United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

you had your surgery at mayo huh ive got an appoinment with them may 23 if you dont mind my asking how bad was your injury and what surgery did you have if any ive had the intercostal nerve graft surgery but nothing to the hand yet i avulsed c5 c6 c7 and streched t1 c8 pretty good group of drs there thanks

hi keith,
It's been a long time since I visited any of these sites containing bp injuries. I had the most severe case of avulsion(9/98) and had a nerve transfer done. The pain I experienced was unexplainable. The only time I felt relief was when I was on steroids ane percosets. Once I was allowed home and off of the steroids is when the intense pain kicked in. I tried every type of drugs and only got very moderate relief. I knew the drugs were destrying my liver so I stopped it completely and decided to fight the pain naturally. I am no spiritual individual or have a high threshold for pain, but I can say that I've been pain free after 1 and a half years since my accident. my solution: I first got off all the drugs. I felt like dying because of the pain for the first few days(maybe a week) I realized that lowering the heart rate by meditating really helped. I started to focus my attention on everything except the pain. After a few months I noticed I was experiencing less and less pain to the point where I oddly didn't feel like myself. This has done wonders to my confidence. Now, after almost 6 years, I am completely pain free, only exception being a dramatic switch in season(only a day or two out of the year) my point is this: don't rely on drugs!!! its bad for you and is just a quick fix. Don't underestimate the power of the mind!! that's where the root of these fanthom pains start and ALSO can end. hang in there and you'll see results. trust me

hi keith,
It's been a long time since I visited any of these sites containing bp injuries. I had the most severe case of avulsion(9/98) and had a nerve transfer done. The pain I experienced was unexplainable. The only time I felt relief was when I was on steroids ane percosets. Once I was allowed home and off of the steroids is when the intense pain kicked in. I tried every type of drugs and only got very moderate relief. I knew the drugs were destrying my liver so I stopped it completely and decided to fight the pain naturally. I am no spiritual individual or have a high threshold for pain, but I can say that I've been pain free after 1 and a half years since my accident. my solution: I first got off all the drugs. I felt like dying because of the pain for the first few days(maybe a week) I realized that lowering the heart rate by meditating really helped. I started to focus my attention on everything except the pain. After a few months I noticed I was experiencing less and less pain to the point where I oddly didn't feel like myself. This has done wonders to my confidence. Now, after almost 6 years, I am completely pain free, only exception being a dramatic switch in season(only a day or two out of the year) my point is this: don't rely on drugs!!! its bad for you and is just a quick fix. Don't underestimate the power of the mind!! that's where the root of these fanthom pains start and ALSO can end. hang in there and you'll see results. trust me

I take 50 milligrams of methadone once in the morning and once at nihtand I am paain free except for whe I go #2 it is painful brcause of the constipation, but I have a prespripton for that so it helps some. I believe in the methadone

I take 10 mg 3 X a day. I hande the constipation with diet: lotsa fruit and fibre.

It works. Plus makes me feel better.

The other drawback I've noticed lately is that I feel tired all the time, regardless of the amount of sleep, I feel like I'm walking through mud the whole day.

I hate that, especially on beautiful spring days.

See ya,

h

btw, fishing season opens this weeked and I'll be fishing with my handy one-armed rod I bought from the fellow in Indianna who someone mentioned here. Love that thing!!

I have been on 120mgs methadone a day for 5 years. methadone is the best pain reliever by far. the withdrawls are horrible.

There seems to be a lot of misconceptions about methadone reading through the responses. As a 30 year man (M/C accident Aug 1974) I still suffer the pain you all know about. I have found there is no single answer to BPI pain.

After taking nothing but copious quantities of alcohol in many forms for the first twenty years, I have tried a myriad of combinations of medications since I ceased. I now am settled on Neurontin 2400mg/day + slow release morphine (whatever brand names you know it as) 60mg/day. I found the Neurontin levels out the spikes and the morphine (well only because I've been taking it for a long time).

Exercise, meaningful work, sport or other interest, and meditation are also great pain mediators.

Everyone is different but we all, I think, go into those black holes every now and again. It's whatever works for you but please don't rely on drugs alone; the brain is too clever for them. I have had psychs tell me that I had to accept the pain and learn to live with it. I thought I had.

Well I'm 50 yrs old, had a pretty good life considering, have a wonderful wife of 12 years and beautiful girl aged 7 and a cyclonic boy aged 5. Forget anything that is going to turn your thoughts inward and leave you on the couch (or sofa or whatever you call the thing usually in front of the TV in your country).

Well it's 0419 hrs here on the East Coast of Australia and I'm about to get on the couch to watch Arsenal hammer Barcelona in the Soccer European Cup.

As I tell my son as he runs on to play Australian Rules Football; Run Hard, Fly High, Have Fun. Regards Kimmo