Below is a searchable chronology of the addressing of Michael John's
injury. From all accounts, if a worker shops for a doctor to get pain meds,
Xanax etc. they are considered to be playing the system. If Jayco, or their
representative, shops for a doctor to get a desired result it would seem
that is 'procedure'.
This sequence of events included OSMC, Indiana University Health, South
Bend Orthopedics, Sentry Insurance and Jayco HR
An attempt was made to contact Jayco HR with this information. They were
uninterested.
A scanned copy of the below OCR scanned content is available which includes attached notes from
various doctors here.
- May 8th- Initial injury- I was drilling out the floor of an RV and
was pushing down on the drill and heard a pop in my right elbow and have
had pain and numbness ever since this injury. The pain is in my right
elbow and on the top of my right forearm and the pain radiates down my
arm into my right hand. I also have numbness which began in my right
pinky finger and has worsened to include pinky, ring finger and middle
finger. I am having trouble doing normal every day functions due to
increasing pain and numbness. I chronically drop tools or anything I
pick up in my hand due to the numbness.
- May 9th Appointment was made for me to see the company Dr. (phone
825-0590) Diagnosis was lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow). Treatment
plan was to wear an arm brace for tennis elbow, Ibuprofen 800 mg 1 pill
three times daily, and apply ice after work. Return appointment to
clinic on May 15th and returned to work with no restrictions.
May 15th- Return appointment to clinic to see company Dr. Diagnosis was
lateral epicondylitis and R forearm extensor sprain. Treatment plan was
to rest arm, continue Ibuprofen, use heat instead of ice, avoid wrist
activities and lifting, and Dr. administered a steroid injection and
returned me to work with restrictions, no right hand gripping or
pinching, and no right wrist extension or flexion. Return appointment to
clinic on May 22nd
- May 22nd- Return appointment to clinic with company Dr. Diagnosis
was lateral epicondylitis. Treatment plan was to continue Ibuprofen,
rest arm, use arm sling to immobilize arm, continue heat, Dr.
administered another steroid injection and returned me to work with
restrictions, no right hand gripping or pinching, and no right wrist
extension or flexion. Return appointment to clinic on May 29th.
- May 29th- Return appointment to clinic with company Dr. Diagnosis
was lateral epicondylitis. Treatment plan was to continue using heat and
sling at home, and continue Ibuprofen. Returned me to work without
restrictions and follow up as needed.
When returning to work pain and numbness over right forearm was getting
worse instead of better, spoke with Dennis Bontrager, Supervisor and an
appointment was made with company Dr.
- May 31st- Return appointment to clinic with company Dr. Diagnosis
was R forearm pain. Treatment plan was to continue Ibuprofen, heat three
times daily, elevate arm and continue to use sling to immobilize arm and
to be off work for 10 days. Return appointment to clinic on June 12th.
- June 12th- Return appointment to clinic with company Dr. Diagnosis
was R forearm muscle pain. Treatment plan was to continue Ibuprofen,
heat three times daily, elevate arm and continue to use sling to
immobilize arm. My arm was no better after being off work and resting
arm. The Dr. continued to keep off work since my employer couldn't
accommodate my work restrictions and referred me to OSMC appointment was
made June 14th.
- June 14th- Appointment with Dr. Erekson at OSMC. Diagnosis was R
lateral epicondylitis and R radial tunnel syndrome. Treatment plan was
to start occupational therapy, beginning on June 20th. I continued to be
off work since they could not accommodate the restrictions. Return
appointment to clinic on July 5th
- June 20th- Began therapy.
- June 25th- Therapy appointment.
- June 27th- Therapy appointment.
- July 2nd- Therapy appointment.
- July 5th Appointment with Dr. Erekson at OSMC. Diagnosis was R
lateral epicondylitis and R radial tunnel syndrome. Treatment plan was
to refer me to Dr. Schramm who specializes in hand and arm problems,
appointment was made with Dr. Schramm on July 26th
- July 26th Appointment with Dr. Schramm at OSMC. Diagnosis was R
lateral epicondylitis and R radial tunnel syndrome. Dr. Schramm obtained
an x-ray of my r elbow to make sure there was no fracture or bony
abnormality. His treatment plan was to obtain an EMG/ Nerve Conduction
study which were scheduled on July 31st with Dr. Joan Szynal. Return
appointment with Dr. Schramm scheduled on Aug 16th.
- July 31st EMG / Nerve Conduction Test performed.
- Aug 16th Returned appointment with Dr. Schramm at OSMC. Diagnosis was
R lateral epicondylitis and R radial tunnel syndrome. Treatment plan was
that surgery needed to be done since all non invasive treatment had been
tried and failed. (Splints, slings, anti-inflammatory, ice, heat,
injections, and therapy). Dr. Schramm stated that there is an 85% chance
that I could be back to work without restrictions and be able to do
everything I could prior to this injury in approx 3 months. Dr. Schramm
scheduled surgery for R lateral epicondyle debridement and R radial
tunnel release for Aug 29th.
- Aug 29th Surgery was cancelled by Caseworker from Sentry Insurance
(Scott Kosnicki 800-739-3344 ext. 3469377),
(now (920) 739-3161 ext. 4682), stating that another opinion
needed to be obtained. Caseworker scheduled appointment with Dr. Clemency
at SBO on Sept 6th.
- Sept 6th Appointment with Dr. Clemency at SBO. Diagnosis was R
lateral epicondylitis. Dr. Clemency never asked me where my pain was or
where it hurts and told me what my pain level was; he never asked me how
I hurt it or what had been done previously. Dr. Clemency said there was
nothing wrong with me, but recommended a follow up appointment on Sept
20th.
- Sept 20th Return appointment with Dr. Clemency at SBO. Diagnosis was
R lateral epicondylitis. Treatment plan even though he still kept
telling me that nothing was wrong he proceeded to fit me with another
arm brace which I had already tried and it made the pain worse (I did
tell the Dr. this and he ignored it and said this brace was different
even though it was the same one I had worn before) and he scheduled me
for therapy (I did tell the Dr. that I had already done therapy with no
improvement, again he ignored and said this therapy was different even
though it was the same exercises I had done before.) The Dr. returned me
to work with no restrictions. Return appointment scheduled Nov 1st.
- Sept 27th Therapy appointment.
- Oct 1st Therapy appointment.
- Oct 4th Therapy appointment.
- Oct 8th Therapy appointment.
- Oct 11th Therapy appointment.
- Oct 15th Therapy appointment. Therapy documentation is attached.
Pain was getting increasingly worse and I made a phone call to Dr.
Clemency's office stating that the pain was getting worse, my
appointment that was made for November 1st was moved up to October 18th
- Oct 18th Therapy appointment.
There is a gap in therapy because the caseworker from Sentry only
authorized 4 weeks of therapy, I as well as the therapy department made
numerous phone calls to the caseworker which he did not return.
- Oct 18th Return appointment with Dr. Clemency at SBO. Diagnosis
was R lateral epicondylitis. Treatment plan was to continue physical
therapy and Dr. Clemency gave me a steroid injection into the right elbow
area, ( I did tell the Dr. that I had been given 2 other steroid
injections that did not help and again he ignored this and stated those
Dr's didn't know what they were doing this injection is different.) Dr.
Clemency stated that all the pain would be gone in 1 week after giving
me the injection.
- Nov 8th Caseworker finally returned a call to the therapy department
and I resumed therapy that day.
- Nov 8th Therapy appointment.
- Nov 13th Therapy appointment. Therapy discharged report attached.
Therapist wrote on discharge report that patient demonstrates a strong
correlation to radial tunnel syndrome. Dr. Clemency didn't sign this note
until after I was discharged.
- Nov 14th MRI of right elbow was done at SBO.
- Nov 15th Return appointment with Dr. Clemency at SBO. Diagnosis was R
lateral epicondylitis and R elbow pain. Treatment plan was that Dr.
Clemency stated there is nothing he can fix and pain is in the eye of
the beholder and to continue his home exercises and return to work and
live with the pain.
Numerous calls made to the caseworker at Sentry,
Scott Kosnicki, following this
appointment to request another Dr. to look at MRI or to have another
opinion since the pain and numbness were continuing to become worse and
I was afraid I would loose use of my right hand. Calls were made to
Scott Kosnicki on Nov 15th at 9:13 am, Nov 16th at 1:56 pm, Nov 19th at
1:46 pm, Nov 20th at 8:54 am, Nov 20th at 10:47 am the caseworker
finally answered his phone.
- Nov 20th Caseworker,
Scott Kosnicki, from Sentry said that their decision is that
they are going with Dr. Clemency opinion and there is nothing else they
can do despite the problem with my arm not being fixed.