It was a good day

I almost pooped out on today. But I didn't and I had a good time.

Our credit union held a chili cook off at the training center in LA. It was fun and lots of good chili to taste. The kids had a blast.

Then we decided to stop by my father-in law's fire station. We had the run of the place. In fact we scared away most of the firefighters. 5 grand kids in one place can do that.

It was a bunch of driving, but totally worth it. I am looking forward to next year.

What to do, what to do?

My husband the firefighter got hurt at work. He was fighting a fire and he got hurt. At first we thought he just broke the bone in his back. He went back to work after the bone healed. He played by the rules, he rested and healed and went back to work. Just under a year later he was having problems again. It seems as if during the initial injury he also had a disc injury that was misdiagnosed. Now almost two years after his accident he still has pain. In addition to the pain, the committee who approves or denies treatment, has been denying him the treatment he needs. My husband has never tried to short change the city, he has even tried to go back early, he did light duty when it was required, when many firefighters don't. He just wants to feel better, to be able to lift his two kids, and do the occasional manly thing around the house again. The City of Los Angles should take care of him. He takes care of it.

Jerry likes working for the LAFD. It's a large department with many different stations and lots of different people to work with. I don't think you could get bored working there. He just wants to work again as a healthy firefighter. He is working now, but its not the same. A desk job 5 stories underground is a good way to work while he heals, but I don't believe he is happy like he used to be. Our lives have not been the same since his injury. We would like for him to get the medical treatment he needs and to move on.

There are many to blame for the length of this mess, bureaucracy, the people who do take advantage of Workers Compensation, the management company, doctors, and even Jerry for being so eager to get back to work. I have a hard time putting much blame on Jerry he just wants to work for a living.

I googled California's workers compensation and here is what I found from this http://www.dir.ca.gov/DWC/InjuredWorker.htm website.

"If you get hurt or sick because of work, your employer is required by law to pay for workers' compensation benefits. Workers' comp insurance provides six basic benefits: medical care, temporary disability benefits, permanent disability benefits, supplemental job displacement benefits or vocational rehabilitation and death benefits.
Workers' compensation is the nation's oldest social insurance program: It was adopted in most states, including California, during the second decade of the 20th century. It is a no-fault system, meaning you don't need to prove your injury was someone else's fault in order to receive benefits.
The workers' compensation system is based on a trade-off between employees and employers. Employees are entitled to receive prompt, effective medical treatment for on-the-job injuries no matter who was at fault and, in return, are prevented from suing their employers over those injuries.
The vast majority of workers' compensation claims are resolved without any problems. However, sometimes a disagreement can arise between you and the claims administrator over issues such as whether your injury was sustained on-the-job or how much in benefits you are entitled to receive.
When a dispute like that arises, the Division of Workers' Compensation can help resolve it through its Information and Assistance Unit or by going before a judge at one of the division's 24 local offices."

After reading this, what are our options? Do we have to get a lawyer or some kind of representation? He was denied a second epidural block so he switched doctors. The new doctor ordered a nerve test to see what damage there might be, that was denied. He can't get another MRI because that has been denied. Basically the claims department is telling him to just live with it. They are not giving him any options for treatment. It's frustrating to say the least.

Bye, Bye 26's

This is Jerry's last week of class for OCD. He will be moving into OCD for a two month probationary training. He has been staying at 26's considering he is working 4 ten hour shifts and the commute isn't the same as when you work a 24hr shift. Tonight he told me he was cleaning out his locker. I got so sad for him. As a rookie his 3rd house was 26's and they got him to stay there. So almost all of his 7 years on duty have been at this one station.

Its a milestone. The first move. I don't work there so I am baffled by my attachment to the station. Maybe its because I know how much he liked it there. He liked the guys he worked with. Its also a huge reality check. Life has changed so much for us since he broke his back.

Nothing makes me happier than knowing my husband loves his job. This last year and a half has been different to say the least. We both like new challenges and the next two months will be another. At least we will be back on the Platoon schedule.

So for now, good bye to station 26.

Jerry's new adventures

Jerry started training this week for a new position of dispatching. It's hard for me to fully understand what he will be doing. I found this Posting on the LAFD page and thought I would share. http://lafd.blogspot.com/2008/09/lafd-releases-911-audio-for-metrolink.html

Little Miss Independent

I think one of my biggest character flaws is the desire to prove that "I can do it myself". However that being said it is one of my greatest strengths as well.

Now that hubby is back at work for his 24 hour shifts I am feeling so happy to have that independence back. I hope that doesn't sound too rotten. But here I sit blogging with my salad for dinner and enjoying the "we can do whatever" feeling. Its not as if Jerry is all that demanding I probably put more pressure on my self than he puts on me. Its just fun to feed the kids whatever, watch whatever, do whatever.

I definitely have the right personality to be a fireman's wife.

We did have a ton of fun with him home, but its time to get back to our regular life.

Crazy Monkey Days

I don't have much time for blogging but I will fill you in on a bunch of stuff in one long post. Things are busy, busy, busy for me these days. No complaints, we have established some routines, and that makes be feel better than I was feeling last weekend. I took a couple days last week and had do nothing days.

Then on Thursday I decided I better start cleaning up again for the weekend in case we get anyone wanting to look at the house. Mid day Thurs we got a call for someone wanting to look on Friday. I like 24 hours notice. I knew I needed to mow the lawn and clean up out doors. But I didn't know Jerry was going to have me weed-eat. I have never done it before so I got a quick lesson and some constant supervision from him. I trimmed the hedges and was hosing the sidewalk down when Jerry came out to say him and James wanted to swim. Which means, I have to change everyone, sunscreen, towels, pool cover off, floaters on, etc. I get them all ready and situated and then I move into the back yard to hose off the concrete. Jerry then wants me to turn on the spa because the pool is not warm enough to just sit in.

So, I turn off the solar panels wrong and all of a sudden there is a gushing stream of water off of the roof. I look a Jerry and think oh, no! He looks at me like, really did you have to go and do that? So he is getting upset with me and I tell him to calm down I can fix it. So here I go climbing up on the roof, I don't like heights or climbing ladders but I am doing it. It turns out I just blew off a cap that was put on with a hose clamp. An easy fix. Jerry later tells me he didn't think I was going to be able to fix it. But I did. While I am up on the roof fixing things my husband is floating in the spa. He tells me "you know the solar panels could really use a hose off so they work better." I am just laughing at the whole situation. So I climb up and down a few times with tools, hoses, etc. Everything is now fixed and clean.

I still have the whole patio area to hose off & Hannah wakes up from her nap. So she gets plopped in the holding pen (spa) with the others. Needless to say I was pretty tired after everything I did that day. So I ordered a pizza for dinner. Jerry kept teasing me about how hard it was being the dad. But what he forgets is I am dad & mom right now 24/7. Usually I am dad and mom just part of the week, now it is constant.

By the way I am an update from the Dr appointment we had on Wednesday. Jerry took more x-rays and everything looks good it just is going to take time to heal. He has 4 more weeks doing the same as he is now, then he will probably have 4 more weeks of what he is doing now without the brace. Then he may get to go back to work, but it might not be full duty.

Here is a picture of the building he fell at. He fell from where the window is.

A last and final note. James is getting really good at swimming with his floaties. By the end of the summer it will be really cool to see his progress.

Update on the back

We have a hospital bed in the middle of our living room.

Jerry came home today. A day later than we were originally told but better than tomorrow. Here is the official story. By the way he did not fall off a roof.

He climbed up a ladder and was fighting fire through a window. The fire was at a different angle than he could reach through the fire. So he put a hole in the wall and was trying to reach the fire. The combination of the hose, reach, & air tanks on his back made him loose his balance. He fell about 10 ft down straight on his back. The firefighters below quickly got to him and made him stay still. They transported him to Cedars-Sinai hospital. A very great hospital by the way. And the rest is history.

We don't know how long his recovery is going to take. We will make a follow up appointment for next week or so. We will know more then but for right now. Bed rest with limited walking. No BLT - bending, lifting, twisting.

Everyone has been wonderful offering help and we truly appreciate it. I think the next couple of days are really going to be the test. I am kind of freaking out. But I think its just like when I was freaking out about being home alone for 24 hrs with two babies. The thought of it is worse than the actual day. We will make it work. I just need to stop stress eating so I don't gain a ton of weight. I will keep you posted.

It could have been worse.

NBC

Jerry got hurt, he broke his back. It sounds worse than it is. Thankfully he has no nerve damage or loss of feeling. He broke a peice off of L-3 (lower back). So he will be home on bed rest hopefully at the end of today.

visiting 26's at 109's

We went to visit Jerry yesterday. However his engine was moved up to 109's a very quiet station at the top of Mulholland Drive. It was nice, Jerry didn't have to go on any calls and we checked out this barn full of old fire stuff. James loved it. At first he was timid but he warmed up eventually. Hannah loved sitting in the fire engine and the brush patrol hummer.

LAFD Flickr

LAFD Flickr I check out this page fairly often. Seeing the whole department in action makes me proud to be a fireman's wife. Plus I get to engage Jerry in conversation about calls, fires, & accidents the department has been in. I just wish that the public would be more careful and quit driving so fast past accidents. We don't need anymore crashes!