United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

It's now a month since I said hello to this message board and goodbye to my Right TBPI arm.

Post amputation, I had 3 weeks of pain that was similar, but not quite so bad as, the pain I'd had immediately post BPI. Presumably that's where all the nerves have been disturbed again. 4 weeks down the line, it's great. Virtually no pain , the odd twinge, the odd phantom itch or "buzzing", but nothing serious. You have to conquer the BPI pain first, which I managed to do. Amputation cannot do that for you.

After my BPI, I vowed that I would not live my life on pills, and fought through the pain. It's mind over body. Everytime I had really bad pain, I used to ask my body "is that the best you can do? That's pathetic. Come on, try to really give me pain. Sometimes my body would oblige, and the pain would take my breath away, but after a while, my body said, "ok, you're a nutter, I can't fight you." Three years post BPI I was not taking any pain relief. When I went into hospital to have my broken leg repaired I took no pain relief. And when my arm was amputated, I took no pain relief, except one afternoon when I had a paracetemol. I've built up my tolerance, like those people who enjoy fighting, except I'm fighting 24 hours a day against my own body !

So amputation: Well, in terms of freedom...Wow ! Clothes are easier to put on and take off, I don't keep knocking things off the table, or catching my flail arm on things, and I can wear short sleeved shirts without having that withered arm looking so horrible out the sleeve. People stare surreptiously, but I can live with that. Kids love it: they want to touch an arm that isn't there ! It doesn't phase them at all. Best of all, with some latex and red paint I'm going to look bloody fantastic at this year's Halloween fancy dress party ! And I can at last hug my wife closer than I have been able to for 5 years.

Congratulations!!!!!
You sound so upbeat about your surgery - well done,
I hope you and your wife enjoy the hugs!
Karen

Congratulations!!!!!
You sound so upbeat about your surgery - well done,
I hope you and your wife enjoy the hugs!
Karen

THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO WRITE........HELL I May do the same !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Paul

Hey Jacko,

Great news. Glad to hear your doing so well. I was thinking about you today wondering how you were doing. Amputation seems to be my next move as well. It is good to hear it is going so well for you. I cannot beleive after giving my surgeries time to work etc that with no results that there is much sense in keeping this flail arm dangling here. I strugle with the pain still. I dont take any meds but somedays the pain still takes my breath. I just dont know how id deal with those days with no arm to associate the pain with. But quite possibly associating the pain is my whole problem. I know that I must make a decision because i feel limited with my arm as it is. I really thank you for sharing you experiences with us. You are an inspiration.

I wonder did you go somewhere special for the amputation? Are you going to try a protesis? I think just having the mobility of the amputation would be enuff for me. Im not sure about prostetics.

Thanks again hope to hear more of your experiences and progresses

John

First of all Jacko, I would like to say well done with beating the pain barrier, I struggle with mine at times but everybody is diffrent, I am takeing meds but not a hole load of them, just what I need. Your right about the amputation, you need to get rid of the pain beforehand, that's what the doctors told me at first, but it's great reading about all these fighters on this site, not just you Jacko but every bpi.

Take care
bigsel
Scottish tbpi