United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Eric has had, no pain so far, so we are wondering what will happen after the surgery. After the nerves are transferred, is there pain during the healing process? Will it precede or accompany the first signs of movement/feeling? Can we assume that since he has no sensation now, he won't immediately post-op either? We forgot to ask at Mayo.

After my nerve transfer, the pinky side of my left hand was extremely numb and pins and needles(which was painful for me). They put my arm in a shoulder sling which was uncomfortable. My arm was bent at the elbow. Whenever I would take my arm out of the sling to shower, I would still have to keep my arm bent using my other arm. This was because there was an excruciating pain if my arm straightened(like the nerves would snap inside). After the 3 weeks when the sling and half cast was off, It was very sore and I would still have it supported with a regular sling.

Range of motion movements will be difficult in the beginning. Just have Eric keep at it to get the soreness go away.

Remember that it's not a quick thing. I had my surgery in February 2006 and finally seen movement 3 weeks ago while I was in the water. I'm currently able to bend my elbow. Not all the way and not quickly. I am practicing.

The only pains I feel is when I try to keep my elbow bent and ask my girl to straighten my arm while I try to keep it bent(for negative resistance), I get a shooting pain from my bicep to my pinky. I also get a pain when my dog steps on certain parts of my arm.

Sorry if I wrote a lot or ramble. You can always feel free to call the Mayo. I feel they have the friendliest staff in existence. They always either answered my questions and when they couldn't, had returned my calls.

If you think you'd like to spend the night with Eric for the first night, you can. I'm 33. I woke up and my Mom was still there, they even got her a bed.

During surgery, you will be informed of every step while you're in the waiting room. I've had some surgeries in my life. After all of them, I felt like feces in the recovery room. Mayo, I didn't have that "I just got beat up" feeling that other surgeries made me feel.

Eric will be in good hands.

What was the extent of your injury? Did you avulse all of the nerves? Does Mayo do the nerve and gracilis surgeries at the same time for C5-T1 avulsions? I'm wondering because my son avulsed all of his nerves and had his nerve transfer surgery in March of 06. Still no movement but we haven't had a chance to work in the water. He still has terrible pain. Michele

Michele,

I might have already written you - I get everybody mixed up. But Mayo does these surgeries at the same time. John had two major ones seven weeks apart, one for each gracilis transfer - and now they do it all at the same time.

Re pain, John also was in horrible pain. He's a very quiet kid, and we'd hear him yelling from it two floors away, and I'd see it literally take him to the floor. As the parent of a bpi child (John was 15), I can tell you that the pain was much worse than the paralyzed arm, for us to witness and John to endure.

Not everybody seems to get pain relief, but 1 1/2 years after John's surgeries, he was able to start taking himself off the three pain meds. He did it during summers so he could adjust before the school year started back. By the third summer, he was completely off all pain meds. I'm convinced that was possible partly due to pain management techniques (staying distracted, getting enough rest, etc) but also from the movement he eventually got back in his arm & hand from the surgery. btw, he also had all five avulsed.

Hope this helps.

Ellen

It does...thank you for letting me know there is hope...M

Michele, with my injury, I can't tell you which nerves by saying t5 or t6 cause I try to block out alot.
How I remember it is the nerve that controls my bicep, shoulder were either avulsed or cut. I asked the surgeons at the Mayo afterward and I was told that it looked like it could've been avulsed but couldn't tell because of all the scar tissue.


Definately try a pool. The Mayo showed me how to do gravity eliminated exercises on a table, but those didn't help me. Have him sit in a pool and have him get comfortable. Let him see if anything happens.

I'm not sure it was, I came back to this site recently from a long hiatus. There was someone that always reminded people that everyone's results will be different. I was told by the surgeons that I would be able to move it by the follow up visit in July 2oo6. I didn't move or feel anything. The EMG did see things, but I didn't. I lost hope and accepted things for what they were. Now that there's some movement, I push to do more and more therapy.