United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

You know I thought I was the only peep who ever thought about topping themselves over this life I was handed. I thought about it long and hard. We've even glossed over it here to some extent.

Nobody can go thru such a traumatic life changing thing as a bpi and be the same person. Your perspective changes. This
" walk it off " attitude doesn't really wash when they can't cure you. You internalise it all and try to fit in as best as you can. Your supposed to ignore the pain, buck up and get on with it.

Thats not always how it works. Anyone still suffering knows that. Wake up in pain, go to sleep in pain, another day in pain. It would wear any peep down.

Some of us fall thru the cracks. I was so angry and hurt I lashed out at the Dr's. It's not their fault tho. It's nobodys fault. If your feeling shitty all the time and it never seems to end you need to ask for help.

I work with psychiatric patients and believe me peeps we aren't crazy. Sometimes it just takes one kind deed or thought to save a person. The problem is you can't see what a person is thinking.

I think the most important thing is to talk.

The first thing I felt as a bpi was isolation. Isolated from the world. Now your a crip but it takes awhile to figure that out. Some peeps never get over that hurdle. If you manage to get over that one you still feel kinda seperated from the real world. In my case I always think about my arm in a self conscious way.

Normal peeps don't realise this. To them me having a bad arm is just normal. They don't realise that it's always in the back of my mind. Everytime I get bumped in a crowd my arm twinges...When I hug my girl I'm aware of it. It's just always there.

I just want you peeps to get in tune with how you feel about this. Be honest with yourself. Forget the " i can take it " attitude.

We are here for a reason ? To share anything. Better to vent those thoughts than internalise them.

Applause, Applause, Applause. Thank you. I was beginning to think I was nuts. Being BPI sucks. I am tired of people telling me how wonderfully I am handling this, how much better my arm looks than before, ..... I am tired. 300 PT visits, 3 surgeries, constant burning, casts, splints, pressure dressings.....I'm tired, and I want people to acknowledge this is serious. It plays with your mind. People say, "I don't know how you have stood it." I don't remember having been given the choice.
This injury did not happen to me once, it happens everyday - it affects everything I do.

Now having openly acknowledged my feelings, am I this injury? NO This is not who I am, it is what has happened to me and what makes me who I am today.

Thank you for letting me vent.
Kathy

thanks for the insight. dave

From a mom with a four old old with a robpi, thanks...at least I have some insight as to how he might feel when he gets older....maybe some doctors and even our babies lawyers need to read this !!!

they bloomin well do. even after 17 years seeing as i was "born with it" it still flippen hurts and not physically as i have lack of sensation it hurts phscologiacally but i am the way God created me
Anna<

Ann

Were you "born with it"... ???

So was I and welcome to the message boards....

I think there are people who read these boards who should be aware that there needs to be more help and studay regarding pain then just giving us a pill to pop. Pain comes in all shapes and sizes... and feelings, emotional pain hurts as much if not more then the ever present physicial pain associated with bpi.
Kath

hey, I am with all you guys there. My son is only 4 and I cannot imagine the pain he goes through. He still won't tell me if and when it hurts. it is just sad that the doctors daon't see the pain or do they and they just don't care !!!

I think BEYOND pain management, we need to address the mental aspects of this injury. Whether you are injured at birth or later in life we carry this with us on a day to day basis!! And no pill can make it all better again. Mikey, you said you always think of your arm in a "self conscious way" ............we all do, and we blow those feelings off. Why do we do that? Because we ARE suppose to buck up be strong and get over it. The problem that the medical profession seems to overlook is that, this is not something that you "get over". Our mental well being is a very very big part of this injury. I have had many discussions with trauma and birth injured people, and we all tend to feel the same way. NO ONE seems to pay any attention to the psychological needs of B.P.I.'s

I just want people to know and understand that talking helps, it helps immensely. But sometimes we need to talk to the right person. We need to address our issues with our Doctors and Specialists. They need to be advised of the fact that healing the mind is just as important as healing the body..................

Thanks for letting ME vent

Right on!!!! Tina Baby

Kath