Nerve transfer surgery tomorrow

[Gunsurgeon]

My names Raymond on August 19, 2012 a 84yo man in a mini van made a left turn with out yielding directly in front of my motorcycle (2012 Kawi ZX14R). I hit his passenger front fender. When I flew off the bike my body hit the side of the mini van. I suffered a severed carotid artery to my brain, 11 broken bones in my face, 4 broken ribs, a broken right femur, a broken left knee cap, and a severe brachial plexus injury to my right arm. I have no feeling in my right arm at all from the shoulder down. I have no feeling in my right collar bone and limited feeling from my right ear to my right shoulder. I can move my shoulder, but there is no movement in anything below the shoulder. I am thankful for being alive and know I have a long road to recovery.

I have been accepted into John Hopkins. I have had multiple mri's and they show root avulsion C4-T1. I am having medial pectoral nerve transfer surgery for elbow flexation tomorrow morning. My doctor is Allan Beltzberg and I have heard he is a great doctor. I will post later how everything goes.

[hubbard]

Praying the surgery goes well for you! You still have a long road ahead and many months before the total results of your surgery is known. Hope it continues to improve!

[Christopher]

You're in good hands at Johns Hopkins.
Best of luck and keep us posted!

Christopher

[suzannesteam]

You are definitely in good hands with Dr. Allan Beltzberg. My mom's friend was in a terrible accident a few years ago and he basically put her back together! He would have been one of our choices for my son! Hope and pray all goes well!

suzanne

[hilltopfwb]

Best of luck with the surgery. Nerve Transfer will take around 8 months to a year for your body to begin using those nerves. It is a long process - but NO DOUBT it is worth it.

[Gunsurgeon]

Surgery went as good as to be expected. I was on the table for 13 hours. They transferred 3 nerves from my chest to my arm for elbow movement. They took the nerve I use to shrug my shoulder split it in 2 and ran the other half to another shoulder muscle. Hopefully I will now be able to keep my shoulder in socket. The doctor said he did everything there was to do and that my injury is as bad as it comes. We also found out what we already thought my right hemidiaphragm is paralyzed. I was in the hospital for 3 days in all and it was a great experience at John Hopkins. Dr allan Belzberg was amazing and I can't speak highly enough for him. Anyone that wants to see a little more about my surgery and pictures of the incisions can go to my Facebook page ( http://www.facebook.com/raymond.bailey.148 ) and take a look.

I was wondering about this paralyzed hemidiaphragm. Does anybody else have this ? Is there stuff I can do to make it better ? Or stuff that will make it worst ? Any info will help.

[hubbard]

When researching my sons injury that occurred in 07-2012, I had read that this injury sometimes causes one side of the diaphragm to become paralyzed. His first Dr had done a bronchial scope thinking there was lg blockages but never found what the thought they would find. Our local MD pointed out the abnormality when they xrayed for pneumonia. Questioned Mayo about it, not overly concerned. We have been told if he feels he's having difficulty breathing to see a Dr. (That's a no brainer!)

For those of you that go to Mayo, make sure to download their app! You can see your Dr reports and lab results on it!