United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Jaime,

Dr. Klebuc said Kelsey would get enough of a grasp to hold keys or a can of pop. No independent finger function. She has little use of her hand and wrist. She can move her thumb, and can bring her middle finger in about 1/2 an inch. That is all the hand movement she has. She has wrist flexion, but not extension. The intercostals would be done first, and then after the graft has had some time to "take" they would do the gracilis. Dr. Nath has also told me that she is stable right now otherwise, but could need a derotational osteotomy in the future. We just had Caps done last April, and I was a little deflated by that news.

Nancy

Hi Everybody

Here I'm thanks to Ashley who left me a message. If I had not posted is because you do not know how has been my feelings in the last months. I has been answering all the emails sent to me asking about the gracils transfer.

To be honest and tell to all of you I has been really depress because Jocey have not achieved the improvements she was suppose to get with that surgery.

I'm so sad and I feel guilty of the scars she have now. After Dr. Klebuc removed her skin graft scar he said she will have her muscle free to move her fingers but it didn't happen then he saw her around two weeks ago and now he said he do not know why she have not improved then he said will be time he said she need around three years to get more movement and they will not do any other surgery at this time.

Dr. Nath told me she still with scars on her wrist and are the ones who do not allow the free movement of her muscle. I do not know what to think but I'm so sad and depress because Dr. Klebuc told me she will be able to hold a cup with her hand after the surgery and she still with less movement than before the gracilis surgery.

He said he can't understand why shy do not have improvement because his other patients recovery movement fast than she has been doing.

I will do a new appointment with Dr. Shenak at the Brachial Plexus Clinic to see what he think.

My apologize to all ones who think I do not want to be anymore part of the forum but is because I have some times troubles when I want to write what I feel. This was a hard Christmas for me was almost a year from Jocey's surgery and we do not saw any improvement. We were here in Houston alone, and sad because our family are at Puerto Rico. We had a buyer for the house but we cancel it because my husband told me is better to wait until Jocey finish this school year and I could bring her to see what the Drs. will do with her case.

And then the best of all one day before the malpractice trial the Dr. who did Jocey delivery claim his bankruptcy. Then our youngest daughter started to get speech therapy because she was preemie and we started to discover she had a behavior of a kid younger than her age, she turned three February 14. We went to do to her a full evaluation and the therapists found she have the behavior and mind of a 15 months kid. This Tuesday she started at school half day. We hope this help her because my husband said she have that behavior because she is with my all the time and she do not share with other kids only with Jocey and Jocey is six years old but have the mind of a nine years old girl.

Francine I will go to the hospital to request the report of her last surgery to write it on her page and update her case.

Again if I had not posted is because I has been feeling so sad about my pretty Jocey's last surgery. I do not know what is going on with me but I was writing this and crying I think is because with this surgery the scars are more notable than with the previous ones. Right now we only could wait to see if she get improvement on her arm.

Kisses and hugs to all of you,

Ivelisse

Dear Ivelisse
I am so sorry to hear that you are having such a bad time, I hope and pray that things will get better for your family.
I live in the UK and I know of two children who have had this surgery done and neither of them have had any
imporovement in their function either.
They both had VERY severe injuries with very little recovery post nerve graft and their surgeon thought this was a last chance surgery to try and imporve their function. Sadly it did not work.
I know that this information doesn't really help you, but I thought you might like to know that you are not alone and that your child is not th only one who had no results from the surgery.
I send you blessings from the UK
Karen