give it more time? I'm not really sure what to expect. I'm supposed to call and update the insurance lady soon, maybe I'll do so on Friday? But then that would mean I'd go the weekend without seeing a doc... hm, I dunno.

[Idahobeauty]

Sara, Just be sure to take care of yourself. You should see a doc asap just to be sure. The sooner you see a doc the sooner you will get better! Big hugs girly.

[Firefly]

Well, it's been nearly 10 days since I updated last.. and things are doing better. The cramps are coming less and less, I'm able to get to sleep much easier now. I still treat it careful though. It gets a workout with dancing for my play and walking as much as I do at work. Slowly but surely I suppose.