Opinion ID: 2350712
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: 1993 to 2001: State employment

Text: Shea obtained a job with the State of Alaska in 1993 as an eligibility technician in the Department of Health and Social Services' Division of Public Assistance. This position required Shea to spend prolonged periods of time sitting at her desk. Around 1995 to 1996 Shea began experiencing increased achiness in her right leg, hip, and foot, but the pain was not constant and it was no more frequent than before her state employment. During 1997 and 1998 Shea's pain increased in severity and consistency. She began propping up her feet and using a pillow on her chair at work. Shea's primary care physician, Dr. Alexander Baskous, referred Shea to Dr. Shirley Fraser for a neurological evaluation. Shea told Dr. Fraser that her pain had increased and that if she takes part in physical activity, the leg gets worse and often will get worse in mid-period and sometimes during her menstrual cycle. Shea was examined by Dr. Declan Nolan, an orthopedist, in November 1998. Shea told Dr. Nolan that [s]he [was] still reasonably functional but the pain bothers her a lot and limits her activities moderately. Dr. Nolan noted that [t]he pain seems to have no significant aggravating or alleviating factors. Shea traveled to the Scripps Clinic in California in July 1999 to see Drs. Peter Sacks and Gary Williams. Dr. Sacks noted that Shea's symptoms ha[ve] become progressively worse over the years. Dr. Williams diagnosed Shea with trochanteric bursitis. [1] Dr. Baskous referred Shea to Dr. Leon Chandler, a pain specialist at A.A. Pain Clinic in Anchorage, in September 1999. The record does not show that Shea specifically mentioned her work environment as an aggravating factor, but she checked boxes on a pre-examination questionnaire to indicate that the following increased her pain: cold, damp, weather changes, massage, pressure, movement, sleep/rest, sitting, standing, bowel movements, tension, and fatigue. She also checked boxes indicating that heat, sleep, lying down, and distractions decreased her pain. In January 2000 Shea went to work as an Eligibility Technician II in the Fraud Control Unit of the Division of Public Assistance. This position also required Shea to sit at her desk for prolonged periods. October 2000 records from Dr. Chandler's office show that an aggravating factor for Shea's pain was sitting and that relieving factors included pillows, heat, and walking. In December 2000 Shea saw Dr. Jon Slocumb, a pelvic pain specialist at the University of Colorado. Dr. Slocumb diagnosed Shea with ilioinguinal neuralgia and recommended nerve block treatments. Shea notified the State of her need to take medical leave to explore treatment options in July 2001. A few weeks later, Dr. Dale Trombley completed a physician's statement for the Division of Retirement and Benefits on Shea's behalf. He explained that prolonged sitting or standing causes [Shea's] pain to increase. Shea filed an application for Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) disability benefits on August 22, indicating on the form that she was only applying for Nonoccupational Disability Benefits. [2] Under Cause of disability, Shea wrote: The nerve damage is believed to be from surgery 11-15-84 and Trochanteric bursitis from nerve damage of the Ilioinguinal Neuralgia. Shea met with Dr. Joella Beard in October 2001 to get a disability evaluation for an impairment rating. Dr. Beard, a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation, noted that the things that make [Shea's] pain worse are sitting, standing, walking, exercise, bending forward or backwards, cold and stairs. Things that reduce the pain are lying down, pain pills, heat. She does feel the pain is getting worse as she gets older. Shea exhausted her Family and Medical Leave Act benefits in October 2001 and her Alaska Family Leave Act benefits in November 2001, but she was still unable to return to work due to pain. Shea was notified that she was being separated from her job with the State in December 2001 because of her inability to return to work.