@firefighter66 I realize that it will be a fight to get medical care that you need, and it really should not be like this. You may want to get involved with organizations who do fundraising to help firefighters and see if you can raise money to get some medical opinions on your own. You do have the right to seek your own medical care and get an informed opinion about how much function you have lost and what treatments could help you regain function. You could also try something like Go Fund me to try to raise funds. In the mean time, you still need to pay living expenses while you can't work.

Unfortunately, lawyers who represent employers with work comp situations are looking to save money by refusing to pay for medical care, and sending someone to a so called expert who is hired to discredit the patient so the employer can claim that they are not responsible for the treatment costs for the injury. Is there a union that represents firefighters that can guide you?

Self representation at a work comp hearing probably isn't a good idea unless you know the legal tricks and how to negotiate a fair settlement which includes the loss of use of the body part on a standard chart, and the loss of income from future employment because of the injury based on how many years that should be before retirement. An injury attorney who does a work comp case representing the injured worker is probably bound by law to the fees that they can charge their clients. It can be something like 25% of the settlement plus the expenses of the case like paying for depositions of expert witnesses. You would have to ask a legal expert. You are going to have to ask for what you want because if you don't ask and keep asking, you may be ignored over and over. The last time I checked, I didn't find anyone at Mayo doing reconstructive surgery for phrenic nerves, but there is a Regenerative Medicine department where you could ask that question. It may be worth finding out how much a phrenic nerve graft surgery would cost so you can plan for your future and how you wish to settle your case. This doctor says he is the only one performing this surgery at this time and it may be very expensive. You are going to have to be your own advocate.