So, here's how it happened....

There was no ferocious wolf.

There was no struggle.

There was no intent. 

The story is really the most down-played from all the vicious rumors. 

It was a sweet German Shepherd.  She is all of 61 pounds and I was squatted down to complete an examination after the doctor I was coaching had finished and had gone on to the next pet.  She jumped up and hit the front of my right shoulder with her left leg in just the right spot.  I felt a tear.  I felt immediate searing pain.  I stood up and did my best not to let it show until I left the examination room. 

My right hand turned purple and started swelling.  This was two weeks ago. 

Let me start the story by telling you how far I've gotten with treatment in 2 weeks.
Step 1: Stay on the phone with my company's "nurse hotline" for 31 minutes while manually icing my right shoulder with my free left hand, cradling the phone with my head and left shoulder.  I answered the question, "What exam room did this occur in?" four different times.  (As if this was in any way relevant.)  I waited for a fax for 30 minutes after I got off the phone, all the while my hand swelling and my shoulder paining.  My husband drove me to the Band-aid clinic they instructed me to go to.  I waited for an hour in waiting room while they tried to get authorization to treat me.  Once with the doctor, he took xrays of my shoulder revealing no broken bones.  He had no other diagnostic equipment available.  He sends me home in a sling with pain meds I can't take and an anti-inflammatory that doesn't help. 

Step 2: Recheck examination 5 days later.  Same symptoms.  Same pain.  Purple hand.  Referral to ortho specialist.  Signed form to go  back to work with absolutely no use of right arm or hand.

Step 3: Wait around for Traveler's to get their act together and facilitate the referral appointment with a specialist.  Work.  11 hour days, 4 days in a row in my sling.  No chair with even a back, much less arms on it.  Walking around with an ice pack.  No writing.  Typing only with fingers of left hand.  No exams.  No vaccines.  No practicing medicine.  4-11 hour days of standing in pain not able to perform any duty associated with my job.  Obviously the people at Traveler's are oblivious to the fact that the doctor referred me to an ortho specialist for a reason. 

Step 4: Dealing with Traveler's.  It turns out that the first visit's diagnosis at the Band-Aid clinic was "contusion."  I find this interesting, being in the medical profession myself, that the definition of contusion is bruising.  I had no bruise.  I had no superficial soft tissue damage anywhere on me.  And, it turns out that because of this diagnosis  (which I believe was coded in because he didn't know what my diagnosis was) Traveler's thought I should be back to work with full duty despite the recommendation of a referral and non-use of my right arm.  Obviously they don't understand that a veterinarian cannot practice with one arm.  Fast forward through week 2 -- after many phone calls to the nurse at Traveler's, the claims adjuster at Traveler's and the workers compensation guy at Southwest Orthopedics (who, by the way was very nice), I have gotten no where.  I am sitting at home in a sling with a very painful shoulder that is radiating burning nerve pain and hand pain and swelling. Waiting.  I can't work so my boss sent me home this week -- I am of no use to anyone like this. 

I am very disappointed in Traveler's insurance lack of responsibility, lack of respect, and lack of everything a good business should be.  Meanwhile, my right hand has less circulation and less strength as I sit here waiting on them to do the right thing.