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"Do you mean what was my career? Or are you asking what I was doing when the injury happened?
"Both." the curious doctor answered
"Well I was/am however you say it now a legal advocate for domestic abuse victims. However, the day I got hurt I was cleaning out an empty office for my new assistant. I lifted a banker's box full of files and boom I was hurt."
"Oh wow, some of those boxes can get pretty heavy." Ken sounded surprised.
"Yep, it was very heavy. I asked my boss if I could get help but she said she wasn't paying two people to do one person's job." Lola explained.
"That must have been very hard to think about after your surgery." Dr. Litch was trying to dig more out of Lola.
"Dr. Litch, I am still very angry at my boss. If she would have let me have the help I wouldn't be here now talking to you."
"Lola, I usually do not share my private life with patients, however, I do feel that you may benefit from this. My mother became disabled due to a back injury. She still suffers as you do, however, she leads a very fulfilling life. She found a hobby that she could do at her own pace and now sells her homemade blankets online and at craft fairs. It took her ten years to figure it all out. Now I'm not saying that is what you should do. All I am saying is hang in there things will get better. Life I mean." the doctor shared.
"I'm glad you told me about your mother. But is she on workman's comp? Because that's a whole nother issue I am dealing with."
"No, I don't believe she was. Tell me about workman's comp."
"Don't get me wrong" Lola started with "I'm grateful I am seeing some money coming in. However, I can't even try new things because if they are watching and taking pictures they will say I'm not hurt. They don't have to be around to see the outcome." she paused "I mean, let's say I wanted to just try to cut my own grass using a riding mower. Let's say they get pictures. Then in the middle of mowing I find that it is just to bumpy and my back can't handle it so I stop. Then I go in the house and lay down on a heat pack. They can take me to court and show those pictures or videos and boom I just lost my workman's comp. The part about me having to stop and go lay down is my word against theirs. In fact, my lawyer told me to even be careful inside my house because they can take pictures through the windows. How is that even legal?" Lola finished.
"I see how you can be upset by that. You're right, it hardly seems fair. Is mowing the grass something you would like to do?"
"I was just using that as an example. I already know it's too bumpy. My family has all made that loud and clear. But it would be so nice not to have to rely on other people in order for it to get done." Lola told him.
"I see. Do you have to rely on other people for a lot of things?" he asked
"More than I want to. I was always an independent person and now I'm not." Lola started tearing up as she said the last sentence "I guess more than anything I really wish my daughter would try to be more understanding. Then maybe she would be willing to help out more." She finished saying.