United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

We justed wanted to say hi to the other 7 families that were at TCH with us (Caroline from NY)on 1/7/01. Eight children had surgery that day and we all ended up hanging around the recovery room (some of us were there for 7 plus hours) until a room openned up, but the kids were incrediable (especially Kaitlyn from Kentucky).
Caroline was so excited for surgery that she ran to surgery with all the doctors and didn't even want to say goodbye. She ended up having the Capsildisa, Pronator Teres Surgery, tendon and muscle tightening and they removed Scar Tissue. She was in more pain than the last 3 surgeries, but was so strong. She ended up getting the dynamic splint (Barry and Jason) were great with her and this splint or actually brace is much different than the ones they get from Nancy and Cherly at TCH. NEEDLESS TO SAY SHE WON'T BE RUNNING TO SURGERY EVER AGAIN!
If your child is getting this splint - they wear it right over a shirt not next to bare skin. Tighter fitting shirts work better than the bigger ones you might have used for the other splints. Also it has steel rods and even "nuts and bolts" on the back and makes sleeping look hazardous. Caroline hasn't complained yetat night, but she has figured out how to roll onto her stomach. The one problem is the incessions are not covered or protacted as they were in the other splint. She has already hit the wall 10 or so times and I actually have squeezed her arm in the wrong placeby accident!
She is learning her limitations and can't wait to get back to 1st grade and Irish Step Dancing.
As much as these kids go through they jst want to get back to a normal routine. Lot's of therapy a head of us - but we will all get through it!
THANKS,
Kathy

Hi

can you share where the incisions are at for the Pronator transfer? And what muscles / tendons were transferred other than the pronators?

Does she have wrist drop? How is her finger and wrist extension / flexion?

Katie's wrist drop is much more pronounced now after the shoulder caps and I know that they can do the caps on the wrist as well if it becomes too stretched out. Hope we don't have to go there.

That splint sounds like a lethal weapon. The incisions aren't covered in katie's splint either for the caps but it is a static (?) and we don't move anything on it. Do you have a picture that you could share with Francine so we can see it?

Thanks

christy

Thanks for sharing all about the surgery and your experience.... yes it is something, you have to usually wait a long time after surgery to get a room but you can make really good friends in that secondary recovery!! lol

I'd love to have a picture of the splint your daughter is wearing so I can put it on the splint page. You can send me a jpg (or snail mail one to me):
francine@injurednewborn.com.

And now the waiting begins? Is it 8 weeks for you guys too?

-francine

Hey Kathy. Been thinking of you guys. So glad to hear things went OK. When can she go back to 1st grade? You guys are troopers!!!! Maybe this year we can get a picinic together. Take care and will talk to you soon.

Christy,
Caroline just had the surgery - so we won't know how much she will gain for some time. The incession is on her forarm about 3-4 inches long. The tendon and muscles she had transferred were not for that but for another area in her upper arm.
I sent Francine pictures and will send you some to your email.
Kathy