hi. i posted this in the get to know you section, but wanted to check in...

2 weeks post-op...Oct 4th.

I'm struggling because of a lot of swelling and still a LOT of pain. I was under retraction longer than expected because Dr. Avery said it was really quite a mess in there. My numbers from mri/mra results that the narrowing was/is oops! 5 mm on right which I had done and 2 mm on left.

I have limited range & control of right arm because of swelling of nerves/ build up of fluid affecting biceps and deltoids. I can move my hand and wrist but that's about it for now. I had full range with my arm day of surgery but overnight the nerves swelled up and I've had a little day to day improvement since. My diaphragm was weak too...failed the sniff test to the extent that it was just very weak...thank goodness not more. i've felt out of breath too, but I've made huge progress strengthening by using the incentive spirometer. I'm very tired and wear out easily but am doing stretching exercises every day. Just going to be very slow!!

I had my first out patient PT appt today(yesterday) which went well. Before surgery, I moved to SLC to have support from family and it's been reassuring to have chosen to do the surgery in SF even though I'm doing recovery/pt in SLC. The therapist said the last surgical case she had was 15 years ago.

She and Dr. Avery have talked at length and I feel very confident with her. She seems very on the ball as far as the right protocols for healing from this surgery and nerve desensitivation. The facility is state of the art at the Univ. of Utah...just very few surgeries are actually performed here.

I have been so impressed with Dr. Avery. I met him a year ago and then again in March. I had to see a neurologist/ Dr. Ansel from w/c and get his go ahead before they would authorize surgery. Dr. Avery was very thorough before and after in his care and responds quickly. His assistant, Ann is really great too. He obviously cares about his patients...and not just those he does surgery on.
i'll give more in depth details/answer my own questions shortly!
thanks for the well wishes...doing my best to heal
Nidia



Injured July,2002: 2 door size boxes/ 120 lbs. fell against my back. Concentra, then Dr. Weddington for Thoracic/lumbar/cervical strain: PTand acupuncture & went back to "modified" work after a few weeks. R arm began to hurt 1/03, complained to work& Dr without any response, continued getting worse, switched Dr's, Dr. Swartz, MRI 4/03:tendonitis in R shoulder/rotator cuff, bulge in neck. Dr only offers meds & off work May/03. Changed Dr.'s again/Dr. Handleman: osteopathic manipulations &prolo injections,acupuncture & PT. Feeling best since injury until Dr. got a crush on me/had to seek new Dr., wc took 4 mos to authorize, got increasingly worse. Saw Dr. McClure had MRI/MRA Nov/04, d/x Bilateral vascular and neurogenic TOS. Cervical epidural Nov/04. Dr. Hines for pain mgmt. Dr. Rosales for cognitive therapy/psych. S/x on R shoulder 1/05 w/Dr. Greenwald. Cervical epidural 3/05. 12/05. Moved to SLC. Dr. Giovanniello/SLC treating Dr, cervical epidur. 1/06 & 3/06. Pool therapy/PT for TOS. Dr. Shulimson for cognitive therapy/psych. Cervical Facet block injections 8/06, authorized for rib resection/scalenectomy 10/4/06. On Morphine, neurontin, Baclofen, Cymbalta, Relafen, Prevacid, Trazodone, Lidoderm Patches, Imitrex for muscle and nerve pain.
Now: dilaudid, neurontin, ms contin, fentanyl, baclofen, relafen, prevacid, ambien. ativan, cymbalta, lidoderm patches, imitrex, and reglan