Lawyer's office got the IME's report today, I called as it was to be here by June 8 - this was the UIC appt I had on MARCH 19th, mind you, and the little bitty report was all of 7 pages - poor Doc must be seriously overbooked (she says facetiously) HA!

Anyways, seems he could ONLY come to the conclusion, after reading through my War and Peace of medical records and examining my delightful self, that:

1.) I suffered a post-immunization brachial plexitis caused by a tetanus booster.

2.) That continuing pain is not a sx of brachial plexitis, although muscle weakness and atrophy are known to continue, and sometimes , not improve. Therefore my continuing and progressive high pain and symptoms including allodynia and excessive sweating are due to central sensitization, itself due to CRPS-II, or Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

And 3) He is not CONVINCED I have OR had TOS, because I had neither a c-rib, elongeted C-7, or fibrous band connecting the two, and believes these must be present for true neurogenic thoracic outlet, even a case secondary to brachial neuritis. He says swelling of the brachial plexus due to inflammation sufficient enough to cause nerve irritation or compression has not been scientifically proven, and adds that my imprved EMG findings following first rib resection COULD be due to machime irregularity or operator bias.

My thoughts: We obviously hit home runs on the first two counts and he could find no way to discredit the medical findings - NADA! This is big! They will have to pay for my ketamine treatments - WHEW!!!! And all other RSD-related medical expenses, past and present, what a relief!

But the brachial plexitis finding was KEY - because without that in our favor, the rest would be thrown out - so I am VERY happy!!

Now, on the 3rd - the TOS was always the weak point, not because I didn't have it, but because of all the controversy about it. But I think he shot himself in the foot here. Roos and others have identified the scalene minimus as one of the bands causing TOS, and there are papers in medical journals that describe it. Dr Annest and Dr Togut wd certainly have something to say about it as well. And this Dr is a neurologist, not a surgeon, and he has never done a TOS surgery. I believe a TOS surgeon's opinion will carry more weight with the Special Master.

Plus, the Dr who did my before and after surgery EMG's was Dr Machanic, who has served on the Medical Board for the State of Denver and I believe is a Prof at UC Denver, he is NO slouch. For a UIC Dr to make such statements is pretty absurd and far-reaching.

I am feeling pretty good about the whole shebang, can you tell? My lawyer and I meet with the DOJ lawyer on June 25 to discuss possible figures, and with the Special Master on the 26th. I'm not planning on playing softball, let me tell you!

Saw a Dr yesterday for EMG's on my legs, trying to figure out the balance, falling, burning feet, PAIN, issues, determine if it is RSD as has been assumed, or something else. He says Peripheral Polyneuropathy - yet another dx - I still suspect possible mercury toxicity from the thimerosal in the tetanus booster, because of my hereditary connective-tissue disorder (which has yet to be identified). It explains so many, many things - and being a smoker, with dental amalgams, well water, living near farm fields and factories, I would have had a high body burden BEFORE the shot. Anyway...

Brachial plexopathy IS a peripheral neuropathy, just multiplied - check out PN under symtoms on various sites, you will be amazed to see how many of ours are common knowledge in other conditions, such as diabetes or others. So why are we made to feel like idiots or mental patients when describing the same neurological sx? It's RIDICULOUS!!!

OK, that's enuff, just wanted to share with my peeps (think I need to get around adults more, I'm sounding more and more like my girls )

beth