permanent damage to nerves due to surgery refusal?
Hello, I am not sure all of the rules of posting here but I need some advice… I am currently insured through Blue Cross Blue Shield FEP on my biological father’s plan as per terms of his divorce from my mom. In 2021 I was diagnosed with spondylolisthesis in my sciatic nerves at L5-S1 of my spine. In layman’s terms as i understand it, due to two tiny fractures in the little bones that help keep the vertebra in place on each level of the spine, my vertebrae on L5 was slipping out and causing herniation of the disc space, which compressed my nerve pretty badly. I had worsening pain from my lower back, into my butt, and down through my leg to my toes. My amazing surgeons, despite letting me know that none of the more “conservative” treatments would work, since my nerve compression was due to slipping vertabrae, told me I would eventually need surgery, but that first I needed to try more conservative approaches (epidural steroid injections, soft back brace, and physical therapy) to try and correct the damaged nerve because the insurance required that more conservative approaches were tried before spinal fusion surgery and nerve decompression could be performed. This whole process took about a year and it wasnt until i started noticing function loss in the muscles in my leg that things sped up. By the end of it, I had surgery after 15 months of the nerve/s being compressed. Its now almost two full years since my surgery, including recovery and physical therapy after the surgery and i still have pain when i do “too much” (standing for a couple hours painting at the theatre i volunteer at is usually the culprit), when i have the pain, it still really HURTS, and it comes with tingling sensations in my butt, leg (less often) and toes. The nerve is decompressed, but the damage is possibly permanent. Last time I saw my doctor he said the nerves MIGHT heal. From what I understand, compression of nerves like that for over a year is very likely to cause permanent damage. All because insurance wouldnt approve the surgery i needed to fix my spinal slipping and nerve compression until trying approaches that my doctors said would not fix the issue. Is there anything I can do? Any compensation I may be able to seek for possibly having chronic pain and nerve damage for the rest of my life? This could affect my ability to work (it already affects my ability to work at my theatre). I am worried and hurt and angry at the us health care system.
submitted by /u/desiibug
[comments]
