United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hi Scott, Amy, and every precious person on this board.
Well it looks like the three heads of my deltoid are starting to come back, but are seriously atrophed. so much work will be needed to bring them back.
Now am i right in believing that your bicep has both the brachiallis and bicep muscles, to try to bring back elbow flexxion? and associated movements? to me it looks like the brachiallis part of my bicep is coming back.
flexing my wrist, due to the ulnar and median nerve being used, it seems that i can move @ the elbow? does this mean that i still have the bicep nerve to be regrown? @ the moment my arm looks pretty weird in that the bottom of my bicep towards my elbow has increased in muscle mass.
And how does my body correlate moving at the elbow without having to flex my wrist. after all, flexing my wrist everytime that i have to move my elbow...is going to be very strange.
I will say, everyone get in the water! i might not have found any of this out without first getting in the water and finding that i could bend at the elbow!
So fingers crossed that this is the beginning of good things.

god bless..

happy easter all!

shaun

Hi Shaun,

Congrats on your progress! Good news! When I was trying to regain elbow flexion, my therapist always had me start all movements by flexing my wrist, which at first did nothing (actively) but eventually led to contractions in my forearm and then biceps. Although still weak, I do have active flexion! I'm still without my deltoid and I see my docs next week (surgery may be the next step) but I'm trying like heck! Like you, my deltoid is horribly atrophied.

Again, congrats and keep up the good work!

MB

Hey MB!

hope you are well!
so your body learnt to bend your elbow without having to bend your wrist? good luck with the shoulder!
keep your chin up...think positive!
i still think the power of our minds has so much to do with it!

shaun

Shaunn,
It's great to hear your recovery is going so well!! It really is a blessing to be recovering so well!! Mine continues to fall in my lap as well!! I had a great 2nd post op checkup last week @ the Mayo, I love that Minnesota accent! I met with all three of the "Bishop Wonder Crew" as I call them, he, Dr. Shinn, and Dr. Spinner. All three were amazed at my recovery progress, they said I was far ahead of schedule! I had to scrape my chin off the floor! That was a huge lift to my spirit. The psychological portion of this has been hard, as you all know! I've been working hard on exercising my deltoid and tricep. They felt my bicep and asked me to contract pulling my hand to my stomach. They could feel my bicep "firing" as they put it. I got home to Ohio the next day and did my exercises in my hot tub, which prior to the accident I was thinking to myself why did I buy this?

Every other day I take about an hour or so and do my exercises in there and the other days I'm trying to do what I can with 1 lb, 2 lb, 3 lb etc dumbells. Lifting weights has always been my passion over the years, and turns out it's a stress reliever as well, which is certainly needed in the line of work I'm in.

Is there some place on this website where it's listed what all we should be doing, or trying to do to have the best chance to get these limbs, digits, and whatever else has been paralyzed and atrophed, back to the closes "normal stage"? I think that would definitely be a great addition to this website for all of us still in the recovery stage!!

Just like the issue with my hot tub, I was asking myself why did I by this? The good lord does have a plan for each and everyone of us, we just have to have faith in him and ask!!!! Jeremiah 1:5 says, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. Jeremiah 29: 11, For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope
and a future. That gives me chills!! I know the human nature part of me doesn't want to cooperate a lot of the times!:( I think we certainly make it harder on ourselves a lot of the times just being "human". I honestly believe this and I pray we all have a better understanding in time! I remember reading one day, we just have to ask!! I'm sorry I got too lengthy, it's not normal for me. I'm certainly no preacher or no where close to being a saint, by no means. Most say I'm too quite most of the time.

How's Denny and Wes doing? I hope you're doing great!!

God Bless you all,
Brent

Hey Brent,
Great to hear!
im the same with gym and weights, went into hospital after my accident 89Kgs @ 14% bodyfat came out 76.6kgs..bummer.
Definitely everyones methods/ excercises to recovery listed somewhere would be a great resource!
In water is brilliant isnt it; without it i might not have found out i have some movement in my bicep!

shaun

Shaun,
It's good to know there's someone else to bug for advice from around the same playing field! I lost a little over 20 lbs from the 45 days I spent in the hospital. It's still hard to swallow I'll never be able to take comfort in the well developed and power in bench pressing. That exercise has always been my strongest. Being in the military, back in 2001 I went for Temporary Duty down in the Middle East for a few months and one of the few things we had to do in our spare time living in tents in the dessert was a weightlifting tent. My goal was to reach the 400 pound club. I didn't quite make it, I was 15 lbs short!:( I don't have that now, so I'll have to work on something else. Maybe I'll have to come up with something in the water since it is being so good to me. You continue to get better for me so I have someone to follow!!
God Bless,
Brent

i had a bike accident a couple of months back...
i can flex my elbow and move my fingers a little bit, but no other movement is possible yet. how much time does it take for the first signs of recovery to appear???im trying to keep all my joints and musles in working order.will keep u guys posted

Hey Brent,

how is the recovery going buddy?
i have been able to do a modified form of bicep curl now..started using my walking stick...with both hands...doing bicep curls, as i believe my brachiallis is doing most of the work, and after being able to do that quite easily am slowly moving up the weights.

the shoulder/deltoid is still a bit iffy... as it looks like my superspinatus is doing most of the work..and my shoulder is heavily atrophied...so fingers and toes crossed on that one.


shaun

Shaun,
Hey brother, sorry about getting back w/u so late. I've kind of been side tracked w/family stuff and lost track of everything! How is your recovery going too? Hope everything is stayin on schedule and keeping u hopping. Mine is still going great! I've been working on getting my bicep and tricep stronger. It's just taking longer than I have imagined. It seems like we would qualify for some steroid usage with such an atrophy situation with our muscles!! That's my bicep, tricep and deltoid kicking now and of course extremely week. I know reputition is the main key with any strengthening training. The human part of me wants it a lot faster!! Again, I'm sorry I'm getting back w/u so late! Take care and God bless!!

Brent

Hey Brent, no problem @ all. I have been pretty relaxed lately too. your recovery is sounding great! Second you on that steroid use...my left shoulder and arm just looks yuk... so atrophied...started using resistance bands to try to build it up....
take care...
good to hear from you.

shaun