First I met with the Vocational Counselor that was assigned to me by the insurance company adjuster. We went over the results of the Career Assessment Inventory test that I took and he showed me the plan that he has drawn up for what they will do to get me off of disability and back to work once the doctor OKs it. No real surprises on either. They do not plan on any training for me and propose that I find a job that isn't physically demanding which shouldn't be too much of a stretch considering my degree and resume. Seminary is too far down the road for that to fit into my vocational plan (as far as the insurance company is concerned), so I will need to find something to do that won't be a long term career move, but will pay the bills while I apply to schools and figure out where I'm going, when I'm going and how I'm going to pay for school. The plan won't be finalized until the doctor says its time for me to be finished with treatment and they also need to list any restrictions in the plan.
When I finished with that meeting I was off to Baltimore to see Dr. Brumback. As always I got an x-ray as soon as I arrived and happily he didn't say anything like this cartoon to the left. He was pleased that things appear unchanged and I have had no symptoms indicating that the infection has returned. We talked about the worker's compensation process and he declared me to be MMI (Maximum Medical Improvement) which officially ends the treatment phase of my case. I'm still doing physical therapy on my own twice a week at the gym and he said there could still be slight improvements and changes for the next several months, but for all intents and purposes this is as good as I'm going to get as far as the medical professionals are concerned. My knee bends somewhere in the 50-60 degree range and I can walk/ stand without my cane for short distances/times. It's been 16 months since my accident, but every once in a while it hits me that I am permanently partially disabled. This was one of those days. Intellectually I've known this for some time now, but there has been and continues to be a small bit of hope inside me that still believes that I will bend my knee again. Hearing the doctor say MMI didn't completely erase that hope, but it sure shrunk it quite a bit.
The MMI declaration filled one of the holes in the vocational plan, but they still need to list my physical restrictions. The doctor will not/can not state these so at the request of my nurse case manager he has ordered a FCE (Functional Capabilities Evaluation) for me. I will go to a facility that will put me through a course of tests so that they can come up with a list of parameters for me. It will be an independent report that says things like - "should not lift more than X lbs. should not be required to stand for more than X minutes/hours. should primarily be in a desk job that does not require a lot of walking." or something along those lines. I imagine that this will not be a very enjoyable day of testing. I may be wrong, but envision them testing the boundaries of my capabilities in order to determine what I can and can't do. So being pushed to the point of failure repeatedly should be a nice swift kick to the old ego.So now I'm waiting for the FCE to be scheduled. Once that is done then
the Vocational Rehabilitation Plan will be completed. Then the insurance company, the counselor, and I all have to agree and sign it to put the plan into effect. The plan basically says that they will keep paying me disability checks while I look for a new job that fits my new physical limitations. They have made a few suggestions based on my college degree, mortgage background, and management experience and will provide me with leads, but I'm pretty much on my own to find a job, so if you know of any openings in the Annapolis area by all means let me know. Thanks!
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