BPI undiagnosed after 2005 MVA, C8 nerve root injury is diagnosed

[Pam Barnett]

Soon it will be 4 years since the car accident that I think is a BPI, a stretch injury to C8 and/or T1 on my right side (based on my research). Started with right arm weakness and severe nerve pain in my right chest. Orthopaedic Surgeon put me in a hugh neck brace for 7 1/2 months to stabalize my neck because of a slip he saw between C7 and T1. I already had a 5 level fusion in my neck. During the 7 1/2 month period, the pain switched from my right arm to my left arm with severe pain in my left elbow and my left thumb pad, my pinky and ring finger went numb. Dtrs. told me to have ulner nerve surgery, but I knew they were wrong, so I took the neck brace off and changed doctors. Elbow pain went away. New wonderful neurosurgeon ordered a C8 nerve root block that completely, instantly reproduced the severe nerve pain in my chest 29 months after the car accident. So he performed a C7/T1 fusion to decompress the C8 nerve. I am left with severe nerve pain in my right chest and my left thumb pad after 29 months of pinching and gnawing my C8 nerve. I've read nerve books for doctors and cannot find any other person with the same nerve pain that I have. Do you know of anyone? Going to London in a couple of weeks. Has anyone gone to a BPI doctor in London or someone really good in the US? The US is behind Europe with nerve research. I don't want to wast any more time. Thanks in advance to your response.
Pam Barnett, 54 yr old, Nashville, TN