United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I agree with all the above advice and add a little of my own, keep your muscles limber if you can especially because that is where your elbow lift comes from. I lost 12kg of muscle from my arm,shoulder and back plus my bicep muscle went solid due to inactivity. It is very painful massaging a solid muscle back but it was worth it because now 12 months after surgery I have elbow flexion returning and I am now rebuilding my bicep. Movement, stretching and massage on a regular basis will really help in the long term, it is very hard to get it back so keep it while you have it.

Cheers John

I received a copy of the hospital MRI notes yesterday.

" The cervical spine is unremarkable. There is no abnormality related to the spinal cord, nerve roots, or nerve root sleeves. There is edema within the soft tissues of the right lower neck and supraclavicular region extending towards the axilla. There is edema extending towards the thoracic spine at the T1-2 and T2-3 levels. This indicates soft tissue injury in the region of the brachialplexus. The resolution is not adequate to assess individual trunks or branches of the brachial plexus. ".

I'm happy to read that the roots are OK.

I have an EMG Aug 16.

So far so good, right. It's great if the nerve roots are intact. It could mean that the nerves are stretched, torn, or encapsulated (trapped) in scar tissue. Often the doctors can simply remove scar tissue to free the nerve and bring back function. It will be exciting to get the emg.

gimpyfireman2010 wrote:I received a copy of the hospital MRI notes yesterday.

" edit... The resolution is not adequate to assess individual trunks or branches of the brachial plexus. ".

I'm happy to read that the roots are OK.

I have an EMG Aug 16.

gimpyfireman2010

Hate to say this to you,but mine read the same way for 3+ months until I went to the Mayo and got a proper EMG and a Myelogram as well. The report actually states that the MRI can "not adequate to assess individual trunks or branches of the brachial plexus." Unfortunately that means it is inconclusive. I don't mean to be a downer, it's just that I was seeing some of the best neurosurgeons in Los Angeles and they thought I might just have one avulsion, possible none, due to MRI diagnosis.

"There is edema within the soft tissues of the right lower neck and supraclavicular region" MRIs are far from the best way to determine nerve damage due to the swelling (edema) around the point of injury.

I'd see if you could push that EMG date sooner for your own safety, and who performs that EMG is very important. Readings can vary depending on the skill of the technician or doctor.

Best of Luck,
Christopher

"...who performs that EMG is very important. Readings can vary depending on the skill of the technician or doctor."...Christopher "...

Thank you Christopher. Exactly the reason I won't have an EMG. There is very little knowledge about BPI Injuries here in NW Washington, & I imagine less in the "Technician" category. If I had 1 it would be for informational purposes only...no surgeries at my age...

HUGS all around.....Hugs heal!
Carolyn J
LOBPI/72

Hahahah, see Will, it's what I told ya on the chat. Make sure that EMG is done by people who understand B.P. injuries and make sure to seek treatment in the first 6 months. And don't be satisfied with vague answers as that often means the doctor doesn't really understand what you want done (as in he/she doesn't understand bp injuries)......make sure you and the doctor understand each other.
I knew an MRI was not good enough for a complete look at a bp injury, but I didn't know it was completely useless.
Some people have not had to have this test done but when I had my first EMG at mayo, they included what's called a Lumbar Puncture (as fun as it sounds, lol) This test they lay you on your stomach and use a needle in your lower back to inject dye into your spine. This gives them a clear and accurate view of your nerve roots.

hi my name is joyce and i had surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome on may 18 and my brachial plexis nerve was pulled. at first, i had no control over my entire arm. i gave myself a black eye when i tried to lift my arm in the recovery room when it just flopped around. today is august 10 and i still cannot use my left hand. it is getting more movement in it but i still can not do simple things such as turning on a sink faucet. i have normal strength in my arm but have no sensation in my forearm. i have to be careful not to touch any thing hot because i would not know that my arm was burned. but at the same time it feels like it is on fire. i know it will get better but i also know it will be a very long time. i went into the chat room and no one was in there. it was 2 days later and still no one was in there.

Hi Jmar,

Most chat WED from 7-9 pm EST.

Well I have been scheduled for nerve transfer surgery Sept 7th. My C5, C6, and C7 are damaged between my shoulder and elbow. I'm nervous to say the least!!! How painful is the post op?

gimpyfireman2010 wrote:I'm nervous to say the least!!! How painful is the post op?

A lot less painful than having an arm paralyzed. Try and keep your focus on the out come(eye on the prize). It helped me go through numerous surgeries over three years. I don't even contemplate what the post-op pain will be like now, just the post-op recovery. Do the best you can, and I'm sure that will be plenty good enough.

Chris

ps where is your surgery happening?