United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Just had nerve surgery. The doctors said there was a lot more damage than first thought. Ulnar never is completely destroyed and all other nerves behind my clavicle are avulsed but they took nerves from my calves and graphed three nerves to shoulder, biceps and elbow. I had good shoulder strength before operation. Just have to wait now. Has anyone had similar?

22 years ago I was recorded as having the worst ever seen in a woman or man in North America. Complete C3 pull from the spinal cord. Millions or nerves frayed all over the place. A real mess. Had an intercoastal nerve graph into my left lung nerve abd additional spinal cord graph ...3 months post accident...today...I have muscles returning in elow, forarm is bulking up...scapula, deltoid...pectorial...wrist...both median/ulner nerves are firing in my hand...I am moving my thumb a little...it shakes...but I can feel and see it...pure joy...never give up...take courage and patience...keep busy thinking positive thoughts...don't hear the negative ...and hold or develope faith that there is a higher power than yourself, taking very good care of us everything then is ontime...
Best of Luck!
With Peace, Love & Light
Mardelle

hi Troy, I am about to get my primary surgey in a few days. I think we are in similar boats, even with timing (my injury happened Jan 21) Tell me more about your surgery to now? Did you lose anything you regained on your own before the surgery? How long were you in the hospital...How about recovery advice fromn your doc? You have to be imobile completely for how long or? Sorry for the cluster bomb of questions--quite nervous to go to la la land while they cut open my neck etc.
I would rather not be cooped up in as room on a bed for longer than necessary after the fact and hope to be back to work asap with my arm slinged up if possible. I just updated one of my old threads, please reply here and there for both (all) our benefits.

cheers

hey buster,
i too had primary surgery using the sural nerve from my calve. 5 different sections to my c5 & c6.
2 more distall bypass surgeries & i have bicep/brachiallis and finally deltoid coming back.
good luck.

god bless
shaun

Amen...you are healing nicely...
All the best...what ever you are doing Shaun...keep it up
With Praise
Mardelle

Troy,
I had surgery too and similar. I had nothing avulsed, but my Ulnar too was beyond repair when they went in. They took from my forearm to patch in my bicep and they took from my tricep to patch in the deltoid. 1 1/2 ago was my surgery. The bicep sparked in about 6 weeks and I had descent use in 6 months. The deltoid unfortunately never has recoved. But I'm figuring ways now to get around that. The working bi and tri support the shoulder joint about and still allow me to lift the arm a little bit at the shoulder.

Dear RobertRacer,

It is wonderful that you had some benefit. I am writing for my son, trying to find others with similar injuries that he can discuss concerns with. His injury occurred in an auto accident 3 years ago. Initially with complete flacid paralysis of his arm, he had return of all but his axillary (deltoid and supraspinatus) nerve. This was complicated by a compete rotator cuff avulsion. Repaired at Mayo. Sural nerve transplant for the axillary nerve was not sucessful and has deltoid loss. Now having subluxation and pain and is pondering where to go next.

Nick's Mom

PS I will forward any response.

Glad to discuss whatever that might help. I cant remember the names of the specific surgeries and nerve grafts but I could probably get it. I dont know that I'm the biggest success story or anything, but I accept the situation but I dont think I'll ever stop working to change it. I have almost total deltoid loss too and the pain is significant, sometimes more than others. But theres not alot I can do about that, drugs arent the answer. I take Lyrica for nerve pain, but the pain from the shoulder is regular pain, not nerves. If he has enough use of his bicep and tricep, make sure he is doing regular exercise for them. Curls, no matter how light weight, tricep extensions, etc. The way those muscles connect, strengthening them will pull the shoulder back up into socket a little and relieve some pain. I always do different stretches to free up the shoulder and reduce pain. A lot of times after exercising or just walking around all day, my arm gets to tired and I just have to use my sling. No biggie, I just use it! Probably will do so off and on forever.

In short, exercise, stretch and use the sling when he feels like it. The most comfortable sling I've had is from RiteAid, called the ultimate arm sling I think.