Newbee
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 10:46 am
I guess nobody's ever too old to be a newbee at something. Found these boards by chance. I had no idea there was such a community.
So, let me qualify myself...
I'm Charlie, with OBPI to my right arm. I guess my story is pretty typical. I was a 10 lb baby, a month past my due date, the doc chose not to do a c-section and used the hotdog tongs instead. At the time (1962), they just called it a 'nerve bundle injury' and told my folks there was little chance my arm would ever move or feel anything. My arm was turned in the 'waiter's tip' position (I still have the christening photos). I'm told the docs tried pinprick tests on the arm but I showed no response.
One day, after a few months, my mom noticed a slight movement in my right pinky. She called dad into the room to be sure she wasn't hallucinating. She wasn't. (My mom used to tel this part with a lot more drama, before she got Alzheimers.)
Mom learned about some gentle stretching and rotation exercises she could do with my arm, which she did daily until I was about 5 or 6. The arm showed steady improvement, especially in feeling and in hand function.
My folks took me to PT at Einstein Medical in Philly. For awhile I had to wear a rigid wrist brace in hopes of correcting the 'lazy' wrist. That didn't work. And later, at New York Hospital, they did some kind of electric stimulation testing on the nerves...I guess I was about 13. Hurt like hell too. The consensus was that the arm had improved as much as it ever would.
Seems they were right. I still have severely limited mobility of the shoulder, a permanently bent elbow and 'lazy' wrist. The arm is a bit shorter than my left, which confounds tailors every few years when I have to get fitted for a suit. Good news is that I have no pain or numbness and have full hand function. I can drive a car, pick up my baby girl, change a diaper, carry books, even play the guitar a bit.
I've never met anyone else with this condition. Ever. I figured it was a one-in-a-billion accident. And this week is the first that I've heard the term "Erb's palsy".
Surgical correction, beyond purely cosmetic straightening of the arm at the expense of function, was never offered. At my age, I feel I've probably missed any chance at that. But I am eager to hear about the experiences of other adults living with OBPI.
Thanks for reading.
So, let me qualify myself...
I'm Charlie, with OBPI to my right arm. I guess my story is pretty typical. I was a 10 lb baby, a month past my due date, the doc chose not to do a c-section and used the hotdog tongs instead. At the time (1962), they just called it a 'nerve bundle injury' and told my folks there was little chance my arm would ever move or feel anything. My arm was turned in the 'waiter's tip' position (I still have the christening photos). I'm told the docs tried pinprick tests on the arm but I showed no response.
One day, after a few months, my mom noticed a slight movement in my right pinky. She called dad into the room to be sure she wasn't hallucinating. She wasn't. (My mom used to tel this part with a lot more drama, before she got Alzheimers.)
Mom learned about some gentle stretching and rotation exercises she could do with my arm, which she did daily until I was about 5 or 6. The arm showed steady improvement, especially in feeling and in hand function.
My folks took me to PT at Einstein Medical in Philly. For awhile I had to wear a rigid wrist brace in hopes of correcting the 'lazy' wrist. That didn't work. And later, at New York Hospital, they did some kind of electric stimulation testing on the nerves...I guess I was about 13. Hurt like hell too. The consensus was that the arm had improved as much as it ever would.
Seems they were right. I still have severely limited mobility of the shoulder, a permanently bent elbow and 'lazy' wrist. The arm is a bit shorter than my left, which confounds tailors every few years when I have to get fitted for a suit. Good news is that I have no pain or numbness and have full hand function. I can drive a car, pick up my baby girl, change a diaper, carry books, even play the guitar a bit.
I've never met anyone else with this condition. Ever. I figured it was a one-in-a-billion accident. And this week is the first that I've heard the term "Erb's palsy".
Surgical correction, beyond purely cosmetic straightening of the arm at the expense of function, was never offered. At my age, I feel I've probably missed any chance at that. But I am eager to hear about the experiences of other adults living with OBPI.
Thanks for reading.