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In Remembrance
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,002
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In Remembrance
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,002
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What a great thread
Pub Med results "Outcome of surgery for TOS in WA state workers" indicates that 4.8 years AFTER surgery, 72.5% of the workers are unable to return to what is considered their normal habits and that they were "limited a lot." This article concluded that the doctors are reporting better outcomes - far better - than is realistic, and that new statistics need to be obtained and analyzed. At least I can give this to my mother so that she stops accusing me of enjoying my bed status!!! Ha-ha!
This may or may not be something you want to hear. For me, I prefer the truth, and every time I read another Internet article that said "conservative PT resolves most all TOS symptoms" I'd want to ask someone to throw my monitor FOR ME...I know far too many people who relate a lifestyle exactly as "Withmore" as described - including me.
Getting family and friends to understand my limitations - as you all know - and to accept my condition and it's apparent curelessness (for me folks) - has been difficult. But lately I pull out a simple NINDS article from the Web that categorizes us as a NEUROLOGICAL disorder, and I remind them that nerve disorders similar in symptoms include MS, RA, ALS, etc. This seems to help as most people equate this with either an ortho hand or ortho shoulder problem, which is site-specific, and a lot of our problems are brain or BP located, which is not site-specific to the pain or disability body part. Some in my family keep calling it a "shoulder problem" and ask if I've had shoulder surgery yet and gotten back to work...also, neuro problems include memory, choking, phantom or moving symptoms, etc.
Currently I have spiking pains in my left and right foot, and my left thumb and right forefinger. My ankles have a bone-aching problem. Then there's the usual TOS pains, as well as some RSD that moves around (superficial but severe burning, pins, etc.) I do have more mobility right now - but everything good is in bunches of just a few days, so I do not get all excited, but just accept whatever I am able to do in that day - or not do. And yes, when I've had 3 weeks of severe, off-the-charts pain, unrelenting, I do get down!
Hang in there all. And if you haven't checked Web articles in a year or so, it's "interesting" to see how they've changed their language, statistics, treatment, diagnosis or added new articles that we never had before. I fear TOS is on the rise...!!!
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