Hi all,
My name is Laura, I found this forum a few months ago and just read odd bits and pieces. I saw that someone commented that once people are cured they don't come back so that's why I'm posting now.
I was diagnosed with TOS in June 2011 when I developed a blood clot and went blue down one side. After many test and deliberations by doctors they decided that TOS was the issue. This was on my left side. I had a thrombolisis op to flush out the clot them the following day I had a first rib resection, my first rib is an unusual shape and also had an extra chunk of bone. Growing on it that was crushing my vein and nerve without the removal of it a new clot would form within weeks or I risked loosing my arm further down the line if the condition remained untreated. On being discharged I was told I also has TOS on my right side but due to the risks involved with surgery they wouldn't remove the rib as a precaution. For the first 12/18 months I was fine. I then began to develop pins and needles and pain in my forearm, over the last few months drving , writing on whiteboards, combing my hair anything that involved raising my arm even a little bit has bought on the symptoms. My case was discussed by a board of doctors who decided that the pinch in my shoulder was severe and really the rib needed to come out. I did consider just living with the condition as the risk of paralysis to my arm freaked me out, I lead a very active life style and loosing that would kill me, but the pain had gotten unbearable. I had my op on 18/12/14 I'm a few days post op and I can honestly say I feel like a new person. I've suffered with this since November 2010 and now other than the post op pain it's all gone. I'm a new me. I owe my fantastic surgeon my life. Thus us the best Christmas present I've ever had.