United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I will probably be having surgery on my arm with Dr Nath Feb. 2005, but have a few questions regarding the surgery. Dr. Nath states I will need to undergo a biceps lengthening and tendon transfer, and I will need to have some type of surgery in my shoulder to loosen the muscles as they are a little tight.
1) What type of scars do you have after surgery?
2) Is there anything that you cannot do that you used to do before? (I don't want the surgery to make my arm worse than it already is)
3) How long is the physical therapy, and how many days a week is it?
4) How long was it before you went back to work?
5) If the surgery did not take for you, did you have a repeat surgery or did you have to live with the idea that it was not going to be able to be done? (Dr Nath told me that sometimes the surgeries do not take, and I am trying to figure out what he means by that)
6) When did you start noticing the strength of your arm coming back?
7) Are you able to have blood draws or blood pressures taken in your arm after you recover from the surgery or is there limitations to what that arm can have done?
Sorry for all the questions, I am trying to find answers and I have not been able to find these answers from previous post. Thanks to anyone who can give me some advice.

1) What type of scars do you have after surgery? My only scar is right under my arm, across the armpit, and then down....like a 7
2) Is there anything that you cannot do that you used to do before? no....my movement isn't quite yet what I was hoping, but it is better than before
3) How long is the physical therapy, and how many days a week is it? Mine is 2 days of PT, 1 day Aqua therapy, each week for 4 weeks
4) How long was it before you went back to work? I am an at home Mom, so I was back to "work" right away:)
5) If the surgery did not take for you, did you have a repeat surgery or did you have to live with the idea that it was not going to be able to be done? I haven't crosssed this bridge
6) When did you start noticing the strength of your arm coming back? Actually pretty quickly
7) Are you able to have blood draws or blood pressures taken in your arm after you recover from the surgery or is there limitations to what that arm can have done? I don't know this one either.....I still can' supinate completely though.