NEW INJURY AND SCARED

[Gianni]

Donna,

Are you going to see Dr. Kline??? He did my son's surgery.

Maureen aka Gianni's mom

[Suzie]

Hi Karen!

Glad you're getting an EMG--that will determine the extent of nerve involvement--not a very pleasant test, but a necessary one!!! I know David was very sore after the test for a few days--that's another reason why you NEED to get something for pain to have available to you Another thing that I just thought I'd throw in--might have been coincidence, but it was after tha EMG that david starting feeling more and movement began about a week and a half later--seems like everytime he gets a bout of different pain in his arm, increased movement followed a few days later--not sure if there is correlation, but maybe.....From my understanding--(and remember, I am a Hospice nurse, and former L&D nurse, NOT an ortho or neurology one)--peripheral nerves can sometimes regenerate after a tear--but at the rate of about 1 inch a month, if they can find their "tunnel" to travel thru--also, from what the BPI guy told us, you run into time constraints regarding nerve to muscle interaction--if the muscles are not given nerve impulse, they begin to whither up(for lack of a better word)--he said there is about a 2 year window to work with before you run into big trouble--"work with" meaning PT/OT, nerve graft surgery, exploratory surgery, and the like----it IS scary stuff--that is why you need a great BPI specialist to guide you--ortho is great, but they do bone and muscle, not nerves--so you need both, and nerve guy takes priority right now. REMEMBER to stretch and massage those fingers EVERY DAY--that made a big difference to David, I know! Triumph of the morning--was greeted with a right handed "good morning pinch" from him!!hahahaha!!! Life can be grand--keep thinking good positive thoughts, do your range of motion exercises as often as you can during the day, and write back when you can--will be thinking about you!

[admin]

HI SUZIE, I LOVE YOUR WITTINESS AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS LIFE. IS IT DIFFICULT AT TIMES FOR YOU? YOU SEEM LIKE A VERY STRONG AND DETERMINED WOMAN. I ADMIRE THAT ABOUT YOU. I HAVE BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH BULL SHIT THESE PAST 6 MONTHS AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IT WITH SOMEONE. THIS INJURY IS JUST A PART OF THE STORY. I AM VERY SAD AND WOULD LIKE TO UNLOAD. THANK YOU.

KAREN email: kggunns@hotmail.com

[Suzie]

Karen--unload away!!! That's what seems to be helpful, to talk to people who are going thru similar experiences--even vicariously, like me!! I sent you an email--hope you got it! David came home yesterday without his sling on--asked him why, and he said...are you ready for this??????>>>> I was TYPING!!! WITH BOTH HANDS!!!! See.....it CAN get better--1 month ago we thought it was pretty hopeless--he's nowhere near 100%, but he becoming functional at least.Tomorrow is his 47th birthday--t will be much better than I anticipated back in July or August!! SOOOO>>keep positive thoughts--keep persevering to get t he best medical help you can!!
Suzie

[Henry]

Hi Karen,

Unload away. We've all been there and the bullshit is part of the injury.

My survival technique for many years after the injury was to operate with a high degree of pissed offedness. This was not going to steal my life, and I'm nobody's handicapped victim.

You have my email and work number. Write or call anytime.

Henry

[admin]

HI HENRY:

I DON'T HAVE YOUR PHONE #. PLEASE EMAIL IT TO ME. kggunns@hotmail.com

YES, I DON'T WANT TO BE ANYONES HANDICAPPED VICTIM. I NEED TO GET ON. I WANT TO START WORKING AGAIN. DOING WHAT? I WAS A LEGAL SECRETARY. I GUESS THAT CAREER IS GONE FOR NOW. TALK TO YOU LATER.

KAREN.

[admin]

Hi,

I am from Singapore. My dad had an accident in August 2003 and had fractured hand, broken collar bone, No. 6 & 7 spine (if I'm not wrong it would means C6 and C7) dislocated (all ligament around was torn), concussion, injured lung and brachial plexus injury.

The consultant had op for him and have put implants on his fracture hand and spine. Use his crevic bone to patch the broken collar bone etc. Now, his left hand has BPI and is experiencing pain everyday especially the night. The consultant told him that they will do a op for him next Friday and told my mum that he wanted to meet me. Guess is to explain the risk to me and wanted me to sign the paper for my dad's op. I think the consultant is going to reconstruct some nerve for him to help him gain back some sensation because I told the consultant that my dad is someone who like to move around and he would not like to be handicap.

Now, my question is... will my dad feel the pain after the surgery? Is there anyone who has the same experience as my dad and can tell me about it?

I am so scare now coz it really pain me to see my dad suffer so much.

Hope that someone here can share your experience with me and that I can keep giving my dad hope as I am now so lost.

Have a nice day. Take-care & all the best.


Regards,
Hwee Yong

[jacko]

Hello Hwee Yong,

Sorry to say pain is almost guaranteed with this injury. Your Dad will experience pain, but it should reduce as time goes by. It is how your dad reacts to the pain that is most important. He must keep himself busy as far as possible, to take his mind off the pain. The brain is wonderful at blocking out the pain to a large extent if it is being directed in a different direction.

My advice for your dad would be to try and avoid pain medication as far as possible. It is very tough, but those people who take a lot of pain medication do not really get rid of the pain, it just reduces it a bit. Those people who have come off pain medication, like myself, have learned to live with the pain, and then it has reduced to acceptable levels.

Your dad is very fortunate that you are being so supportive when he really needs it. Good for you! But it is a very emotionally draining time for you, and for other people watching someone with this injury. You may feel that you have to look after your dad, but don't forget to look after yourself as well. If your dad is strong, and it sounds like he is, he will learn to live with this injury, and lead a good life. This is not the end of his life, but the beginning of a new, different one.

One HUGE word of warning. Is the surgeon who is going to work on your dad someone who has had experience of this sort of reconstructive surgery before ?? You do not want anyone going in who does not know EXACTLY what they are doing. There can be huge problems if the surgeon makes a mistake with nerves. Please check!
It may be better to have no operation, rather than have the job done badly.

[admin]

Hi jacko,

Thanks for your advise. Won't the pain go away after the doctor reconstruct the nerve? The consultant who is going to operate for my dad is a specialist (website address www.nni.com.sg) They specialise in this area. The consultant who is going to operate for my dad is Dr Peter Hwang

He is refer to us by my dad consultant who save my dad's life as in operate for my dad's spine to fix by C6 & C7 and other injuries.

I am so scare, my dad don't want to be a handicap and he told me the pain is excruciating. I'm very worry because my dad has heart problem too. All our hope is that after the reconstruction of the nerve, my dad won't feel the pain anymore and at least able to use his left hand even if the left hand is weak.

Do you also have the same problem? Have you undergo an operation?

Please advise. I'm so scare and worry.


Regards,
Hwee Yong

[admin]

Hi Jacko,

Thanks for your advise. May I know if you have any surgery to reconstruct the nerve? Does the pain continue after the reconstructing of nerve?

The consultant who operate for my dad is a specialist in this field recommended to us by the consultant who save my dad's life and fix his spine injury.

They are both from the National Neuro Science Centre website is www.nni.com.sg

Can you tell me more about BPI?

Have a nice day. Take-care & all the best.

Hwee Yong