Has any one been retrained for employment by Workcover?

[It'sNotWorthComplaining!]

Due to an accident and subsequent spinal operation, I have been unable to carry on with my previous labor intensive position.
I return to my employer next week for a maximum of 2 hrs per day, light duties and restricted to not lifting over 2 kilos.:( desk jockey/stamp licker:mad:
This is after having been restricted and spending the last 11 months away from my work place
I have been told by both work cover independent specialists and my own that they do not see me returning to my previous position, and the company is down sizing so not many desk jockey jobs around.( I previously was a desk jockey and didn't like it, I prefer hands on work)

I was told that I would probably have to under go retraining for a new job and that work cover will find me a suitable employer.

So what I want to know is have any of you had any experience in being retrained and re employed via the work cover system. Was it a good experience or was it bad? Did they stuff you around etc etc.
At 50 I'm too old to be put out to pasture.

[Bigbjorn]

Due to an accident and subsequent spinal operation, I have been unable to carry on with my previous labor intensive position.
I return to my employer next week for a maximum of 2 hrs per day, light duties and restricted to not lifting over 2 kilos.:( desk jockey/stamp licker:mad:
This is after having been restricted and spending the last 11 months away from my work place
I have been told by both work cover independent specialists and my own that they do not see me returning to my previous position, and the company is down sizing so not many desk jockey jobs around.( I previously was a desk jockey and didn't like it, I prefer hands on work)

I was told that I would probably have to under go retraining for a new job and that work cover will find me a suitable employer.

So what I want to know is have any of you had any experience in being retrained and re employed via the work cover system. Was it a good experience or was it bad? Did they stuff you around etc etc.
At 50 I'm too old to be put out to pasture.

If you are unable to work full-time in the next two years, you may be eligible for a Disability Support Pension if you meet the eligibility conditions. If you are still receiving compensation payments these will affect the DSP dollar for dollar. If you have received a lump sum payment then there will be a preclusion period in which you are ineligible for Centrelink payments as, in effect, you have received payment in advance for that period. You can still do part time work whilst receiving a DSP up to thirty hours a week but the income reduces the pension according to a set formula.

Give yourself a second hand of cards in this game by contacting the Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service. They used to do good work rehabilitating and retraining injured persons and assisting with job placements.
Howard and Co. ruthlessly gutted them as part of their assault on the public service but CRS survived, unlike the CES with whom CRS were partners in jhob placements.

Keep in mind that you are 50, well past the danger age for future job prospects. In times of high unemployment, CES staff used to tell people over 40-45 to take any job at all that they were offered even if the job seeker thought the job was beneath them. It was likely to be the only one. Age discrimination is now illegal but still widely practised covertly.

[groucho]

http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/Documents/Publications/WorkersComp/Injury%20Mgt/retraining_injured_workers_4533.pdf

Workcover is only there to prosecute not help.
They will will put you in touch with a external provider.
Hope things work out. Lots of hoops to jump through........

[It'sNotWorthComplaining!]

Thanks for the replies guys.
I'm covered under Victoria Work cover so some things are different than other states. My case manager has been really good in helping me so far, even to the extent of yelling at my employer to get them to give me some work to get me out of the house. Sitting at home get's the depression going and I have been getting councaling for that. Unfortunately I like being active and the other thought going through my mind is the fact due to my age, and retirement approaching, I would have liked to have a better nest egg to see me through. But with the current situation I worry that I'll just end up on the pension with little $$$ to see me through.

[JohnF]

Do not know how bad your back is, but you could perhaps do some volentary work to stop you from getting bored. The NSW RFS volenteer firebrigade even has members confined to wheel chairs operating in the radio room during bushfires. One able bodied girl that I met trained as an aircraft traffic controller to direct aircraft waterbombing bushfires from a command vechicle on the fireground. Some of our Group Captains [could typically supervise 40 fire trucks during big fires] with a radio operator sitting beside them, as the group vechile has 5 radios in it, with several calls coming in at once [new didgital radio system just been installed, have not trained on that yet so do not know if that will change the radio situation]. So you could even find volentary jobs that is very full on exciting to do if you want. Do not know about in Victoria though, only about my local area. But do think what you can do that does not stick you in a office, even if it is unpaid volentary work, while you are on a disability pension. Fifty is not the end of the world. I am 61 later this year.

[Jay]

Hey Mate,

I did the back twice..... 1st time private cover, second time work cover. Truth be told I got shafted with the workcover. (QLD claim) It's not that the program was not good, nice physio pgm at the end. It's that I was cut off too ealy, had pain issues for quite a long time.

Then I bought a LAnd Rover D1 and it got considerably better....!!!! :D
(Sitting position in the car used to be agony):eek:

Mate, you have to get active..... get the old grey matter into gear.
If you like PM me and we can bounce a few ideas....

Onyayoucandoit!!!!

Jay

[George130]

Sorry not delt wit them.
I am negotiating with work at the moment over part time and work from home as I can't sit for long periods and in my job that what I do.
So far all it's ment for me is I go out for more breaks and have used up quite a bit of sick leave and some annual leave to cover the times awayfrom the office Also lots of $$$ in treatment.

Hope it's not to harsh on you.

[It'sNotWorthComplaining!]

The problem I have is I sustained injury to my backneck and shoulder /arm, and have some degeneration of the spine/ spurs or 2, but that's basically age , wear and tear, the back has come good with rest and restriction of what I have been doing. I also sustained a collapsed disc in the neck The op involved removing a disc in my neck and fusion, the nerve impeachment was fixed. I still suffer for pains in the neck and shoulders even after 7 months after the op. I complained about left shoulder and left arm pains since the day of the accident. But all specialists referred it back to my neck, The Neck was the cause etc etc. I felt a million dollars after the op for about 10 days then the pains started again. I finally had an MRI of the left shoulder and they discovered a possible partial tear to the cuff plus fraying?
I then had a cortesone injection into the shoulder joint under ultrasound. That gave me relief for about 4weeks, not it all starts again.
I feel real pain, yet the MRIs and Xrays show everything is ok as far as the doctors can say. It makes me feel sometimes that I'm banging my head up against a brick wall, I start doubting that I have pain really and I'm some sort of a Hypocondriac or something. But you can't image pain when it makes you yelp.

But back to my original post, it seems no one has actually been retrained and are gainfully employed in a new job.

[LandyAndy]

Hi Mate
I went thru the retraining thing as part of my back injury I got from farming.
My employer refused to offer ANY sort of light duties and palmed me off for re-training at the organic farm next door where my Mrs worked at the time.This didnt work and the insurance company decided they would be sending me to one of the roadhouses in town.I told them where they could stick that and go and talk to the 2 mechanics and the welder in town.I actually had a pick of the 3 as all knew me,I chose the welding shop as I love playing with metal.
In the end the insurance co decided to finalise my claim.
I later took on a job doing traffic control on roadworks with the local council,best thing I ever did.
I still have back issues,and always will.BUT the Shire job gave me the will and desire to beat it.In 7 years I have progressed from lollypop boy to roller driver to 6 wheeler tipper to semi trailer to maintence grader driver to leading hand/construction grader driver,Im the boss when our boss is away.I have not had a sickie yet in the 7 years.
Traffic control,although a mundane job is worth looking at.If you get with one of the larger companies you get to travel alot.They seem to take on injured workers as a career change,we have had many work with us when we have used traffic control companies.
BEST OF LUCK OVERCOMING YOUR INJURY:cool::cool::cool::cool:
Andrew

[LandyAndy]

Hi Mate
In regards to pain management.
Cortisone is what turned my recovery around.I was warned it would help me grow man boobs but took the risk.I had 2 epidurals into my spine into 3 discs 8 weeks apart.With the pain gone I was able to do an intensive physio therapy program wich included home exercises,a gym programme with personal trainer and aqua aroebics,it helped re-build muscle tone wich helped hold my back together.
Do you use Naprosyn as an anti-inflamatory??? If so have you tried the slow release version??? It works much better,from memory I was on 1500mg,750mg in the morn and 750mg at night.It helped me curb an increasing appetite for panadine forte(ate them by the boxfull) and the odd shot of pethadine.
Dont ovelook DEPRESSION!!!!,I refused to belive what the specialists were telling me.Pain causes depression and anybody that has suffered pain for a substantial time suffers from depression too.The medication works but be aware of increasing doses and getting a "I couldnt give a damn" attitude.Get off them as soon as you can,they do a good job but arent good for you long term.
Once again
GOODLUCK
Andrew

[It'sNotWorthComplaining!]

Hi Mate
In regards to pain management.
Cortisone is what turned my recovery around.I was warned it would help me grow man boobs but took the risk.I had 2 epidurals into my spine into 3 discs 8 weeks apart.With the pain gone I was able to do an intensive physio therapy program wich included home exercises,a gym programme with personal trainer and aqua aroebics,it helped re-build muscle tone wich helped hold my back together.
Do you use Naprosyn as an anti-inflamatory??? If so have you tried the slow release version??? It works much better,from memory I was on 1500mg,750mg in the morn and 750mg at night.It helped me curb an increasing appetite for panadine forte(ate them by the boxfull) and the odd shot of pethadine.
Dont ovelook DEPRESSION!!!!,I refused to belive what the specialists were telling me.Pain causes depression and anybody that has suffered pain for a substantial time suffers from depression too.The medication works but be aware of increasing doses and getting a "I couldnt give a damn" attitude.Get off them as soon as you can,they do a good job but arent good for you long term.
Once again
GOODLUCK
Andrew
Man your right about the DEPRESSION, I went through some very bad stages, I'm on Zoloft a high dose and I got to the stage where I didn't give a damn, then it stops working, I have been down dosed since as at one time I was on 8 different medications, the cock tail of drugs didn't doing me any good. I Brought this up with the Docs but they all say I need it.
I get the shakes a lot, one says it's anxiety another says it's neurological.
I had an appointment with a neurologist last Monday, it was a revolving door, I entered his office and he said he couldn't help me. Reckons he doesn't handle work cover any more. It would have been nice if I was told when I booked the appointment. The case manager is concerned why I have not been doing Physio and aqua therapy. Seems I was sent out of hospital with no real instructions for after care. Surgeon wouldn't not let me take anti inflammatory medicines as He reckons it would hinder my bones healing. All in all I was left to sit at home and recover and deal with it the best I could. Then I was referred to a psycologist for my depression.
I even had a work cover therapist visit my home for home assistance, All I wanted was to have my gutters cleared as we live in a bush fire area. They visited assesed and spoke to my doctors and approved the help.
But I had to get 3 quotes from WC registered gutter cleaners first and send the quotes in. NO ONE WAS INTERESTED IN QUOTING. So that was another benefit let down and waste of time.

Apart from work which funnily enough I love, getting about to do things like going for a drive, fishing and other enjoyable things was not possible so that's where the depression and self worthless, let down thoughts set in.
But I'm on the road to recovery and optimistic.
Just reading this post I see there are quite a few of you that have had some misfortunes in your lives too. Regardless the sun rises everyday, I just got to make the best with what I can.
The lollie pop traffic control seems like the go, at least it's out doors.

[MickS]

Torn rotator cuffs in the shoulder are extremely painful. I suffer from it in both shoulders. Cortisone is only temporary, anti inflammatories and physio can help, but depending on how bad it is, surgical intervention is the key.

Mine are stuffed. Lifting arms up for a long period, or any overhead work (painting etc) is very painful. You probably wake up with a sore shoulder too.

[George130]

Well at least this post gives the idea that the road ahead can be either good or bad.
I am seeing the neuro surgeon in a weeks time. Currently my treatmet is 5 chiro sessions a week and either go for a walk or lie down. Only drugs I have are thigs like valium so I can't use them in the day.
So will e told I have a buldge disk impacting on the nerves. This is the 3rd time in 6 years that I have lost control of my legs during an episode. This last one also has no identifiale action that caused it.

Mate know what you ean about the driving. I have to stop and take a break o my daily work drive as the pain and cotrol means I cat use the clutch and break at the same time after while. If I ignore it I have even started to have troule lifting my foot of the peddle:eek:.

[Panda]

So sorry to hear your suffering. Have you seen an independent solicitor? If not, you need to do so asap.

Sounds you are on the right track with everything you're trying to do, attitude, etc. Really hope things get sorted out for you. :)

If ever you feel like a bitch, bitch away. As you can see, everyone here is only to happy to help if they can, even if it's only a few words here and there. :D


Due to an accident and subsequent spinal operation, I have been unable to carry on with my previous labor intensive position.
I return to my employer next week for a maximum of 2 hrs per day, light duties and restricted to not lifting over 2 kilos.:( desk jockey/stamp licker:mad:
This is after having been restricted and spending the last 11 months away from my work place
I have been told by both work cover independent specialists and my own that they do not see me returning to my previous position, and the company is down sizing so not many desk jockey jobs around.( I previously was a desk jockey and didn't like it, I prefer hands on work)

I was told that I would probably have to under go retraining for a new job and that work cover will find me a suitable employer.

So what I want to know is have any of you had any experience in being retrained and re employed via the work cover system. Was it a good experience or was it bad? Did they stuff you around etc etc.
At 50 I'm too old to be put out to pasture.

[frantic]

Sorry to hear about the back incident! How about you train up to be a workcover( or O,H,S&E) inspector/ assesor/ trainer. That way your neither sitting or standing for extended periods and can help people in similar situations to yourself or even help prevent further injuries.
One thing though dont push yourself to hard and aggravate the injury , I have seen it several times where a co-worker has made it much worse by pushing himself a bit to hard.

[It'sNotWorthComplaining!]

Sorry to hear about the back incident! How about you train up to be a workcover( or O,H,S&E) inspector/ assesor/ trainer. That way your neither sitting or standing for extended periods and can help people in similar situations to yourself or even help prevent further injuries.
One thing though dont push yourself to hard and aggravate the injury , I have seen it several times where a co-worker has made it much worse by pushing himself a bit to hard.

Don't push myself too hard.? unfortunately the mind wants to do things but the body lets me down. I Have lots of unrestricted movement, it's just the pain after. Driving a 5 sp Disco any length of time causes left arm pain.
My work care case manager told me not to do anything that might aggravate it, easy for her to say, unless they put me into a straight jacket, I'm going to attempt something.I can't just sit still it's not in my nature. I'm not a vegetable. There are lots worse off than me , I have self pride and want my independence. On the other hand if I am seen doing something that might be seen as aggravating that will turn around and say if I'm able to do this and that then I have no entitlements.
I still would like to live my life with some quality.
I received a call yesterday from my employer, I am now going in for up to 2 hours of some work activity. They have a risk assessment officer coming as well. Funny thing was they took some photos of where I work and made a report to my work cover case manager, and She actually told me that seeing the photos, that she could see why I got injured.
I told her we had regular inspectors from Work Cover come and spend the day on site checking things out taking notes etc. So if it is a harzardess work invironment then. Why didn't they say so???

Thanks for your words and support guys.

[It'sNotWorthComplaining!]

Torn rotator cuffs in the shoulder are extremely painful. I suffer from it in both shoulders. Cortisone is only temporary, anti inflammatories and physio can help, but depending on how bad it is, surgical intervention is the key.

Mine are stuffed. Lifting arms up for a long period, or any overhead work (painting etc) is very painful. You probably wake up with a sore shoulder too.
Driving a manual is fun too.
Yes I spent quite a bit of my time with my arms up:(

[Stue 3 doors down]

Oh far out, I can relate as I had my own business and was a CFA vol for 9 years until work got way too busy. Damaged nerves in my arm and wrists from firing nail guns and routers etc. Time off work now coming to 3 years and not dealing with Work Cover :bat:thanks to my income protection:thumbsup:. As for depression, the drugs used to knock me out for the operation caused a relapse of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) common with fire fighters and other massive stress incidents. I am worried about last summers fire fighters and locals mental health, my wife and a few others from "The Body Shop @ Home" are heading to Marysville next week to do facsials on the local women for a bit of a moral booster as my wife had done parties up there prior to last summer. Zoloft was not good for me but I found Lexapro helped then went to herbals from there to now nothing. Anxiety (fear of the future) and Depression (regret of the past) can not be explained to someone who has never had it. I went from suicidal (worst) to extreme highs and for no reason, I made it out the other side only a little wiser and more compassionate. (I was a real hard arse or tosser depending on where you stood with me)

Back to your thing of Work Cover I did deal with them with my back years ago and they where really (Moderator will delete this word) USELESS and sent me back too early and 5 years of pain and Dr's telling me to get over it, I got my back reassesed by a another rehab specialist and they found the original problem on 5 year old exrays and so to the W/C Dr's:2up:. It took another 12 months to find away around the injury which meant I could work successfully.

As for finding a way around the problem now, can you find away to get a self employed job using your skills and giving yourself the time to rest as required. I am rebuilding my business but with a difference from normal kitchens etc to doing environmentally friendly kitchens which use no white board or vinyl as all our products and off cuts will be recyled after its lifetime and I have to work around my aquired injuries. Life is good and others have walked the path before you. If the workcover case manager is good ask about self employment option and getting on a scheme like NEIS for rehab workers.

I can only do a few hours each day and have my hand wrapped up tight as possible to stop the pain, I have lost small/fine motor movements like getting small change and separating it and fine scraping of wood which meant I am using my right hand way more and way more cuts on it as well:D.

We live in a really bad fire prone area as Ash Wed destroyed the local township here and where we live still has scarred tree's from it, yep I am nervous now for next year and working out what to do in preparation for the summer again. So time to get off my :soapbox: and wish you good luck and best wishes.

Cheers
James

[Chucaro]

The above 18 inputs are the history of my life or from 1986 to now :(
One thing that I have to add is that if the person is under medication which in the label say that "May cause drowsiness" then by havong this medication the person is technically dissable.
He/she cannot drive, operate machines or do any activity that requires concentration.
Regarding pain, well believe your body, there is not machine, istrument or Doctor that can say to you taht you do not have pain and every person have diferent pain reistence than the others.
Try to be self employed and if not, well blow some money in your favorite hobby and live avery simple life.
Do not let the "system" or your mind beat you.
Just and input from a person 23 years in your situation.
Cheers

[frantic]

You are definately not a vegetable, you are obviously learning through pain how to work around your injury and the limitations it has placed upon you temporarily(hopefully). Maybe to aid your L/H side see if you could get a used/ reco auto fitted to the disco at least you would arive at work fresh not stressed?
Do your work offer a physio to help manage/ alleviate some issues that you will encounter on the R.T.W program?
I have been in a more extreme position where my limit to start with was getting on my feet and re-learning to walk and quickly learnt to follow the program and not exceed the guidlines by to far as it could have left me with far more damaging and permanent injuries.

[It'sNotWorthComplaining!]

Thanks for the input guys.

:TakeABow: Also I must apologise to all the PMed me, I have a lot of answering to do. please be patient, I have had a few dramas.:blush:

I went to work 2 days ago for a meeting and risk assessment. Ist thing I noticed that since my injury, there has been a few changes. TOO bad they were not implemented before I injured myself.:mad:
Saw my GP today, I now have fresh referral to another neurologist and some referrals for Hydro therapy and Physiotherapist.

I lasted approx 10 mins today at work on the return to work plan, doing mundane sheltered workshop stuff, I had a meeting with the OH&S Chief, and his opinion was that I am not quite fit to return to work, and does not want me to have discomfort. He said I should push Work cover t for more help and answers. HE will also write a letter to them.
As for stimulus, he doesn't mind me not doing the hours requested by the return to work doc and said I am more than welcome if I just want to come in during breaks and see my work mates and sit down and have a chat and cuppa to get me out of the house and keep my sanity.:wacko:

[cucinadio]

hi mate, bummer on the not ready yet front.. unfortunately the changes implemented are always the first things on the list when someone injures themselves......hope all get well sooner than later mate

cheers

[DonBurt]

gday guys
well i'm trying to get some sort of retraining but so far i've been pounding my head on a brick wall for all the good its done.first i injured my back at work abd kept going with it,and as a result made it much worse which in the end needed surgery to alleviate the pain in the legs from a herniated disk.my case oficer up and quit and left me with no support until a new officer was assigned to me.all he was interested in doing was getting me off the books as it were.i was offered no sort of retraining at all.my employer was hostile from the start and to the finish.i still haven't received all my entitlements from him and probably wont,but i'll let the appropriate authorities deal with him.i dont need anymore stress.workcover offered me a payout as soon as the specialist said the injury was stable[not fixed but stable].i've since rejected their payout offer and put in the hands of my solicitor to pursue.i have a chronic illness already which made my situation even more difficult and with the back injury was not able to return to work.its a bit difficult to drive heavy vehicles when you have limited feeling in you right foot.its just not safe,i even gone to lengths to modify my own vehicle so i can do short trips around town.my former employer said straight out to me and workcover that if i was not 100% i wouldn't be able to return as there was no suitable light duties available.host employer program was a joke as was the intensive pain management course they sent me on.i've lived with chronic pain most of my adult life due to a chronic illness.i think they just put me in the to hard basket and let centerlink deal with me.what will happen to me?i'm only 44 and have been a hard worker all my life,i dont any other way.my mind is keen but my body has all but given up.can anyone offer some good advice as to what i should do now cause i'm sick of having to depend on my wife and i feel ashamed of the situation i'm in.

[Chucaro]

Hi Don,
PM sent :)

[trobbo]

I lasted approx 10 mins today at work on the return to work plan, doing mundane sheltered workshop stuff, I had a meeting with the OH&S Chief, and his opinion was that I am not quite fit to return to work, and does not want me to have discomfort....
he doesn't mind me not doing the hours requested by the return to work doc and said I am more than welcome if I just want to come in during breaks and see my work mates and sit down and have a chat and cuppa to get me out of the house and keep my sanity.:wacko:

Sory to hear about your injury INWC.

I have worked in workers compensation in Vic for the past 20+ years and am the manager of a niche claims administrator for self insurers so have some authority to comment on your situation.

A couple of things first off (I am not trying to be harsh - I am being brief to make a few points clear).

You are responsible for your own medical treatment. If you are not happy with the treatment you are getting, you need to get a new referral from your gp or a new gp.

The only workcover doctors you will see are the ones the Agent sends you to for a medical report. This may happen maybe once or twice a year.

If you do not have a rehabilitation provider currently and your employer is unlikely to offer you a job long term then ask your agent if you can be referred for retraining. Your agent will send you a list of not less than 3 providers within 14 days. If they do not you can select your own provider.

Generally speaking once you have been referred to rehabilitation for retraining you will get out of it what you put into it.

I quoted the comments above because it is important that you get any of these variations to your offer of suitable duties in writing. It is important that you talk to your doctor if you are experiencing discomfort. It is not always bad.

If you are unable to cope with the work tasks allocated to you should also see you doctor to get your medical certificate revised. If you fail to do so you could find yourself in breach of your rtw obligations.

You have now had about 48 weeks of payments:
Your employer has an obligation to offer you suitable duties for a period of 52 weeks only.

if you require retraining it is best to start looking into this now so that courses can be identified and booked.

At 130 weeks of paid incapacity your wages payments will cease unless you are assessed as having "no current work capacity indefinately" so refer to the retraining comments above.

If you need any assistance with the process feel free to pm me.

good luck

Tony Robbo

[adonuff]

I think the common theme in this is obvious, I was injured badly when I was a Vol Fireman and retrained. The CFA did a fantastic job, Best Surgeons, private hospitals, full wages and eventuallly finacial compensation. This involved 2 major back ops including spinal fusion. and several years off work.

I had one of Melbourne best Shrinks to help me through severe PTSD, unlimited Gym membership, and all the support anyone could ever need.

My girl friend working in disability & health care injured her back at work and is under work care, totally different senario, NO HELP, Been through several case managers. She was the OH&S rep at the time and reported bad work practices to Work Cover and no action was ever undertaken.

She did her own retraining as what was offered was totally not good the work cover assesment and thier recomendations were a joke. In the end they agreed to pay the costs ( After a long drawn out fight) She now works as a trainer and assessor and Is now earning more per hour than I do.

We are still living this nightmare but so far are coming out on top and surviving fairly well. Leigh is taking legal action and has a better than good chance of winning due to unsafe work practices.

Be very careful with anti Depressants and try to get more than one opinion from the medical side of things. In my case the ops gave me back my life although I still have to be careful. The pysio's just caused more damage as they were trying to fix a mechanical breakdown by polishing the paint!

I mentioned this post to my partner and she agreed that if you want to disscuss this further give us a PM or feel free to phone us, at the least we might be able to sort out some of the red tape and crap that workcover put you through.

The vocassional assessor will come and chat, when this occurs, make sure you know what you are capable of doing as far as your injuries go and do some research into courses available for re-training. Your GP should give you some advice on your capabilities. You tell them, don't let them tell you.

Andrew & Leigh 03 9743 9917

[blackbuttdisco]

I damaged my left rotator cuff in an engine room of a ship. Had to be flown off by chopper, not the best way fo your first ride, but it took 2 morphine injections before my breathing returned to somewhere near normal. After a session in hospital in Townsville, Rockhampton then Brisbane, things started to improve. Yes you do feel sorry for yourself but then I saw a bloke in a wheelchair, and I thought thank heavens that was not me. That was my motivation to get and keep going again. Having 3 cars that always needed something needing doing to them kept me going and also helped to keep the shoulder moving, luckily they were all autos. Before the last operation it was scar tissue that was stopping my movement. Once that was fixed I did not look back. Yes I did go back to sea, after being off work for 12 months. I had to prove to myself that I could do this. The compo side of this job is very restrictive, which was one of the reasons to give the job away. I am now retired and loving it.

[JohnF]

Now I am not going to suggest permanent work for you--others can do that, but If you lived in the area where we live--and I do know that you do not-- I would suggest that you do voluntary work and join the RFS [equivalent of the CFA in Victoria I think] and if you lived in our area join the Northern Rivers Operational Support brigade.

In our NR Operational Support Brigade you can do radio communications during fires, from a control center. Communications can be done by people in a wheel chair, as long as they can get up the stairs to the operations radio room.

During big fires communications rooms can be very busy with radios going all the time and handing the written messages--that the Communications Assistant on the radio wrote down, passing these on to the Communication Operator, who may have to do T-cards [in NSW, not sure Vic uses same System]--T-cards record what Fire-trucks are where, and what crew is where. Plotting GPS details on wall map etc. the Communications Operator them after looking at what actions are required pass these on to higher-up supervisors.

Some brigades from our area went to fight fires in another area hundreds of kilometers away. This other area, had only one radio operator, a woman, for the whole area, who went home exhausted after doing a 19 hour shift, leaving all the radios unmanned. In Contrast our Northern Rivers area has about 20 members in our communications team, and we would welcome more communication team members. At that fire, after this woman went home, we had communications people out on Fire-Trucks Fighting Fires--some members do dual roles, and these were called to get off the trucks on the fire ground--leaving the trucks a bit short of one crew-person, in order to take over the Communications, and set it up properly--it was very disorganised, at that fire control center. So there could be very important volunteer opportunities in volunteer Bush-fire brigade volunteer communications some where near to you.

I recently did a one day communications workshop, which include a person who is probably this lone woman who did this 19 hour shift--I did not ask if it was her but she was from that town, being one of a dozen people from adjoining areas, on top of 11 people from our area.

During that Communications workshop we were played a DVD audio clip from the 1990 Pearl-Beach fire to show what a communication room can be like. Up to 7 radios were going all at once--Helicopters, Firetrucks, Police, ambulance, etc. Then, shouting above other communications a very excited garbled voice came over the radio, repeatedly, excited but very garbled in what he was saying, and absolutely impossible to understand--I could not make out what he was trying to say. And neither could the radio operator who calmly told the excited voice to calm down and repeat his message slowly. Then I heard and understood the excited man's call, something like-- "Emergency Emergency Emergency, a fire truck has run of main road hill and rolled down the embankment near the bottom of the ." Certainly in writing this out it does not show the pressure that those doing communications are under, in such situations. Doing Bush-Fire Brigade communications is very important worthwhile volunteer work, but you can be under great pressure if you do this essential job.

Or in our area communications is sometimes done in the field from our radio trailer--towed off-road to the top of a mountain by our Dual Cab L.R. TD5Defender. There are only 3 radio trailers in the whole of NSW plus at least one Communications Bus around Sydney, so we are privileged to be one of a very few areas that has there own radio Communications Trailer. And it has a 5 kva generator, a shelter tent, five radios doing different functions and radio channels. plus it has two built in repeaters if these are needed, and a big mast aerial around 7-8 meters high when fully raised with guy ropes for those repeaters--repeaters are not always used, hence the mast is not always used.

In our Norther Rivers Operational Support Brigade, a Communications person could also act as a driver or scribe to a Group Officer, that is sit beside him in the Group Vehicle--a crap 4WD Toyota Hilux or a Nissan usually. The scribe takes and sends radio messages under the direction of the Group officer, who could command up to 40 fire trucks. [Our Group Vehicle could be on 5 different radio channels at once, using five different microphones], while taking weather readings, using a small portable weather station, also taking GPS positions, and taking compass bearings--map reading and/or map plotting of Fire fronts on a laptop, etc., all being done at once by just two people.

For example you may see new smoke coming up across the valley, and so you would take your GPS location reading, the compass bearing of where the smoke is and radio into Firecom and then on behalf of the Group Captain send a message something like, "Firecom this is group north, code blue." blue being the call code to report an incident in NSW. Then when Firecom tells you to go a head, you would say something like "reporting spot fire, our location Grid 123-567, smoke on ridge about 4 km away on compass bearing 270 degrees, request that you to dispatch a crew to check it out, stand by for a Sitrep on our current fire."
At big fires being a scribe can be very busy full on work, along with the Group Officer being flat out, say mapping the location of this spot fire on his laptop map which is to be sent to Firecom via his mobile Internet link.
As a scribe/driver in the Group vehicle you may drive over jarring rough tracks, so you should be physically up to that as far as constantly jarring your back, etc.

The NR Operational Support also has has a catering section who go out with one of our catering trailers [the big one usually towed by a Dual Cab LR Defender] in order to feed ravenous firefighters at a safe spot near the fire, plus feeding them on training days when there is no fires. or natural disasters, etc. The RFS brigades sometimes help SES during natural disasters.

There is also Logistics, moving people and equipment around--for example logistics transported some of our area firefighters to Ballina airport to fly them down to the Victorian fires. Logistics could drive trucks down, meet the crew at the airport and then fly home after handing over the truck to a fresh crew getting off the plane

NR Operational Support may also set up an Airbase--supporting aircraft on airfields or helicopter landing areas.

Training is needed to do some of these things, so you may like to consider what of these things are needed in your local area and join your local Brigade--they may not have all of this, but there may be some of this needing volunteer personnel. This is voluntary work but can be outdoors if you are up to it.

Just a suggestion to keep yourself busy.

Oh! and do note that NSW has 4 foot 8 1/2 inch gauge railways, while Victoria wanting to be different has 5 foot 3 inch gauge railways. That means that Victoria probably does things completely different to what we NSW Rural Fire Brigades do. Code Blue in Victoria may mean something completely different, such as I am going home to get my fishing rod to go fishing.

[It'sNotWorthComplaining!]

Update ,Well It's 2 years on now. Diagnosed as a chronic pain sufferer. Was in Hospital again 3 weeks ago. Had another nerve devation operation. The independent Work cover medical specialist I've seen suggest prognosis is not good for me and in their opinion doubt I will be gainfully employed again. I have now started litigation .

[JohnF]

Be very careful with anti Depressants and try to get more than one opinion from the medical side of things. In my case the ops gave me back my life although I still have to be careful. The pysio's just caused more damage as they were trying to fix a mechanical breakdown by polishing the paint!


I totally agree.
Be very careful with anti-depressants. We have a MIMs Annual that is a few years old, I think ours is a 2001 edition, this being the book written for the Medical Doctors telling them all the very nasty side effects that you will suffer, or can suffer from all the medications that they give you. A couple of days ago I noted that our local public library has a copy of the Mims Annual. In the early 1980's when I lived down Sydney, my GP, gave me an old Mims Annual, and we have updated this several times since. We always like to know potential side effects of any medication.

But there is also a risk vs benifit assesment that should be done. For example a lage number of patients on the anti-biotic Chloramphenicol will get Aplastic Anemia which is potentially fatal. However my Microbiology Teacher, a man who was head of the Microbiology Department at Concord Repat Hospital in the 1980s said "Chloramphenicol causes Aplastic Anemia but if I ever get Typhoid watch me Gobble them up, as Chloramphenicol is the only antibiotic that works on Typhoid." See Typhoid untreated has a very high mortality rate--greater than 50%, in which case it is better to get Aplastic Anemia which can be treated by blood transfusions, than to suffer the horrible death from Typhoid. That is an extreme example of risk vs Benifit.

But for most people Antidepressents are not worth the risk.

A couple of years ago my now 2 year old son rolled our Range Rover afer a front Tyre blowout and broke his back, a stable fracture. He was sent home from Hospital that night. He still is in much pain over 2 years later, but puts up with it rather than take the addictive pain killers.
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I have said on other threads to get a second opinion. With some exceptions, the only diagnosis that you can be absolutely sure of is the one at Autopsy which way too often proves that the original diagnosis was wrong. So never be afraid to get a second opinion.