My question involves medical malpractice in the state of: North Carolina. I have been seeing a pain management doc for over a year. Make long story short...nerve pain in right leg from neuroforaminal stenosis. I live alone and support myself....I am a Certified Nursing Assistant. Doc knows all of this. I had been referred to him by ortho surgeon because I did not want back surgery. A years worth of steroid injections, PT and a TENS unit did not do a thing. Doc said I needed to try a spinal cord stimulator implant. Minor surgery. To most people minor surgery does not mean 6 weeks out of work. Gets worse...I am told before I am sent home from same day surgery not to lift anything over 10 pounds nor am I to bend more than 90 degrees from waist. Not to reach above my head either. Lead shifted in spine and implant not working right. Given option to forget whole thing , have it removed or reimplant. Reimplant done 6 weeks after initial one. Doc not good about paperwork and nearly costs me my job not doing FMLA leave paperwork for my employer. Doc has been informed numerous times that before I can be returned to duty that he will have to sign paperwork for me to take a fit for duty test. I have to be able to lift 65 pounds from floor and 45 pounds from chest to overhead. I have been off work long enough to qualify for the long term disability insurance benefit at work. Doc does not sign long term disability paperwork! My Human Resources person was outraged( by the way...i work for a hospital) because she has never run across this. Gets better...the can not lift 10 pounds etc...this is for as long as this thing is in my back!! I now have no job, no health insurance, no nothing! Do I have any legal recourse?