On Friday, when The Pony used his own car to deliver packages, due to the headlights not working on the official vehicle, he put a foot wrong. Stumbled and fell, skinning his previously-injured knee. Luckily, the injury did not tear his postal pants, because he was wearing shorts. Postal pants must be purchased from an authorized seller that's in cahoots with the USPS. The prices are high, and the quality low. Plus, they come in one length, and must be hemmed by a seamstress.
Anyhoo... The Pony put a bandaid over the bleeding area. I don't know if the knee happened before or after his other injury on Friday. I initially found out by text.
"Clocked out around 5:00. Wasn't feeling up to more after a fall on my hurt knee, and Pulling a You. Meaning I caught the back of my leg with the car door!"
"Nooooo! Is your leg cut?" [Because both times I did it, I had an oozing hole that took a long time to heal!]
"No cut! Though my knee did bleed since it reopened the scabby bits. But just a scratch that almost bled on the back of my calf from the door."
On Saturday, The Pony was delivering on the route where he broke his ankle during his first 90 days, which took a year to get his worker's comp settled and paid.
"My knee is fine today but my ankle and calf are super stiff and sore. Guess I got closer to spraining them than I thought when I fell yesterday."
"A hot bath with jets might make it feel better when you get home. Past time for icing it now, probably."
"Yeah. Just makes me slower on these hills."
Let the record show that The Pony said his big bathtub with jets is the best investment he ever made! Glad Hick didn't try to talk him out of it when remodeling The Pony's house!
I hope The Pony mends fast and the pain isn't too bad. He should be getting hazard pay for that job or at least pay for injuries while on the job and without having to submit paperwork:)
ReplyDeleteThe Pony has been volunteering to work on his days off, so part of his soreness might stem from his body not having enough time off to recover.
DeleteThe broken ankle situation was a prime example of how government bureaucracy slows down a process until the injured party gives up. The Pony was paid a couple weeks of salary, then told his case was denied, then appealed it and had to pay the money back. His case was finally reconsidered with back pay and the medical bills reimbursed. Dolores in KC needs her face on a dartboard!
The original broken ankle tale:
http://unbaggingthecats.blogspot.com/2021/07/neither-snow-nor-rain-nor-heat-nor.html
I just read the story of The Pony's broken ankle. Unbelievable on how the government handled that. I know many people probably wouldn't have appealed so hats off to The Pony for hanging in there. Must have made him mad to have to pay the money back during that long appeal process. I'm glad everything was paid for in the end but gees, what he had to go through. Ugh!
DeletePaying the money back was not a hardship for The Pony, since he was still living with us after returning home from college. He had nothing to spend his earnings on.
DeleteThe real problem was the limbo of worker's comp. No doctor wants to take a worker's comp case. Yet you can't pay with your insurance, because they always ask if the injury is work-related. It's FRAUD to use insurance on a work injury.
Once the WC was denied, the urgent care and orthopedist sent The Pony the bill. He paid out of pocket. THEN after the appeal and new judgment, had to wait to be reimbursed for that.
The USPS is slow and inefficient in handling these claim forms, but the DOL (Dept of Labor) that handles WC claims bends over backwards to deny them. I fear that many people don't have the reading level or understanding of government policy-speak to file an appeal.
The Pony's shop steward was VERY helpful in explaining his rights, and pushing him forward to hound the NOT-HEAVEN out of workers like Delores who kept stringing him along without doing anything.
I think you should add the liniment to The Pony's letter to Santa. If I ever win the lottery the first thing I buy will be a house, the second thing a spa bath with jets. Maybe even a hot tub for outside as well.
ReplyDeleteI hope Santa has a mailman with working lights on his delivery truck! Hick and The Pony both love a bathtub with jets. I don't think I've ever been in one, even when my knees were cooperative, back when The Pony was a baby. There wasn't much time for a relaxing bath back then. I am sending you luck for your lottery!
DeleteI thought biting dogs were the worst physical hazard being a mailman.
ReplyDeleteI think I would prefer a broken bone, rather than an unpredictable canine chomping on my leg! So I would still say biting dogs are the worst. I hesitate to ask The Pony's opinion. No need to risk triggering possible PTSD!
DeleteI think they drag it out, hoping the person filing will grow tired of the run around and just lets it go. I have had dog bite and broken bones. They both hurt, but the dog that bites is unpredictable, and that is scary!
ReplyDeleteYes. And why the forms are harder to understand than a tax return. Supposedly their materials are written for an 8th grade reading level. I disagree.
DeleteI've never had a dog bite, but the last one on The Pony's leg looked like something I never want to experience.