United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hello everyone. Just came across this site from searching and trying to know more about my BRACHIAL PLEXUS. Cuz my doctors didn't explain the nature of things to me.
Let me introduce myself. I am henry by name a 19 years old boy from Nigeria.
I had a severe motor cycle accident that almost took my life.i was told by my doctor that
I had brachal plexus avulsion to my right hand. And a serious injury to my elbow. No movement or sensation in my hand, wrist and fingers. i can move my upper arm but not my shoulders. Doctors told me theres nothing that can be done for me. I should go and pray. My research has even made me find out that they re nt right. I used to have pain in my fingers but the pains re gone now. It been two months now and stil no improvement. I jst live my life feeling sorry for myself. Since i have been reading about öther people who also is in the same situation like me. I just have hope and believe in myself. Thats why i have decided to post about my own experience i am passing through here in nigeria. It is hard but one must move on with life. Thanks everyone.

HELLO AND WELCOME.I'M VERY SORRY TO HEAR THAT YOU HAVE TO GO THRU THIS,IT IS A DEVASTATING INJURY BUT ALL HOPE IS NOT LOST,I WAS ALSO IN A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT 6 MONTHS AGO AND JUST HAD SURGERY 3 DAYS AGO,IT HAS BEEN VERY FRUSTRATING TO SAY THE LEAST.FROM WHAT I HAVE LEARNED THERES NOT ALOT THAT CAN BE DONE AS FAR AS GETTING FULL FUNCTION BACK IN YOUR ARM BUT THERE ARE SOME SURGERIES THAT CAN RESTORE SOME FUNCTION BUT YOU HAVE TO FIND OUT THE EXTENT OF YOUR INJURY AND GET HELP ASAP BUT DON'T BE DISCOURAGED SOME PEOPLE DO GET FULL FUNCTION OR AT LEAST ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO BE INDEPENDENT AND ENJOY LIFE AGAIN BUT THIS INJURY TAKES ALONG TIME TO HEAL SO YOU WILL NEED TO BE PATIENT.LIKE ANYONE WHO HAS SUFFERED A TRAGEDY IN LIFE YOU WILL GO THRU ALOT OF NEGATIVE EMOTIONS BUT YOU CAN GET THRU IT.YOU HAVE YOUTH ON YOUR SIDE SO DON'T GIVE UP,DOCTORS ARE STILL LEARNING HOW TO AFFECTIVELY TREAT THIS INJURY SO FIND ANOTHER DOCTOR IF YOU CAN.IF THERES ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE FEEL FREE TO ASK,THERE ARE ALOT OF PEOPLE ON HERE WITH GOOD ADVICE AND HELPFUL RESOURCES.STAY POSITIVE AND GOOD LUCK

That is Good advice Because I have had my ERBS for 61 years and yet to me . Your body some how switch to think one arm Sure there thing I cant do but there so many thing you learn to adapted to Adapting by nature happen , A three legged dog still finds a way to walk. There is light at the end of the tunnel , You will try and adapted in life, It happens big time in thing you can learn Case off things you cant do its a emotion Monster . Remember Fdr, Fear it self.

Best trys and Hopes! ,
Tom

Thanks for your post.
i have a question to any one who can answer. Do u get this sensation of movement in your arm. Does your hand feel stiff at your elbow joint? do anyone here not feel pain at all. What are my suppose to feel. Like is there any pain or anything one has to look forward to in the future?. Thanks

FROM MY EXPIRIENCE AND WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD...YES....I HAVE PAIN MOSTLY IN MY HAND AND SOMETIMES IN MY ARM,UNFORTUNATELY PAIN IS SOMETHING THAT COMES WITH THIS INJURY AND CAN LAST FOREVER,I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT IF YOU ARE FEELING PAIN IT MEANS THE NERVES ARE STILL FIRING AND TRYING TO CONNECT,I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS TRUE OR NOT BUT I THINK THAT SOME FEELING EVEN IF IT IS PAIN IS BETTER THAN NO FEELING AT ALL.THIS INJURY CAN PRODUCE SOME WEIRD AFFECTS ESPECIALLY IN THE BEGINNING,I WOULD GO TO SLEEP AND WAKE UP IN THE DARK AND NOT BE ABLE TO TELL WHERE MY ARM WAS...I WOULD THINK IT WAS ON MY CHEST BUT IT WOULD BE BY MY SIDE AND I STILL GET THIS SENSATION FROM TIME TO TIME BUT NOT AS MUCH.ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE NOT IN PHYSICAL THERAPY IS TO MOVE YOUR BAD ARM AROUND WITH YOUR GOOD ARM AND FIND A SOFT BALL OR SPONGE,ANYTHING YOU CAN SQUEEZE TO KEEP YOUR HAND STRETCHED AND LOOSE SO YOUR JOINTS DON'T FREEZE UP.IT'S EASY TO FORGET ABOUT MOVING YOUR ARM SINCE BEFORE YOU NEVER HAD TO THINK ABOUT IT,YOU JUST DID IT,NOW YOU HAVE TO REMIND YOUR BRAIN AND ARM THAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO MOVE,I KNOW HOW FRUSTRATING THIS CAN BE AND YOU MAY THINK WHY BOTHER,BUT YOU NEVER KNOW,EVERYONES RECOVERY IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD AND LIKE I SAID YOU ARE STILL YOUNG SO DON'T GIVE UP.THERES NO GOOD TIME TO HAVE THIS INJURY AND I'M ABOUT TWICE YOUR AGE AND BELIEVE ME THIS COULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED AT A WORST TIME IN MY LIFE,I'M TOO OLD TO HAVE TO START OVER AND TOO YOUNG TO HAVE TO SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE LIKE THIS BUT ANYWAY THATS MY SITUATION,JUST FOCUS ON YOURSELF,KEEP TRYING TO FIND A DOCTOR WHO CAN ACTUALLY HELP AND DON'T GIVE UP ON YOURSELF.....GOOD LUCK AND BEST WISHES

These injuries are so a like ,But so different even with pain. When I was born in the 50s, The doctor broke my elbow and scapula and torn and stretch nerves on my delivery. I was born in pain, I see my arm , I cant fell to much of it EVER. Weird things happen to me, My brain rewire to think one handed, The only use in my Erbs left is grasp and about 5 inch lift or hold on a semi steering wheel for years. The other part is pain and deadness, and not felling being cut and bruised to in life. For me I think my brain gave me a higher pain tolerance over a life time and sometimes not . I hope you can find peace I am still trying to with pain and sure I have my times but I have to move on. I wish doctors would talk more about out come from surgeries. I wish that doctors would understand pain more with these injuries and the emotional side. I know this happen ,I know the pain of moving on with life. I know its harder to be injuries latter in life because you did use two arm, I did not. You will have a life, treatment change , bug you doctor for answers. Purse this pain issue with a with doctors till you do find something that works. Fact is treatment change in time in a life time. But which one is the issue that will help ask question ask about outcomes do not feed your emotional by not knowing? I hope this thought helps?? There is differences with our injury for sure. What help me my not help you, there is all ways that possibility to for sure.

Tom

Hello and well done 4 finding this place!! For my son it has been 7 years now,he was 17 when he sustained TBP injury.I found this message board about 3-6months after his accident, but did not follow through to go to Mayo or any other place for a professional opinion. His C6-T1 are avulsed. Today there is hope and procedures to test what is going on with your nerves.We are from South Africa. Those years it was according to our doctor too risky to try the procedures, because he could not find them written up, in the medical journals. He did perform a long nerve graft that gives my son flexion in his elbow. He lives with the pain, as he says the medications made him wooly headed He preferes too feel life, even if the pain some-times keeps him in bed. I will allways wonder what could have been if we went overseas 4 help. You r young and it is still early enough to do something. You can e-mail Mayo clinic and ask for help, and go to your local/national newspapers and get a write-up . You may get people to sponsor you. The earlier you get to a place like Mayo where the doctors do a lot of these operations and get a full diagnosis, the better ur chanches to be hopefully painfree or nearly there and have movement.Also the window of oppertunity is small, 3-6 months is the best time. after 18months the muscles are wasted. There are new techniques coming up every month, so ... get going and do all humanly posible, to get all the help available,while praying continiously Then you will not end up like me, with 'What if's ' that haunt me.
Best wishes
LiJ
Lgonda

Just to show you there is light at the end of the tunnel? My muscle never waste away in 61 years I drove a semi with ERBS , I never grew more strength in some but wait, I did get stronger in others over a life time, Maybe it me, It really could be?? How about to, the life times out there did your muscles waste? I can only speak for my self?

Best wishes all ways,

Tom

Thanks everyone,
my pain is gone completely. I just had my nerve conduction test. And was told it might be due to excessive streching. Told me power is zero (0).
i have tried writtin to get help and sponsors for my bills to mayo. Havent gat any and it been almost three months now and i dnt have much time left. Stil lookin for help from anyone. If i dnt get any i guess its my luck.
Is it normal for me nt to feel any pain, anyone?
Havent contacted mayo. I will only get help if i have money and beside am an international patient. Thats some hell of money i need. Travel and others.
I just hope for some sort of miracle.
Henry.