United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I was watching Letterman last night, and he had Howard Stern on. Stern showed a clip of an inebriated visitor to his studio who had his righ arm in a sling. It looked very much like a BP injury to me.

Did anyone else see it?

Henry

YES!! I saw it was on tonight so I watched out for the clip. My eyes nearly fell out of my head, that was definitely a tbpi. And boy did I feel for him when he fell over, of course he was drunk but it was exactly how I've fallen over in the past, you go down like a ton of bricks.

We should try and find out who he is, he might be interested in this website. He might already post here

That's the first time I've seen a flail arm tbpi on tv, it was a strange feeling. Thanks for posting that, Henry, I would never have seen it otherwise.

Cheers
Jen NZ

Found it on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d81954iv20w


4:05 into it..

Hi Jen,

I'll send a letter to the Stern show to see if there is a contact number.

I've also had the off balance stumble. I also had a led injury on the same side as the the bpi, and when I have a drop too much it makes me even gimpier. I've often wondered if the alchohol temporarily increases the nerve damage.

Henry

I have this guy on Howard Stern... I think he is so crewl to him!! Interested to know more....

COurt

Henry - There's a brain chemical - I think it's an amino acid - that acts on the nerves to increase or decrease the strength of the messages from the brain and thus the activity of the nerves, and alcohol inhibits it. That's a very basic and not very accurate description, but that's why you feel 'gimpier' after you've had a drop too much, and it's also why we slur our words and stumble even if we have no nerve damage.

I think another factor is if your dominant side is affected by the bpi, your whole balance thing gets messed up. The brain automatically puts out the dominant hand first when you start to fall and because you can't change your dominant side the brain has to do a split second manual override if the dominant one's paralysed to put out the non dominant hand first instead. When I'm drunk that manual override is just a tiny bit too slow so I sometimes don't put out any arms at all, result, faceplant on the floor. The guy on Letterman had a flail right arm, I bet it was his dominant one.
But in all honesty, when you are as drunk as that guy was, you're gonna fall over at some point, bpi or not.

The guy on the stern show is called Jeff the drunk and has his own website:

http://jeffthedrunk.net (not active anymore)
http://www.therealjeffthedrunk.com/ active

He is a hopeless alcoholic, who the show helps out alot with money and even finding him a job. Although yes it appears cruel, no-one puts him in the stage he gets in but himself. Not sure if it is BPI or not, can't remember his story.

from his website:

On October 24, 1986 at the age of 19, Jeff was
involved in a car accident going to a party. He was a
passenger in the vehicle and was in a coma for a
week and a half. In the accident Jeff lost use of his left
arm and was in a wheel chair for two years.


-richinma

Thanks Rich... I think it is obviously a BPI... I would put $$ on it! He is a mess!!

Thanks!