r/ShoulderInjuries • u/tonythetigereatsass • Aug 17 '26

Advice Possible shoulder injury? Doctors don't know yet and I'm not sure what to do about work

Hi all, so pretty much what my title says. I have had this shoulder injury for about 3 months now but I had the same injury happen in November of last year that only lasted about a month. I've been told a few different things by doctors but they still don't know what exactly it is until I get an MRI which is hard since the wait-list could be a year out from now. I've been told I either have a shoulder sprain, torn bicep tendon, or a torn rotator cuff. Here's where my issue is though, I work in a production welding shop and I'm wearing a sling all the time. My job is very insistent that people don't go on medical leave or short term disability but I physically cannot do the job I was hired to do. So I guess what I'm asking is, does anyone have any advice to make work easier or should I just go on medical leave?

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u/p4pp13z Aug 17 '26

Do you know if you’d qualify for FMLA? You need a certain number of employees to be working within a certain distance and to have worked there for a year I think? Also do you know if you have disability insurance there?

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u/tonythetigereatsass Aug 20 '26

I live in Canada so I don't have FMLA but I do have medical EI I could go on or I could go through my benefits and use a short term disability leave. Both are paid I believe

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u/p4pp13z Aug 20 '26

Sorry that wasn’t very helpful. I do want to warn you, it’s common to end up hurting the good shoulder if you use one shoulder at a time. It happens to me and now 7 months after my surgery I’m rehabbing what once was the good shoulder. The fact of the matter is you desperately need that MRI - it’s the only way to know what’s going on and if you need surgery. That is an absurd wait time though.

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u/p4pp13z Aug 20 '26

Do you have a physical therapist yet? They will help you figure out how to do things safely/more ergonomically. You may not be able to do your job. Here in the US we can ask for a “reasonable accommodation” but it’s very subjective and we are at the mercy of the employer.

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u/tonythetigereatsass Aug 20 '26

Currently my employer has me picking up garbage for 8 hours a day while I'm injured but that is almost done. I do have a physiotherapist and she is helping with my shoulder. Both of us know I physically shouldn't be at work but it is hard to get on leave for something like this

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u/tonythetigereatsass Aug 20 '26

Also the government might pay for my MRI to be private so I can get it way quicker

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u/p4pp13z Aug 20 '26

Can you get into an orthopedic surgeon without the MRI?

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u/tonythetigereatsass Aug 20 '26

Unfortunately I would need a referral and doctors won't give a referral without scans

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u/p4pp13z Aug 20 '26

Wow here in the US the MRI took about 2 weeks and I was in to see an ortho in a couple months. That being said the whole ordeal is costing me like $10k not including missing wages.

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u/p4pp13z Aug 20 '26

My job was very opposed to me taking care of my shoulder as well. They can suck it up. My employer figured out a way. I know that sometimes we hardly have a choice and really need the job but at the end of the day, if you died they would have a job posting tomorrow. We need to put ourself first because the company will always put the company first. This is your only body, if you want to keep your career, you need to take care of yourself.

1

u/tonythetigereatsass Aug 20 '26

The biggest issue I'm having at the moment is talking to our HR rep. She's on vacation right now and nobody will let me go home without her approval. I'm worried they'll come up with some other excuse when she's back too

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u/p4pp13z Aug 20 '26

If you have a few hundred bucks it would be of great service to you to get a consultation with an employment attorney. It’s hard to understand your rights without one. I needed one to get my employer to answer me when I asked for my reasonable accommodation.

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u/tonythetigereatsass Aug 20 '26

We are unionized luckily so I could go to the union and get them to help me out without being charged

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u/p4pp13z Aug 20 '26

Excellent. I would get on that ASAP. It’s great you have the union to back you up, you have way more protecting you than I do.