Thank you all so much for your responses. You all made some excellent points. My thoughts and well wishes go out to all of you. I agree that the one good thing that has come out of this is that I have become more connected in my relationships and more compassionate to those in need.

I read "ben's stem cell news" every day to see the amazing discoveries bbeing made in medicine now, in the hopes that one day there will be real solutions to these problems (I spoke to a medical researcher and he said that stem scell therapies were only five years away -- I hope).

Saw my worker's comp doctor yesterday and he said that he is discharging me because he just doesn't feel that TOS is work related. I told him that the NINDS website lists "repetitive strain" as a cause. He said my case was complex and work wasn't the cause. I spoke to an Information and assistance Officer with the worker's comp office in Long Beach (where I live) and was told that I am allowed a 2nd opinion from a QME doctor. I said that there is a doctor in Denver who said my TOS was caused by work, but the I & A officer said that his testimony would not be allowed. It seems they have me over a barrel here. There are doctors who will testify that it is work related, but I am being told that their testimony will not be allowed.

Things I am doing that seem to help: Trigger point massage from Carlos Messerschmidt in Costa Mesa, FSM (frequency specific microcurrent) from Susan Kaefer in Santa Ana, and Ice&stretch of my scalenes. I saw a Dr. Saxton (neuro doc) who was great and she wants me to get the 3D MRI from Dr. Collins at UCLA.

Off to the dog beach to let my hairy children play in the water -- one of the few things that raises my spirits these days.