United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I just had my appointments at mayo and it was decided to have a nerve transplant along with a vascular sugery (apparently i crushed 4 centimeters of hte major artery in my shoulder). thank you guys for all the tips!

I know that protein levels intake for myself must be higher in my diet to assist in new nerve growth. I also discovered the light green watermelon fruit found between the red and the outer rind, has been known for centuries for it's aiding in nerve injury healing. I eat this when ever I have watermelon. It is bitter, but I think it works.Positive thinking...helping others or doing deeds, keeping focused on a good path, assist in healing.
With Peace, Love & Light
Mardelle

Hi Janet, I'm also injured but not avulsed. At the two year mark (in May 09), I had improvement but still lack function and have constant burning pain in my thumb, index finger, palm, arm, chest, and shoulder blade. The neuorlogist said that was as good as it's going to get. Hard to swallow so I checked with a BP specialist. Turns out I also injured my anterior scalene muscle. It healed in a torn position and developed scar tissue that is touching/pressing on the upper part of the BP. Since you've got good doctors, you might ask them to look at yours. There are several scalene muscles and each one is next to a different part of the plexus. The fingers you have problems with are typical of a muscle other than the anterior. There's a website for that has a symptom checker and good images of which muscles cause pain in other parts of the body. You might have a look. www.symptomchecker.myofascialtherapy.org. You can click on the area that hurts (pinky and ring finger) and it will lead you to the muscle that might be involved. I hope this helps.

Janet,
I hate it for you cause I've been there too and I have always been into every physical activity or sport I could do. I guess its good you got to Mayo now. Go with the BPI specialists! I had no spinal avulsions but had lost all deltoid and bicep use. I had surgery at 5 1/2 months to take forearm nerves to work the bicep, and tricep nerves to work the deltoid. Within 2 months the bicep began to regenerate, still no shoulder though. As I've read later, there is a less likelyhood of success with it but its still possible. 2 yrs now and its still a struggle. But I get a little better every day.

Hi...Here are some things I do for myself.
No pain med's...they do nothing in the end except damage our liver...Instead I meditate...do deep breathing exercises..eat a diet high in protein. If I don't get enough protein my pain level is through the roof. This I found to be extremely important. Watch the sugar/carb intake. Only aggrivates the nerves sometimes. Eat the light green part of the watermelon between the rind and the red fruit. It is bitter, but has great nerve repair properties. The more fresh fruits/veggies...raw...the better. Or I juice them into various mixtures...
Keep stress away the best you can...if you know someone that just has to always dump everything on you...take a step back and ask them to dump it elsewhere from know on...tell them you love them...but have enough going on in your own world right now... this helps to keep a healing balance into your life.

With Peace & Light
Mardelle

Thanks guys. This helps a lot. I'll be sure to keep it in mind. The protein idea is a great idea. That is something that has never even crossed my mind. I'll keep this all in mind. Especially the stress factor, seeing as college has now started and I'm a first quarter freshman. We'll see how that goes but I'll be sure to do what I can. My professors have been very accommodating which is helping a lot. Especially with my courses that involve labs which are obviously a struggle while in an immobilizer. If you have any more ideas, keep them coming! Thanks!

Hi Janet...

Have an amazing school year. I hope that all things heal and come to you in a good way.
Never give up on this injury...it's full of surprises

With Peace, Love & Light
Mardelle

i am a 54 year old female educator in Texas. I am spunky, silly, creative, sassy and grounded by nature......most of the time. but, I still embrace the spirit of hope.

I have lived a good life with this injury. a very meaningful job. college degree.
I am married, 3 grown daughters who are my world. and my grandchildren's faces should be on cereral boxes.

Ive been so busy living and trying to experience a million events until I never sought surgical attention. I visited this board a few years ago............and got busy again. Lord knows I should be writing a book about this injury in my life.


yes, its crossed my mind and yes, I am a bit leary that i would not have the outcome that so many of us with BPI dream about.

after a forty year injury, what frightens me now is the wear and tear on the good arm and hand. having only one reserve is scary.


What I do know is that medical technology is awesome and far more reaching than when I had the accident as a teenager.

And yes..........there were a million episodes of depression. Only God CONTINUES to get me through them.

my question to the board is: has anyone had great success with surgery after such a lengthy injury.

please share

Hi Nelda B...

Glad to know you on this day. Use to live in Amarillo, Texas for a while.

I can speak only from my own experiences and my injury was a complete avulsion C3-C5. Technically, I should not be alive just from the accident alone. Or breathing on my own, which I do just fine. I had a radical intervention surgury within 6 months of my accident. Today, I have wrist returning, median/alner nerve firing...All the muscles in my elbow are back/ and shoulder blade area/pec muscle and forearm is coming.
The doctors hooked my arm up to my left lung. I was too damaged for spinal hook up.

After my promising signs of recovery 9 months after surgery instead of the 18 months. I joined my then Dr. Alan Hudson in assisting him in reasearch funding for this surgery I had. We were using our own nerves and they had begun donor nerves and synthetic nerve research in 1988. I had the opprotunity to run at the front lines with the best Dr's all over the World to work for over 2 years and gathering knowledge/experience on this TBPI.

All I can share with you at this point, because I have been in charge of my own self care/study with University Hospitals in Toronto, that incredible information and procedures are being introduced all the time. With your healthy attitude and lifestyle, you would be a delight for any doctor to work with. I suggest you locate the very best Dr's./ Start doing as much research as possible. Don't get discouraged. If you really want to go for it you have my complete support.
I know how difficult it can be and the fears of imagining being incapacitated with both arms. It happened to me for 36 hours in 1994. When I needed to have a carple tunnel operation. I had the best hand surgeon Dr. Terry Axelrod at Sunnybrook Medical Centre, Toronto. He was able to put a special spacer between my artery and my wrist tendons, so I would never get another carpletunnel again. But it was aweful to be helpless for 36 hours. It was a trauma in itself...

Go for it...you have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

With Peace, Love & Light
Mardelle