United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Dori,
I am afraid to say I went through what your family has. I never did get any treatment and financial it I think has pretty much destroyed my life. I live in Minnesota and the insurance industry is beyond words here. Be careful not to anger the HMO to much because they can dump him under the "too many preexisting conditions" clause in your policy. And trust me when that happens he is without health insurance for life. State and federal programs will not pick him up. So to be blunt if you lose that insurance you can forget seeing a bp specialist unless you have a pile of cash sitting somewhere. The one I got a hold of that would see me wanted $12,000 for my first visit. $2,000 for his fifteen minutes and $10,000 for tests and they actually could not believe I turned them down!
You said your son was not at fault. So my advice is pick up the phone and call several ambulance chasing lawyers. Tell them you need someone to file a claim for the underinsured benefits on both vehicles. The reason for several lawyers is because you determine with your son what percentage you are willing to give the greedy lawyers. When you call tell them that is all your going to pay and make sure their expenses come out of their own percentage because otherwise they will take all the money and leave your son with nothing. They will object but say fine I will just call so and so I'm sure he will do it. Trust me if they are any good they will reconsider. Second the reason to file for underinsured benefits on both vehicles is because you have a better chance of winning on at least one.
My next advise is go to the media if your represenatives don't do anything. The US media loves a good story.
It is sad to say we live in the richest country in the world but yet tbpi injuries get worse treatment than in a third world country. I wish with all my heart this country would go to a national health care system because then at least 60 million people would not be without health insurance.
If you want to talk just e-mail me.(cick on my name up above and it will show my e-mail address)
Mindy

I just found this website and it is exactly what I need. I am angry too! I had rotater cuff surgery and was given a nerve block before it. I was having a hard time at therapy and the PT thought I was sensitive and could not take the pain. He could not explain why my hand was swollen, I could not move my wrist and my fingers were stiff. Now why am I mad. When I saw my surgeon and told him of these weird sensations he said "it is not related to the surgery. I am mad because my life now is going to therapy ( PT and OT) for three and a half hours three days a week. I'm mad because I can't do alot of things at home and my children are not helping as much as I need. I am mad because I am constantly yelling at everyone in the house. I am stressed out. I go to my surgeon next week and I know what his response will be. I am taking the report from my EMG with me and I am wondering how he will explain how I have nerve damage from the nerve block and it is not related to surgery. I have brachial plexus injury. This sucks!!! as my kids would say.

hrm.

im angry my first PCP thought there was nothing wrong with me, that the pain made no sense since the mri's and x-rays were normal. told me i didnt need an EMG and the numbness in my fingers was from LEANING ON MY ELBOWS. he told me i only had 'muscle spasms' and i did not need to see a neurologist. (Lesse - muscle spasms, pain, numbness 3 months long non-stop... *just* muscle spasms??) on an HMO, i needed his referral and he refused, three times, to give it to me. i was on the phone in tears with him and he refused. none of the anti infammatories or muscle relaxants he gave me worked, so he basically gave up on me, wouldnt even schedule a follow up.

after that i took matters into my own hands; went to an ER where the ER doctor after a brief exam basically diagnosed me with neuro damage, then ER basically told PCP to refer me to a neurologist so it finally happened. (surprise). I switched primary care doctors to a doctor who is very thorough and actually gives a crap about his patients (he scheduled me for a second EMG and to a rheumatologist when i finally got to see him) and eventually open enrollment allowed me to switch insurance entirely so i can go see whoever i please now and not be at the mercy of aetna.

the rest i know is a slow process so im not angry about that. what i have seems to be relatively mild (to very mild reading some of the stories here I feel bad feeling bad for myself after a lot of reading here), I have pretty much full range of motion and full use, and hand strength seems to vary from day to day and dr. to dr. examining me. my big deal is shoulder pain that just gets worse and worse the more i move, and numbness and stabbing and the usual ickiness.

im just happy, happy happy the emg's were ABNORMAL. (i had two, one in december and one in may) im sure this sounds strange to the rest of the world but not people here, so many dr's put all faith in x-rays and MRI's and the concept of 'if I can not see it, it does not exist'.

i am angry hat this has happened to my brother and i am angry because i can't and don't know how to help him. i'm angry that living in delaware nobody seems to have heard of this bracial plexis injury andi'm angry about the way we have been treated by certain physicians, it certainly leaves you blindsided about what you do next