so good to hear from you, and i'm glad you made it through OK. you are so right when you say there is nothing easy about TOS surgery. this is a very hard recovery... and can be a tricky one, so steady wins the race, my friend (we TOS'ers don't like to hear that).

coldpacks are going to become your best friends right now; be sure you stock up on several (frozen peas work great, too) so that you always have some to alternate between the surgical site, the neck/shoulder/upper arm/forearm/hand, etc. - wherever you need it. you'll develop a rhythm. i had 4-6 going at all times, for weeks after my rib resection as i recall...

also, many find that sleeping in a recliner is a lifesaver after TOS surgery. you might be able to get your doc to write an rx for one and get it covered by your medical insurance, or even just as a rental from a medical supplies place. there was a recliner on a recent thread here, i think from relax the back, that made me drool, beverley, but it costs more than a car. so i don't see how that purchase is one in my immediate future... but a gal can dream!!

the fact that you're feeling improved pain levels, even only slightly, better circulation in the arm, increased ROM, etc., are all very good signs, i think. very good, indeed. i know what it's like to have suffered in great pain in a long, long time and be shuffled from doc to doc, dx to dx, beverley. each one thinks their analysis of your presenting sx is the correct one and promises you the moon, don't they.

but you are right to have high hopes for an improved future and a better quality of life. you deserve to feel better. and your story should be so much more than a cautionary tale. your spirit of wanting to reach out and help others who are still suffering i think is just great. and you have so much to offer in that regard.

but it is time to take care of you right now, beverley. like dawn said, please take it very easy. you are really quite fragile after a major surgery such as this one and it's a huge insult to your neurovascular system, so things might be screaming at you that weren't before. don't be alarmed at that, just heed the call and reach for the icepacks. and the drugs...

if there is someone there who can post for you, that would be ideal. give your arms, hands and fingers all the rest that you can.


again, so good to see you!

alison