Anger Survey (about bpi)

[patpxc]

49 years old Right OBPI
I am angry that I spent a lot of my life feeling angry and resentful because I wasn't like "everyone else"

I am angry that my self confidence was taken away as a child due to rgw inability to fully participate in childhood games and everyday tasks

I am angry that people don't understand when I tell them I can't do something- i.e. lift a box onto a shelf,put your right hand over your heart for the pledge of allegience.

I am angry that I had to go on disbility due to debilitating arthritis ,carpal tunnel, and pronator syndrome related to the OBPI

I am angry at my family who say's "you look ok. Get off your butt and get a job.Don't use the Erb's as an excuse"

I am angry at the Dr's who refuse to relate the overuse back to the Erb's

On the other hand......
I am happy that I have the use of my fingers.

I am happy that I have had a productive career for a lot of years.

I am happy that I have 2 loving children and a beautiful grandaughter.

I am happy to be reasonably intelligent.

I am happy that I have faith in God

Pat

[Primrose]

I also am not angry. There are occasional times when I am sad. If I had to label my negative emotions regarding Atticus' injury it would be disappointment. I just thought it would also be helpful for the writter to know that not every situation is one that evokes anger. Pam

[Tessie258]

Someone told me once that anger is FEAR that has no place to go.
T.

[Bridget]

I did not start feeling any anger about my son's injury until he was about two years old. Prior to that I felt sad, lonely, alone, depressed etc., but not anger.

As I've been able to work through all the other emotions, I think I finally felt strong enough to admit my anger, and to start letting it out in the open and working through it, channeling it into healing. It felt like waking up, to finally really feel the anger that had been buried and simmering for so long.

If someone had asked me even five years ago (my son is now eight) if I felt anger I would have probably said no, I do not feel any anger.

But, eight years of facing down challenges, struggling with all of this, paying the bills, etc. have allowed me to reach a point where I can now say, in truth, yes, I am angry about some things related to my son's injury.

I also love my son unconditionally, and cherish his presence in my life. This entire experience has been the most incredible learning opportunity for me, on many levels.

Personally, feeling anger has felt healthy for me. Looking back, I see how unhealthy my life of denial was, but I also try to look back on myself at that time (and others in this position now) with gentleness...my mind could only handle so much, I did the best I could and made it through. When my mind and body could handle the power of the anger, I allowed myself to feel it (that is my psychoanalysis, anyway!).

Not everyone is going to feel anger, and that's okay, each of us is unique and complicated...but to those of you who do feel anger, please know that it is okay, it is simply part of the process of healing, one more step along the way. Anger can give you strength, use it wisely and constructively.

Bridget

[admin]

Dear Bridgett
just a question how did you read my mind and heart?
finally someone who feels the same as we do and not well it just happend I too am so mad our story is so similair it is not even funny. the only diffrence I see is that we won our lawsuit not because the doctor didnt lie like a dog or the nurse break down and say this has all been so hard on HER give me a break I could have thrown up! the only reason we had a better outcome was because we had a video of part of the things the so called doctor lied about in the delivery room. My son has a lobp with a horner's and klumpke's so I completly understand how you feel at times I think or just hope I am over some of the anger and have learned to live with it but when I see my son run or try to play ball or swing on the monkey bars it all comes flooding over me like boiling water and still after 5 years I have no answers the doctor didnt have any explaination or any remorse of what he had done to my beautiful blonde headed blue eyed boy who now thinks he is spider man.Sorry for not putting in the correct punicuation but when I type my mind overrides my fingers especially about this. and I know you understand. I try every day to maybe let go a little bit but when I think this arragoant--- is in town playing GOD with someone elses life it absoultly enrages me to know that my son will never have the same opprunities that he and his children have.MY son will never go into the military or do most jobs that he shows potential for. It makes me sad to know that so many people are so ingornat I'm sure you have questions like well what did you do while you were pregnat well i went to the wrong doctor!!! please forgive me I know your probally reading this thinking man this lady needs some professional help and possibly but I just cant understand after 5 and a half years I'm still asking why why why and I cant get over it after our court case every one said well now that its over maybe you can get on with your life,
well excuse me but has no one listend to us it will never be better it will never be over yeah sure the court case is over but we still have many many years of tears and teasing and questions to come I believe the whole world is insaine when I read your comments I thought man this lady has been listeing to me rant and rave at night because you seemed to understand that it dosent just go away. I want to say thank you you have made me feel like maybe i'm not so insane afterall for still being mad as all get out. If you havent guessed I am from Georgia and very southern i wont bore you with anymore of my rambling but thank you for making one mother not feel so isolated . maybe we could keep in touch it seems we have alot in common again thanks

MElissA

[sharlon]

the thing that i am most angry about is the cover up. The hospital and the drs involved made attempts to down play the injury. the hospital's neurolgist even told us to wait a year before pursuing further options, said that physical therapy was too aggressive for young chidren. they said that the injury would go away etc. i believe that they even tried to avoid telling us about the injury at all if it had resolve withen two hours i would never had known that she was injured. as it stands now if i had listened to them she would not have gotten treatment. the whole stinker of the situation is that to avoid paying MONEY they will mislead you lie to you and put your child's recovery in jeopardy for MONEY, so when anyone says that suing them is not justified i say hit them where they live because MONEY seems to be more important than my child and that makes me angry!!!!!!!!!

[admin]

Ok,for the most part I am very positive but here it is...
1. My son has a lifelong limitation due to a preventable injury.
2. The physician responsible lied in the records saying that his birth was uneventful (much tugging with forcepts, an eye swollen shut, bruising on his face and chest, a broken clavicle and Erb's tell a very different story)
3. The receptionist at the therapy office that exclaimed, "Oh, we LOVE Erb's babies...they're soooo cute!"
4. Every time anyone has ever put my son's disability before who he his.

[mae2050]

I am extemely mad!! today I told my daughters pt i noticed swelling her brace was not fitting properly her injuredarm actually looks bigger then the non injured anyway she agreed that she saw considerible swelling and sent me upstairs to see my daughter peditrician who was gone for the day. I saw another doctor and this women came in and said Brachial plexus injury what is a brachial plexus injury. In a rude tone by the way and could not even understand my daughters initial injury!!!!! What is wriong with the medical comm8unity!!!!!ugh! So she called a neuroligist in town he would not see her because she is to young!! thier is no neurologist in town who will see children this young!!! The doctor told me she did not know how to test for edema or lymphatic problems "you may want to call texas and fly down there" aLL THIS FOR SWELLING!!!! I left the office trying to hold back the tears and went down to my daghters therapist at EDI THANKGOD for the therapist she handled everything called a peds neoroligist about 2 hrs out of town set up the refferel and gave me a hug on top of it all.

[Missy]

Guest...my jaw hit my lap!!

The receptionist who said "we love Erb's babies"!!!! I could spit I'm so appauled! I hope you punch her in the nose! What did you say to her??!

HORRIBLE!

[Donna (Colleen's Mom)]

Yes, Missy and Guest, I am equally appalled, but I am more surprised that the receptionist actually knew what Erb's is, even if she is a PT receptionist.