United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I'm not sure where to go for answers on amputation. I guess I should talk to my primary care doctor. I have been considering amputation for years now but not sure if a doctor will do it. I had the muscle transfer done at Mayo. Did get the elbow flex, but its does't do me any good if I can feel my hand, and anything that touches it drives me crazy. I worry that do to this surgery, they wont want to take the arm off with the way the nerves and muscle are set-up now.

Pain and babysitting the arm are the worst things to deal with. Pain doctors have said that amputation my cause more pain. Just having the hand touch anything causes pain. Even windy days my cause pain to my hand. I was hoping no hand, less pain.

Has anyone had the hyper-sensitive hand issue? Can anyone give me information on amputation with my situation?

I have had pain in my arm and hand since 1968! I've never had surgery, no pain pills, nothing. sometimes the pain is unbearable. the only thing that seemed to help me was acupuncture . although a heating pad applied to my face helps to relax me & allows me to sleep. I never really considered amputation. I still participate in sports and that activity helps. I ski, bike, fly fish, swim, lift weights and try to walk as much as possible.

Bill

sorry to here about the pain your going through.i have good days and realy bad days .my pain will start in my hand by my thumb and then it seems to go to my forearm and then my sholder.i take quite a cocktail of drugs it barly makes it any better.anyway my main doctor referd me to a surgen and it's coming off this december .hope things get better for both of us because this is the worst liveing hell,i'm realy trying to get through this but it's just killing my spirt.i wish the best to you.i think it's time to change my name to topic killer

don, have you tried the de-sensitization techniques? i really hate for you to lose your arm if you could get rid of the sensitivity. they are very simple but it is extremely painful at first. i am only 3 1/2 months into my injury but i think this may help you. you can do it at home at no cost to you or your insurance. take a terry cloth towel and rub from one end to rhe other about 10 times. then do the same with cotton balls, a plastic bowl, sandpaper (touch very lightly) and any other textures you can think of. i went out and bought a bag of decorative rocks that is used to put in glass vases and i use them to work on my grasp then my o.t. person told me to put them out on a table and run my hand ove them for the sensitivity training since they were different shapes and textures. i had surgery in may 2010 and came out with a brachial plexus pull. i have the severe pain in my fingers and hand. if a fan is blowing even on the lowest setting, it drives my hand under my shirt or if i am carrying something, i hide my hand behind anything i can find. to combat that, i put my hand out the window when i am taking off when driving. and sometimes when i am on the road. that helps a lot but it hurts like hell at first but i can tolerate the fan well enough now that i can use it at night again. i cant run it on high but i can tolerate it on low. also i have a pressure glove that helps a lot. i hope this helps the both of you that are considering amputation

ask your doctor about cymbalta.
it can be used for fibromyalgia.

http://www.cymbalta.com/fibromyalgia/un ... iapain.jsp

I am sorry for your suffering! I feel for you. I had my accident May 12, 2000. I had my arm amputated Aug 29th, 2003. If you or anyone wants to talk to me about it, I will be happy to, anytime! Just e-mail me at: srogers@cox,net

Please put the word "amputation" on the subject line. I hope to hear from you. God bless!

Susie Kaye

Do you have any "phantom pain" now, after the amputation?

Bill

Bill,

By the time I had the amputation, my pain had deminished a lot from the initial "wanting to scream all the time" pain I had at 1st. It didn't quit, just became more bearable. I didn't amputate because of the phantom pain. Afterwards my pain level is nearly the same. I'm still happy I had it done. The pain that that heavy appendage caused in my neck and back was bad. Not to mention all the problems it caused in daily living.

I hope this helps!

Susie Kaye

Thanks Susie

My spine is curved from the years of trying to compensate from the dead weight of my arm. no one told me about this side effect but this seems to be standard for this injury.


Bill