United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hey People this website is great informationwhich is hard to find on TBPI.I had a motorcycle wreck on August,6,02.I received sevral injurys had broken both femurs which had to undergo surgery to insert two metal rods from hips to knees compound fracture on right leg below tibealu plateua that received sugery.Had three reconstructive surgeries on right side of face.Broke C5 C6 C7 vertabrae in neck two pieces of titanium around eye socket and some other injurys totaling 10 surgeries the month I spent at University Of Cincinnati hospital.Also had A traumatic brachial plexus injury with possible root avulsions to C5 C6 C7 T1 This injury had to be put on hold because of the more life threating injurys were dealt with first.In my opnion the doctors and nurses I had were outstanding in their field of work.Got first emg done in october.Met with Dr. Yakenboff and his team of plastics doctor who were actually the first groupof the doctors to shed light on this rare subject.Met wiyh hand therapist on november 1st.There concerns were that I hadnt seen them sooner.Ihadnt moved my shoulder at all in the previous three months for fear of making the injury worse for lack of knowledge about TBPI.It was locked up but after twelve visits with the hand therapy team in the past two months that were painful at times I have most of the flextion back in my shoulder.My symptoms are that I have no motor skills from my elbow down very little feeling in my thumb and on the underside of my forearm that has just returned in the last two weeks.Ihave most of the feeling from the elbow up to my shoulder and hardly any motorskills.The brachial radialus which is under the bicep still works but is to week to raise my arm some muscles in my shoulder werent affected most were some have started to come back but process is slow.I go in for surgery January 13th I think it is a nerve graft process were they take anereve out of my leg to graft the nereves back together but they still have to grow all the way back to my shoulder and arm which could take up to a year or longer because the estimated growth of the nerve ia about an inch a month.If anyone else is going thru the same thing or simalar feel free to email me at hdcrash2aol. I also feel the pain of the pins and needle sensation.Currently using a drug called neurotin it seems to help a little.I have alot of confidence in recovering from this without any dissabilates and if you suffer from yhe same thing you should to because most of your recovery is up to you with some help from your doctors and therapists.I will try to keep yhis updated after surgery to inform ther people and give hope.