[tornoversurgery]

Hello & thank you in advance for your input.

I have been diagnosed with degenerative disc disease and a pinched nerve in my neck that effects my right hand/arm. I (am right handed) It has been accepted as a work related/cumulative case by workers comp with the options of neurosurgery or seeking permanent partial disability. Since that time I have gone thru physical therapy and acupuncture which has helped but I have returned to work 4 times and the sitting and computer use keeps sending me downhill every time. I do not want the surgery because every time I'm away from the desk/computer I get slowly better and every time I go back I slowly get worse. The doctors see this and eventually I may have to come off the desk permanently, and seek some sort of disability.

The real problems are:
-Sitting at a computer is all I've done for most of my career, I'm middle aged.
-I don't have much in transferrable skills to market at this time.
-I have 7 more years of steep child support to go.
-I will lose medical coverage for my child.
-The estimates of my disability compensation WILL NOT cover bills & child spt
-Losing my apt would be devastating, my credit is still shot from my divorce.
-I do not have any family nearby for support or a place to stay.
-Need a career counselor, can't afford one, can't find any free programs for it.

I just don't know what to do.

[redbandit]

I went through vocational rehab to get job assistance. It takes 2 months to get approved, but its free. Good luck!

Good luck!

[tornoversurgery]

Originally Posted by redbandit

I went through vocational rehab to get job assistance. It takes 2 months to get approved, but its free. Good luck!

Thanks for your reply.
They did away with that here in California, just vouchers for community college now.

[redbandit]

Awww so vouchers, meaning free or discounted tuition?

[tornoversurgery]

Originally Posted by redbandit

Awww so vouchers, meaning free or discounted tuition?

Free till you run out of $, but sitting is part of the cause of my condition, stopped going to nightschool after work a few years back due to back pain & now I understand why.

Plus, I have no safety network or place to stay if I have to train for a new career for any extended amount of time, losing my apt due to lack of funds would be devastating right now.

I feel that I could somehow traverse a search for the elusive non-computer/desk job if I had a decent idea of a goal, but only a career counselor would be able to help me with that. Haven't found any free programs for that locally.