It has been a while since I posted. I am now 8 weeks post for my second tendon transfer. I have movement in my fingers, although it feels like a mechanical hand. Nothing moves smoothly (not that I am complaining). I still cannot extend my fingers all the way, but it is not a claw hand anymore. My strength is up to 17 (left) and 60 (right). I still have a ways to go there. The doctor says I may need 1 more surgery. My thumb does not rotate so I can touch the end of my fingers. The one thing that just bugs the snot out of me is the numbness. I can't stand it. I constantly rub my hand and arm to see if I can feel. Has anyone found anything that will help with that. By the way, it will be 18 months tomorrow. The date my neurologist said it would take to be at the end. In a way it has gone fast, but I am not where I thought I would be. Oh well, it is better than not being here at all.
Take care everyone.
Kathy
Update on surgeries
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jennyb
- Posts: 1183
- Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2001 5:24 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: January 1980 Yamaha RD200 vs 16 wheeler truck, result, 1 totally paralysed right arm. I was 21, now 54. I had no surgery, I don't regret this. Decided to totally ignore limitations (easily done aged 21) adapted very quickly to one handed life, got married, had 3 kids, worked- the effect of the injury on my life (once the pain stopped being constant) was minimal and now, aged 54, I very rarely even think of it, unless I bash it or it gets cold, then I wish I'd had it amputated :) Except for a steering knob on my car, I have no adaptations to help with life, mainly because I honestly don't think of myself as disabled and the only thing I can't do is peel potatoes, which is definitely a good thing.
Re: Update on surgeries
nice to hear it's going well, kathy, I can't imagine not having a claw hand now! Wow that 18 months has flown by...:0)
Re: Update on surgeries
kathy - what you wrote about it feeling like a mechnical hand struck a cord with me. Many of the children are told to do TES e-stim following a surgery. This is an e-stim machine that is worn and on all night long. It direct low level stimulation which does not cause muscle contraction but sends increased circulation and hormones to the area where the electrodes are placed. I know they have hand placements. I wonder if something like this might be helpeful. The first thing that I noticed about Maia after 6 weeks of use was fluidity of motion - her arm used to move mechanically and that all changed after 6 short weeks - many other parents report the exact same thing.
Anyway - I have a whole bunch of stuff written up about this e-stim...
http://www.injurdnewborn.com/maia/estim.html
www.tascnetwork.net is the site of Dr. Karen Pape who is the inventor of this type of stimulation...
wishing you the best in your recovery,
-francine
Anyway - I have a whole bunch of stuff written up about this e-stim...
http://www.injurdnewborn.com/maia/estim.html
www.tascnetwork.net is the site of Dr. Karen Pape who is the inventor of this type of stimulation...
wishing you the best in your recovery,
-francine
Re: Update on surgeries
Thank you Francine. We have tried e-stim. There is no response whatsoever in my arm. When they try it on my non-bpi arm it works great. We have tried all kinds of placement of the electrodes and nothing. But thanks anyway.
Kathy
Kathy
Re: Update on surgeries
Katy its all very intresting. Paul