Car crash victim in need of advice

[Thorngren]

I work for the state of California and got rear ended when on the job driving my truck. I ended up going to the hospital and they say my neck injuries are minor but itâ??s been a few days and the pain is still there. I really think they underestimated how much I was hurt. They said they x-rays were inconclusive but from what they could see I 'should be fine'. They offered to do a cat scan but said the radiation at my young age (24) would not be a good idea so I declined. They have me on 3 valium a day and 4 600mg ibuprofen a day. But shit, right now Iâ??m taking double the dosage of the meds they gave me just because what they had given me wasnâ??t working and the double dosage still aint working all that great. To top it all off Iâ??ve already used up almost all the medication I was prescribed.

I used to smoke pot when I was a kid but stopped a while ago, I also recently quit smoking cigarettes and drinking to try and better my health. Iâ??m worried though that if I go back to the doctors they will either dismiss me and my claims of pain (they seemed to think I wasnâ??t as hurt as I was) or if they donâ??t they will just give me a bunch of pills. Iâ??m quite weary of pills and such because they can sometimes do long term damage, have shitty side effects and can be addictive. I know I feel kinda queasy/nauseous/dizzy now just from taking the meds they gave me.

From what I remember when I was an unruly kid and had smoked pot before it was never bad, not addictive and left me with no side effects other than making me enjoy Babylon 5 a bit more than I should have.

And if I do, how do I go about getting my doctor to make it so I can smoke pot (I have no idea how to go about doing that) and do you know if workers comp will pay for my medical marijuana card and the doctors visit for seeing if I can get one? Workers Comp covered the ambulance and hospital visit when I first went to the hospital but Iâ??m not sure if they will still cover it for a doctor visit that is not on company time (because the first instance was).

I live in a very conservative town (Napa Ca) and am worried if I even bring up medical cannabis they will think Iâ??m totally faking it when in fact the pain seems to be getting worse day by day. I think this doubly so because the meds they have me on are weak and not working and when they asked me to rate myself on a pain scale I said 4 or 5 (I misunderstood them thinking that that was the top but later found out it went to 10).

What should I do because I REALLY donâ??t want to be stuck with this pain the rest of my life and have them dismiss it all and I would really hate for them to get me hooked on pills when I could use a natural source to fix my ailment. And Iâ??m really worried my workers comp insurance wont cover it as well. Does anyone have info on this subject because Iâ??m quite clueless and really have no idea what to do. Iâ??ve never been in this sort of situation before.

I would really appreciate some feedback and thank you in advance.

Thorngren Reviewed by Thorngren on 05-27-2010. Car crash victim in need of advice I work for the state of California and got rear ended when on the job driving my truck. I ended up going to the hospital and they say my neck injuries are minor but itâ??s been a few days and the pain is still there. I really think they underestimated how much I was hurt. They said they x-rays were inconclusive but from what they could see I 'should be fine'. They offered to do a cat scan but said the radiation at my young age (24) would not be a good idea so I declined. They have me on 3 Rating: 5

[moody420]

I was in a similar situation in January 09. I was hit by a van while moving my car at work (only 2 hour parking spots by my office). And because I was at work, they considered it part workers comp. I will tell you from my experience, workers comp will run you ragged! So much paperwork and I found it to cause more harm than good financially. I'm still dealing with it!

When I got my medical card, I just went straight through MediCann. My primary care was alot like yours. They just kept saying there was nothing they could do for my back pain and it would just take time. Meanwhile, my dr. prescribed me about 8 different prescriptions for pain, nerves and anxiety (which was from the pills). I am not a pill popper....they just made me feel sick, anxious and depressed! So I took a ziploc bag full of my prescription bottles to my Medicann appt. and walked out with my MMJ recommendation. You don't have to go through your primary care. I just told them that cannabis worked way better for me than the pills. It was pretty easy.

I don't know if Workers comp will cover MMJ, I never tried. I figured it would be a pain in the A## after all the other hoops they had me jump through. I was willing to pay for it out of my pocket....and still feel it was well worth it. Good Luck! :jointsmile:

MediCann | A Prescription For Change

[LetsSeeYa]

Well my crash was a bit worse then yours, but i do have advise that you really should fallow. Get off the Valium asap, they gave it to me for leg spasms. But after taking it so long i had a doc. take me off it and now i have pain in my body that i could never explain, even tho im back on the stuff. Its a bad drug that has taken over my body. I am paralyzed from top of my chest down. Dont make this mistake, MJ helps me, but i still gotta take strong narc's and thats just because a Doc took me off something iv used over 20 years and now im a freaking mess.

:rasta:

[Thorngren]

My work really dropped the ball. Apparently only one doctors office is covered with my workmenâ??s compensation and because my office forgot to fax the info I canâ??t get an appointment and the soonest I can is on Tuesday (4 days from now not counting today! Theyâ??re closed the weekend and Memorial Day). So there goes that doc visit to try and get my meds switched up or maybe get acupuncture or some cannabis (I hate pills). I found a local doc that does evaluations Alternative Medicine: Medical Marijuana Evaluations but Iâ??m not sure if thatâ??s legit. He says its $140 for the doc visit and itâ??s not covered by my insurance. Iâ??m not really sure how things work but does anyone know that doc and is that sorta thing legit? I hardly have any money as is and would hate to waste it on something thatâ??s bogus but Iâ??m really hurting here.

[Akustone]

I concur with Moody420 regarding Medicann. I've used them twice now and I'd say they're worth the drive to your closest one. All you need is documentation or your prescription and your set for a year.

Regarding doctors. Be the squeaky wheel. Make certain your doctor knows your in real pain that is not improving and documents it. Don't let him take the easy way out by prescribing you pills.

Last point. Chiropractic. If you can't afford it here are the exercises I do for my injuries.

Dr. Wong's Stretches and Exercises

[Thorngren]

Well you see the thing is Iâ??ve only had the one visit to the ER on 5/25/10 and today I tried making that fallow up visit like I said in my previous post but my work fucked up and did not provide the proper documentation so now I cant even SEE a doctor until next Tuesday due to the office being closed for the weekend and the holiday. So now Iâ??m just stuck here in pain, Iâ??ve almost run out of the medication I was proscribed (and I donâ??t even like what they gave me) and Iâ??m shit out of luck.

All I want is to see a doc, explain how much pain Iâ??m in, explain to them how I donâ??t like pills (how do I say that without sounding dumb? I just donâ??t like taking fake things for medicine) and that I want to try something natural like chiropractics, acupuncture and medical marijuana. Iâ??m sure whatever doctor I get will laugh at that (theyâ??re state approved doctors after all) but thatâ??s how I feel. Whatâ??s worse is I gotta go 4 days in pain before I can even get a chance to MAYBE have the doctor recommend those things.

I just really donâ??t know what to do.

[Akustone]

I'm assuming your not a class A license holder nor concerned about your employers stance on medical marijuana.

Don't hold wealth in higher regard to health. If you have insurance you can see your regular doctor or, given enough pain or additional symptoms, the emergency room. If your doctor has personal or political reasons for declining your request take your pill prescription to Medicann.

What are minor injuries? Whiplash? Consider an MRI if you don't have any metal in your head. Strongly recommend seeing a chiropractor as their focus is the nervous system.

Rest. You just got in an accident 3 days ago.

[Ub3rB0ng]

I was in a Severe accident 16 years ago(rear ended by a motorhome on I-80 that was doing 70mph in the right hand lane,the lane was at a complete stop at the time),I was 18.ive done physical therapy and all that good BS,Im almost 35 and my back is still hammered,I have thinning in between my discs in the L1-L5 level,and its never gonna get better. Alot of time I cant lay in bed for longer than 6-7 hours.I cant lift any heavy objects,which totally blows because I have lil kids. dont ever sign any waivers or anything saying you wont go after someone years later,because the Docs dont know jack.they are their for the money not because they care about you(not always the case). Pain killers dont work for me they never have,but guess what Cannabis does. Do whatever you have to do for yourself.You gotta push the paper etc. because they wont. Be the needle in their side man.Theres not really such a thing as a minor car accident.the human body wasnt designed for such jolts.

[Thorngren]

Iâ??ve been looking in Vallejo and Oakland for a Doc. trying to find a place thatâ??s cheap and will guarantee I get a recommendation. I'm trying not to waste any money or time.

Medical Marijuana Cards, Medical Marijuana Doctors, Medical Marijuana - Obtain your ID at MMEC seems the most legit I've come across and they say you don't have to pay the fee if you get no recommendation, so that tells me they really wanna give you that recommendation. Plus their Patient Package (Medical Marijuana Card - California - MMEC - Marijuana Medicine Evaluation Centers) looks really nice as apposed to just a signed piece of paper you get at most places (from what Iâ??ve read online anyway). Theyâ??re in Oakland. The only problem is they list no price for the consultation on their website so that has me a little worried that theyâ??re quite pricey.

However Alternative Medicine: Medical Marijuana Evaluations is right in Vallejo so thatâ??s just like a 10 minute drive for me. They donâ??t seem to have all the bells and whistles that the other provider I listed does and they wonâ??t refund if they refuse you, but they do have a flat listed rate of a 140 bucks.

Iâ??m not even sure what an average price is for a visit or how the whole medical process works. Iâ??m quite new to all this. You guys have any more info on the process?

[Akustone]

My only experience is with Medicann. To the best of my hippocampus, 135 evaluation and 90 re-evaluation; 40-45 off for disabled.. There are offices in Oakland, Concord, and Santa Rosa as closest to Napa. I've no experience with either of the two you listed but MMEC looks equivalent to Medicann.

"Cost varies by County. If you get MediCare/MediCal, they cut the fee in half, generally. Renewal process varies by County, so when you go in, ask them."
Have MMEC Recommendation, thoughts & help for MMIC? (Page 1) - Access Northern California - ASA Forum

This one says $66 with medi-cal or veteran status.
Latest News - California's Medical Marijuana Law -- Just a Smokescreen?

The process is pretty simple. Make an appointment and show up. You saw their list of ailments right?
All Ailments - Medical Marijuana - California - MMEC - Marijuana Medicine Evaluation Centers

If you still nervous about it download and read Senate Bill 420 and Proposition 215. Any questions just ask.
Legality - Medical Marijuana - California - MMEC - Marijuana Medicine Evaluation Centers