United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

All,

My wife and I just had our second baby. Like last time, the sex of the baby was a surprise. Big Sister now has a little brother. Also, like last time, I will use my arm as an excuse not to change diapers for the first 4 months. There has got to be some benefit from TBPI.

Mom and baby are doing great. I post this message as I re-call my first week home from the hospital after tearing my left brachial plexus. My biggest fear was that I would never be able to have a family or be able to support a family. I laid in bed at my parent's house and would hear all the fathers saying goodbye to their kids as they left for work in the morning. I felt so empty thinking that I had lost the ability to be a father. My arm was paralyzed and the pain unbearable. Here it is now 14 years later and I now have 2 kids and a wonderful life. I feel very fortunate.

Cheers
Rich in California

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
Like you I thought that I'd never be able to parent properly, or change nappies, (why are you not doing that for the first 4 months? That's when it's easy, it's when they can roll over and crawl off that one handed changing gets challenging!) but in fact I don't think I had any harder a time than any other parent. Just did things differently.
Anyway, a boy and a girl, that's great and I wish you and your family all the best :0)
Jen NZ

Rich, Congratulations! You have given me hope that my 26 yr. old son may have a wife and a future with one arm some day. As a mother I really worry about that. I want him to be normal and lead a normal life. It has only been one year since the accident and the depression is great as well as the pain. You are very lucky.
Frank's Mom

Jenny - thank you. As far as waiting 4 months to change diapers, it is easier for me to pull that off from the beginning rather than to start changing diapers and then take a 4 month break. you know and I know that I can change the diapers the entire time. I also think my wife knows that, too...

Frank's Mom - Thank you for the reply. Just a quick FYI - I avulsed my left BPI when I was 22. It was a long road. I am now 36. I got married when I was 31, so your son may have a few more years to overcome the constant pain. Things get better over time. Part of the reason I posted was to give hope as I know in the beginning of this injury that are a lot of struggles and reality checks. I remember always asking my doctor what sort of milestones I would face in recovering from this injury. I think the biggest milestone is becoming independent and realizing that you can make it your own. Everything falls into place from there.

Take care

Rich

Hi Rich

Congratulations and I am very happy for you! I have bad memory but I think we had a exchange of cuple of emails a wile ago (I live in Ensenada). Just want to let you know that my wife is in SD now ready to pop out our first son and we are very happy about it. I will ask you for some tips later but the one about no changing dipper for 5 months is excelent. Frank mom the BPI is not easy but your son with time will do just fin you will see.

Hi Rich,

Congrats and good luck with the diapers. I too learned very quickly how to change them and all three of my boys learned very quickly to lie still when dad was on diaper duty in order to avoid the spills and messes. Although I'm sure that sometimes they squirmed just to make it funny for me and to spread the wealth.

And for Frank's mom, I too was 22 when I had my right bpi and eventual amputation. I married after that and raised three wonderful boys who are now 10, 12, and 14. I just assumed that nothing was impossible, it only had to be accomplished a bit differently. Not always easy, but always rewarding.

Good luck to the both of you.

Henry

Fernando - congrats on the boy coming. Like Henry said "Nothing is Impossible". you will be able to take care of him just fine. just hold'em like an American Football.

Henry - I replied to other post, regarding the canoe. Hobie has 2 pedal Kayaks - The mirage which has the rudder controller on the right side and the outback which is a little wider and has the rudder controller on the left side. The outback also lets fly a sail so if you are going down wind, effort is minimal...

-Rich