United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: I composed this late at night, all one fingered, listening to old 70's 'non-hits' and after reading felt I should put it somewhere so hopefully someone will get a laugh, or cry, or find inspiration or desperation. Hopefully it may enlighten someone to help themselves, to help me or to help others. There is definitely no malice intended, I don't blame the spider one bit(e...). I do however, hope he got a good mouthful and died. So put on some Gratefull Dead, mix in some Boz Skaggs, Van Morrison, ELP and Moody Blues and read on one letter at a time as it was painstakingly typed and backspaced and typed and typed...
My best and warmest regards to all who have the patience to read this but more importantly to heal thyselves.
God Bless


In June of 06 I apparently was bitten by a spider. I lost consciousness for two days. When I regained consciousness my right thumb was a mess. It was obvious something bit me and I was concerned about infection. The fact my left scapula was fractured, my left shoulder
would not stay in place and my arm flopped around like a big, dead fish just hanging there escaped me. Well it's been a year and a month now and my thumb is healed. Maybe even my scapula. My arm no longer hangs there like a dead fish. Oh no. I'd be so lucky...I keep it in
a brace. It is pain never ending. With the Godsend that is UBPN I have sat up and begun to take notice and to take stock. My arm may not be healing well enough for me but trust me spirit has been by leaps and bounds.
I share an apartment with my 16 year old son while he finishes high school.
Upon his graduation (fingers crossed...) in 2010 I hope to go out and testify to help others with support. I have, in a box, a report of over 500 pages which contain my diagnosis and perhaps prognosis. It contains my treatments and test results from 5 months in the hospital. I have never read it. I probably never will. I lived it. I'm not changed by it. I take lots of pills, I
barely have a life. Jacob(16yr old) comes and goes and I stay and pay. I wake up and wait to go back to sleep. I'm 52 years old. I've been a lot of places and I've met a lot of faces. Some I'll always remember others I'd like to forget. I live by 'Don't tread on me' nd 'Live Free Or Die.'
I wish we never had to say 'Bring our troops home.' This is all the icing on the cake that my Dad said life wouldn't be a walk on. I've probably talked too much and sadly not said enough.
I am saddened all the more each time a new face arrives through UBPN with this plight. The strength that is beheld from these solders, both young and old, as they undergo surgeries and therapy is enough to raise an army. Bless you all and Bless UBPN.

Actually Scott I would wish for a horrible and tortuous death for that spider irregardless of it simply defending itself against you. But that's just me. LOL!

Anyway, I got to say you did verrrry well with your composition and I feel like I'm in the same place with the doctors, them being clueless so far about what is wrong with me. Very frustrating indeed. I do have a new Primary that seems to be taking a real interest though, because when I went to her last week, 3 days after a pain episode, she said she was going to do some research herself to see if she could assist in the discovery. She is chinese and from Chicago, and I do like her. One funny thing she did say to me about my injury, is to pay attention to my body and try to avoid those activities that bring on the pain episodes. Ah yes, absolutely. Last week it was driving to work 20 miles in a comfy Honda Odessey, walking 50 feet to the office door with a 5# shoulder bag on the GOOD shoulder, opening the door and getting a 'pull' in the neck. Not a big one either, just a little tweek and 40 minutes later I am in the ER asking for pain relief because I forgot my meds at home. Today's episode, well I have no clue why it started. Maybe it was brushing my teeth, because this is what I was doing just 2 minutes prior to getting tightness starting in the shoulder and upper back muscles. An hour later I am taking vicadin and muscle relaxers. So her saying, 'avoid those things that bring it on.....' well just doesn't jive with me. Means I can't do anything. So I guess we just learn to cope at this point.

I do have one bright ray this week. I am going to see a spinal surgeon on Thursday, who by his research work, is familiar with cranial nerve problems. I might be wrong, but I think my accessory nerve has been damaged and this might be why I can't shrug my left shoulder.

I hear ya about the waiting to go back to sleep. I've always relished the few minutes getting comfy in bed, and relaxing from a hectic day. Nowadays, it's the sleep I crave.

Say, have you tried a compression bandage on your arm for the crushing pain? Someone else mentioned this and said it helped.
Wendy

Scott, I can't relate directly to your situation because it's my son who was injured. But I wanted to say that I'm your age and I LOVED your playlist! I saw ELP in concert in Atlanta in the 70's and they were amazing. (I also saw the Allman Brothers but was clueless enough to think my boyfriend had said we were going to "Osmond Brothers" and kept wondering where was Donny & Marie??? Oh dear.)

Take care,

Ellen

Wendy Lee, Ellen B. and anyone else or everyone else close to this
Do you have a balance problem? I fell again only this time my head tried to go through 1/2" square wrought iron fence rail. Now have 8 steel staples holding my skin cap together. I didn't even take a local when the ER dr. was stapling my head. I figure I'm numb enough. Guess what? If ever that were to happen again I'll ask for anything and every thing. My God that staple thing was brutal. Must have been born of the dark ages. Now I have half of my head shaved. I'm thinking of shaving it all and getting a tatoo. Maybe the ubpn logo??? Is it trademarked? Well anyway since then I've been hankering for all my wicked 70's guitar solos. It has been great listening, wait what?...oh I thought I heard someone call me. I can't tell with Ted Nugent's 'Paralyzed' and 'Great White Buffalo' ripping my ears open. Eddie Van Halen from their first album can not go wrong. As I look through and see Tom Sholtz - 'Boston' wizard I see most of my playlist is right around 1978 when 'Arena Rock' slid over the air waves pounding disco and blowing ear drums with high octane guitars. Oh man I think I need my head examined...again, wait what?...