United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hi my name is Keith Minnicks

I was on here alot (mar-jun) when my accident happened valentines day this year in a freak accident in glamis,ca. I rode a crf 450 im 20 yrs old wil turn 21 in march and loose ccs.We had just got done jumping this 80ft gap my friend and i, he wanted to go back and get the camera...he stopped at camp as I rode ahead in a wheelie about 50mph for 3/4 of a mile and with no warning until the last second a 4 seater sandrail collided with me headon sending me overthe bars flipping with my back hitting their rllcage and then flipping again hitting the back (STEElL) rollcage then hitting the ground unconcienous. Everyone thought I was dead, a fireman their opened my airway because mybody was facing up but head facing down. I was helicoptered to palm springs where i would flatline on the helicopter for over a minute.

My injury was a full brachial plexus c1-5, concussion, all left ribs broken, every vertebre in neck chip off, punctured lung....was in the hospital for a lil over a month...lost my house nd everything in las vegas....had tro go back home to pismo with parents.

I have taken many pills- mexaltine, vicadin, vioxx, baclophen, neurontin, hydracodone, etc...pane still incredible until they put me on methadone in june (had repair surgerymay 24 could only repair some nerves expecting shoulder 75 degrees and maybe elbow movement, they say no hand) with the surgery and methadone i was doing pretty good until late sept. Standford had told me there been studies of young males becoming tolerant of the methadone...and then it would induce more pain..My pain levels have been far worse now.. they told me about this electronic nerve stimulator. I heard all these good reviews was stoke about going back up the next week to do my trial implant. they decide im to young and there are other options they can try first, as in opther pills substitueing the methadone (narcotic). My pain management doc. just now started switching out the pills they have me on Neurontin 2400mg, Doxepin 25mg, Keppra 1500mg(switching this one for methadone), Hydrocodone 10/325 (4 aday), Celebrex 200mg, Methadone(now 60mg a day decreasing 5mg every other day), and a patch for withdraws... My pain has been severe since sept. ...now i am in college again and everyones expects me to be normal i have to hold all this pain in.

I really want the Nerve Stimulator, anyone have one in them? What other pills are working now?

I have many arm braces, i have a custom molded one being built for my arm and neck, have to wear a soft collar which doesnt help....my nexk is so far over to my right you cant even push it back due to no muscles workingon one side... so i wear an arm brace, a neck brace with my head to the side i am in constant terrible pain (new pain in my arm from the nerves growing to butthe burning far by the worse) have 28 scars just from this, have doc appoinments every week...and everyone expects me to be normal. My dad is the worse he is always saying pain is pain (he has leg pain because he broke it a couple years ago but it is just slight aching) I try to tell him thatnerve pain is nothing like regular pain (i have broken many bones, and have suffered lost of pain became very tolerant, but cant control or stop thisnerve pain? Back like in april-july i could sit and play gameboy and stop the pain for a bit ....now its constant im in class dying in pain worst parts are my fingers buring, shoulder &arm pain all different, and terrible neck pulling pain.

Im just glad there is a sight where peopl;e understand our pain.

Please let me know if your taking anything good, or have a nerve stimulator, or if you have found any other pain reducers?
Anyone that is like a yr into it.....how are you doin now? how long before you could get back to doin stuff with not holding in so much pain trying to concentrate?
Is anyoner getting SSI? I have been trying

Sorry for the long lletter and bad typing (one handed trying to go fas like before) please respond

I hope everyone feels better sooon!!!

Hi, I'm taking Gabitril 4mg a day. I don't think a lot of people know about this pill but I think it helps me more than neurontin. I have a C7-T1 avulsion, happened last September. If you want to ask anything else, please do. Bye!

Kim

Hi Keith,

It's amazing you even survived that accident - I think you might "win" for the most devastating injuries although some others on this board would be close runners-up.

I can only speak to a couple of your questions but hopefully you'll hear from others.

Pain: Sometime earlier we had a thread that was on how people described their pain. I can't figure out how to do a search on this site so can't give you the url - but maybe you've already run across it (probably over a year ago). Reason being, if your father read all those accounts he might have a better idea of what you're going through and back off a little. Or maybe not.

Also, it's very possible that you'll get some pain relief once you start getting movement from your surgery. About 1.5 years after initial movement, I've seen my son go from massive daily doses to one pill as needed which sometimes is only once a week. I know that doesn't help now but might be something to hang onto.

Take care,

Ellen

Hi Motoracer,
I can relate to allmost everything you have been through and the journey ahead.
I had a motor cycle accident May '96. I was riding a Honda Vf 1000 around midnight when a car turned infront of me and I ran into the side crushing my left into the side of the car. My left leg and arm taking all the damage, bpi C1-6, degloved my left foot, crushing left knee.
The Doctors wanted to amputate the left leg, I was 36 when it happened.
They saved the leg, I haven't moved my left arm for 8 years......the pain does get better!!!
I was told it would last for about 5 years, 8 years later it still hurts but nothing like it used to.
I was on morphine among a cocktail of anti depressants, voltarin, panadene forte (codine) etc....
I am now taking Nurofen plus...over the counter purchase...that's it.

I was a year or so in a wheel chair,rehabilitated, retrained my self and I now walk with a mad limp, my left arm hangs around trying to give me grief and I find I need to keep my mind busy to aleiviate the pain.
I work as a Manager for a leading Toyota Dealership in Sydney Australia and life in all is good....we are still here!!!
In short, all will be normal. There is nothing you can do with 2 hands that can't be done with one! with a little imagination and determination.
All the best,
Dominic.

Hello Keith!
Your story has brought back many memories for me. I too had a morotcycle accident on September 22, 1983 when the motorcycle I was a passenger on was hit broadside by an oncoming car. I celebrated 21 years of life this past year. I also had many other injuries that I had to cope with before I was able to concentrate on my arm. Dislocated hip, lacerated spleen, liver, 5 broken ribs one which broke off and went through a lung, 2 broken jaws, and some things I can't even remember. I don't want to discourage you, but even after 21 years, I still have pain, and you're right, there is nothing like it. I was 18 when this happened and I turned 40 this Christmas. I found a wonderful and understanding man to whom I have been married to for 20 years, I have 3 children and run a homeschool group. It is right that you can do anything one handed with a little imagination. I hang wallpaper, I cook constantly, I spin (on a spinning wheel), I knit. Actually, I do whatever I please. I just have to find another way to do it. I was fortunate that I retained the use of my hand, although it doesn't always do exactly what I want it to! When I had my accident, I was never offered any medication to relieve the pain. I went to physical therapy 3 times a week for over 3 years. I found then, and still today, that the secret for me to manage the pain, is to keep it moving. I stretch it, push it and massage it. I will say that the pain is nothing compared to the first 5 years, but it is still there. I think that after awhile, your tolerence also increases. I used a nerve stimulator for probably the first 5 years when the pain was at its worst, and it probably kept me sane. You can however build up a tolerence for it if you over use it. I would often have to not use it for short periods of time and then go back to it. I also purchased a neuroprobe which was a wonderful pain relieving tool. They used one at physical therapy, and finally suggested that I purchase my own. Still now, on really bad days, I dig it out of the top shelf, and use it. I am sorry that you have to suffer so Keith, but please know that you are NOT alone in this fight. I think that was the worst for me, I live in the very northern part of Maine, and nobody had ever seen a brachial plexus injury before. Fortunately I was in Virginia on vacaiton when the accident occured, and they HAD seen it before. If there is every anything I can do, to cheer you up, or help you to overcome an obstacle, then please feel free to e-mail me. My prayers are with you

Eileen

Hiya motoX Racer, sorry to hear of your accident & the pain. I used to race years ago and cannot believe the areial stunts they do these days. Isn't a 450 a large bike for someone so young? I hear what you are saying and think all pain cannot be compared. I had a stimulator in effort to help my sublexed shoulder but it did nothing. Glad to have you around and I hope you find usefull information here.

Keith that sounds terrible..their are new pills developed for chronic pain all the time..If you live in CA you can even get medical MJ to help with pain if your physician prescribes it. Their is a patient forum group at www.braintalk.org that has a wonderful forums for chronic pain or spinal disorders or TOS which is what I have amoung C5-7 avulsion and LTN damage due to a car accident. Are they giving you Valium? Doctors are rediscovering the benefits of valium on nerve pain..that constant burning pain that comes after a nerve injury. After my doc put me on Valium then Neurontin I am having pretty decent relief for the first time...I hope this helps..Amelia

Keith
I have sent you a personal email with the attachments Ellen spoke of earlier...hope it helps.
This is unacceptable!!!



> everyone expects me to be normal. My dad
> is the worse he is always saying pain is pain