I paused for a moment then I cried and then I prayed to God, the cry was good but the pray helped me. While praying I decided that God was only going to help me if I helped myself. I didn't know how long I would be disabled and I didn't know what to plan for. I was confused, scared, and unsure and in pain. Then one day while waiting in a room with other people for a court hearing for workers compensation a person came to me and said make sure your prepared and save all your papers. I never forgot that advice and from that day forward I saved everything. Make sure yousave all your information even if you think it's not important.
I began writing down all phone numbers that were important to my case keeping them with the rest of the information in a safe place. Here's a list of some of the important people and places to save. (Doctors lawyers, claim adjusters, banks, case mangers churches, drug stores, pension disability center, social security office, workers compensation board and disability insurance company.
I was depressed and decided to keep busy. No matter how disabled you are you should keep busy. It was difficult at first but I learned how to live with my pain. I went to physical therapy twice a week it helped me keep the joints in my foot loose and helped prevent cramping. I keep busy food shopping, banking, washing clothes and swimming.
I pace myself and some days are better than others. I try to keep a good attitude.
Then I thought wow I'm organizing my self now and I began to relax and stop worrying so much about my financially situation. I prayed daily leaving all my problems in the lord's hands and continued to keep myself organized.
I recall thinking why me and where can I find help to all of my unanswered questions. I continued to be up-beat and positive realizing everyone deals with their disabilities differently.
I learned to take one day at a time. I went to several doctors that told me my right foot would take some time to heal. The days turn into weeks then months and then a year. One year passed and I wasn't getting better. I continued keeping all my important papers in order.
Still searching for help I thought to myself, I'm a New York City Bus Operator and a union member for eighteen years I should be able to get help from my union. It was more complicated then I thought. I went to the shop steward for help and he told me that if I didn't get back to work before the year was up I would be fired and I would have a difficult time trying to get my job back.
I understood him but I thought to myself what happens to a person like me who is disabled and can't return to work. What happens to me. I found out that there was an undetermined time frame that I would have to wait for before I would be considered disabled. I would have to play the waiting game which almost cost me my life. I continued going to doctors and continued getting CAT Scans and MRI s and therapy until a judge order the approval for my surgery.
I asked a high ranking union leader for help and he told me that there was little that he could do and that I would have to continue to wait. It's not that I wanted him to do me any favors I just wanted some assurance that all the time that I put into my job wouldn't be lost. He told me he couldn't do anything but pray with me which he did. He encouraged me to keep my faith and that eventually it would all work out I couldn't see how but it did. I know you know who you are thank you.
I continued to see doctors twice a month for a year.
Finally surgery came and I was scared but I had a good doctor who made me laugh just before my surgery, which helped to keep me clam. It's important to trust your doctors and if you don't you need to change them immediately.
After surgery my doctor told me there was a lot of damage to my foot and that I would no longer be driving the bus. Wow! This was bad news for me. I had already put in 18 years on the job and only had seven years until retirement. This meant I would be losing half of my pension. Things were getting worst. I learned that I needed to file for pension disability soon. If I didn't file before a year was up I would not be eligible to receive my pension disability until I was fifty and twenty five years of service.
