Joan had been working in the Missing Persons Unit for a few months and the previous bumps and bruises seemed to be healing. Work was manageable again and her life was on an even keel and looking up. She re-married and took two weeks off. However, on her first day back to work, she was involved in a cruiser accident.
It was a rainy day and a vehicle in the on-coming lane slipped across the center line and side swiped her cruiser. On impact, her cruiser spun around and hit a telephone pole head-on. She was thrown forward and her head broke the windshield.
She was taken to the emergency room of a local hospital. After X-rays were taken, the doctor stated his two concerns for her: 1) she might have a hairline fracture in her skull: 2)she needed to be watched for possible concussion. The accident was fully investigated by a patrol supervisor and she was found "Not At Fault." The official paperwork was completed and a "Notice of Injury" report was sent to the Retirement Board per MA State Police policy. It was recommended that the state pay all medical bills relating to this injury. The documented injuries were to her head and neck.
The next day, Joan started chiropractic treatment which provided relief for some of her symptoms. Her complaints were varied , but most significantly affected were her head, jaw, neck and chest. She continued with chiropractic care: at first, intensively and then progressing to a maintenance schedule to address lingering symptoms.
However, a couple of years later she started experiencing symptoms of strong tremors up the left side of her face. Then one morning she awoke to the displacement of her entire jaw. This caused her extreme pain . Tremors and muscles spasms also radiated up the left side of her face. Before this condition would be stabilized by doctors and dentists, she experienced all of the following symptoms:
*pain and difficulty speaking
*inability to chew food
*inability to pronounce certain words and syllables
*numbness to the left side of her face
*inability to focus her left eye
* difficulty taking a deep breath
* eyes turned black and blue from dislocation of jaw
Due to the severity of these symptoms, Joan's chiropractor referred her to several other medical disciplines, including an osteopath, a dentist and an internist. If Joan thought she had only a health crisis to work through, she couldn't have been more wrong.
She would now find herself in two battles simultaneously: healing her physical injuries and fighting the MA State Police!!!
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