Anon - Very well said!! My situation with traumatic onset following vaccine reaction is wihout doubt VERY rare - and living in one of the MOST medically conservative states (IL, home to the AMA and other med orgs) and communities, put me at a very definite disadvantage from the start. Not to mention as an iatrogenic injury I was black-balled from real treatment by my PCP's medical group, a regional giant (courtesy their legal geniuses, I'm sure), and browbeaten by any colleagues of his I sought out. All of this though I never blamed my Dr in ANY way for the outcome of the shot, told him so, and that I had no intent to sue, but wd pursue vaccine injury compensation when we knew my disability was permanent and my medical bills had risen well into the thousands.

What was surprising to me was given numerous EMG/NCVs with positive results and visible atrophy, plus positive sensory test results and motor testing that showed my right, dominant hand to be less strong than my left, many resisted the idea of my having TOS surgery, (regardless of pain, quality oif life, etc., failure of therapy and other modalities to improve my confdition, etc.) My PT, PCP, pain mgmt Dr, a couple of neurologists and others were adamantly against the rib resection.

After the surgery revealed a fourth scalene wrapped around C8-T1 and tight below the vein, and a follow-up EMG/NCV showing a greatly improved nerve conduction velocity (75 after, while prior it had been 49), it was still treated as a matter that should not have been done! Of course, almost all of these persons were employed by the same medical group as my PCP, and I believe that by having the surgery I was potentially opening them to greater liability, and also by the surgeon finding the cause, the 4th scalene, proving the dx beyond a doubt, . Since I had NO sx before the vaccine, proving the TOS dx was yet another blow (potentially) against them.

Funnily in my vaccine injury case they did try to argue I had TOS all along, prior to the vaccine, but had no reason to offer to the Special Master as to why I had NO sx until after the vaccination. Thus I won the case.

Then after I won, they asked for an IME with a Dr at U of I Chicago. In his report he says he doesn't believe I EVER had TOS at ALL!!!

Go Figure!!

I did see some regrowth of SOME muscles 18 months-2 yrs after pec minor tenotomy - medial cord compression was actually the cause of the denervation. The remainder of atrophy is permanent. Left side progresses - what to do?

beth