Bye Bye Elsie!!

If you have been following this blog for any length of time, you are probably aware of my relationship with my insurance adjustor.  Because my injury is covered through workman's compensation (I was at a conference when my foot was crushed), all of my leg-related expenses have to go through their system. My adjustor, whom I nicknamed Elsie to protect her identity, has taken the concept of red tape and pinching a penny to a whole new level.

Perhaps I was naive, but it wasn't until I had to interact with Elsie that I realized that her job is ultimately to save her company money rather than to provide me with the equipment to live my best life. She has met me with nothing but obstacles and rhetoric since she was assigned to my case. In many ways I was becoming more disabled by having to deal with this heartless individual than the loss of my leg.

The fact that Elsie is also an amputee was salt in the wound.  She, more than any of her coworkers, should appreciate the need for working components, a comfortable socket and liners which have not lost their integrity.  Instead of approaching my case from a common perspective, she has made everything a battle.

The final straw was this past winter when she requested that I pledge never to become pregnant again in return for a new leg. I knew that Elsie had crossed a boundary and that her request was not only unprofessional but illegal. Not expecting anything to be rectified but knowing that it was the right thing to do, I filed a formal complaint with her employer.

It turns out that the squeaky wheel does sometimes get the grease. Yesterday I learned that Elsie has been removed from my case! I have been reassigned to a new adjustor who, from all accounts, seems to be both professional and fair. She has already approved my new post-surgery sockets, which is something that would have been a battle under the previous tyrant. As an unexpected bonus, my new adjustor has also approved a new swim leg. 

I feel liberated to be free of Elsie. It felt like she went out of her way to make a difficult situation nearly impossible. I don't think I've ever encountered somebody who lacked such basic empathy and human compassion. I am sure that my doctors and Elliot are just as delighted to be rid of her red tape stalling yet time consuming tactics.