United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Went to see neurologist today for MRI & EMG. MRI took an hour, was not fun. EMG was another hour and even less fun. He told me my EMG was not normal and wants me to see neurosurgen and priephal nerve specialist on the 15th & referring me to Dr. Klein in New Orleans. Now I'm scared. Also wrote me a script for Loratab 10, (120)with a refill without blinking an eye. Don't know what questions I should be asking but this stuff is freaking me out. Please any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated. My emai address is suggabear911@aol.com if anyone wants to be an email pal. Thanks everyone for being here, wish someone was close down here in south Louisiana
Trying to hang in there,
Annette

Of course you are scared, there are so many unknowns for you right now. At least you are in very experienced hands with Dr Kline, he is one of the most experienced tbpi doctors there is and has been working with injuries like yours since the 60's.

It is still very soon after your injury which is great, you are getting to see a bpi doctor early which will probably help more than anything else. Are you seeing a different peripheral nerve doctor first? That won't matter, s/he will also be well versed in bpi as a peripheral specialist and that will be like a second opinion for you.

I normally advise people to ask their doctor whether adult trauma injuries are their specialty (which is the ideal situation) but that won't be an issue with Dr Kline who has always specialised in adults. I would also ask what he thinks of your MRI and EMG results, what he thinks your options are, whether you may need surgery and if so what kind, and what kind of therapy/exercise you should be doing to maintain your Range Of Motion (ROM). If the joints are not regularly moved around they get stiff very quickly which an make any recovery you do get of no use. This is especially true of the finger and hand joints, keep straightening them out and fiddling with them!

Sorry to unload all that on you-and theres not much solid info there either! without knowing more about your injury it's hard to know what you need to ask. Please let us know how you go and I'll keep my fingers crossed that your injury is as mild as possible. :0)
Cheers Jen NZ

Annette, I am on AOL as well, wildncrazyney, thats me! My puer is always signed on but I am not always there. Feel free to give me a shout if ya need to talk! I dod not work yet, but I am in school full time and do some work for UBPN so I am at my puter alot of the day, class at night. I am in Michgian and have had my BPI, will be 4 years in April! Hang in there!!!

COurt xx

Jen,
Thanks for your input, very much appreciated. I really am not exactly sure how I injured myself to this extent. I do know I slept on my arm for a long period and apparently had fallen since I had an egg on the back of my head for over a week. Freak accident is as close as I can figure. When I woke up my arm was hurting and would not move. Have regained some movement in my fingers, except for index which barely moves. I can also flex my wrist down but not upward. Forgot to mention I did email Dr. Nath (he is great about answering emails) and he said I seem to have a stretch of the lower roots and branches of the brachial plexus which may or may not heal substantially with time. He said surgery to "unpinch" the nerves is often a good idea and told me to send a copy of my EMG and MRI so he can give me a better opinion. I am in constant pain from this injury and it is truly a life changing event. I hate having to be on pain meds but I have to have something to keep the level down just to function. One more question please, sometimes it feels like my shoulder is trying to pull out of socket, is this normal and do you think I need some type of special sling. All I have now is a cloth one that irritates the crap out of my neck.
Hanging in or at least trying to,
Annette

http://www.armsling.com

This one is supper comfortable.

http://www.armsling.com

This one is super comfortable.