Hi

Good to have you on our forum. I'm sorry for what has brought you here. You're not alone.

Being a nurse and having knowledge and personal experience with TOS doesn't make it any easier. I do understand.

Is it the same TOS symptoms you've experienced in your two prior TOS occurrences that led you to surgery? I have neck issues and I can drop things because of my neck too. I've also struggled with low back and headaches. It hasn't been fun.

If you haven't been on a TOS forum in a while, the lastest thing that I gained was about the pectoralis major and minor syndrome that TOSer seem to have. I understand they just started recognizing and diagnosing this around 2005. I now know I've suffered with that component too. The pecs can be an outpatient procedure. Just something I learned recently from this wonderful community of ours.

Oh... And also to keep my elbows as straight as posible with palms up, when I'm reclining or laying. I've also found major relief, not cured from TOS, it's a bugger, but certainly functional and a lot less pain, from LED and infrared lightz.

I've also used Kinesio Tape for TOS and arms and other symptoms. It helped too.

TOS is still a difficult condition for providers to successfully treat. I've found that I'm my best advocate and know my body's signals by now. TOS has been a constant adjustment in plans, in all facets of my life. I don't think there's a quick fix for it, myself. so yes, even at my best since Oct 2000, TOS is still a part of my life. I must conform, adhere to what I've picked up along the way to manage TOS, so it won't rear its ugly head. I don't like it but I can and do manage it now.

I sure hope you can get it under control, by whatever means you try. Am very willing to share my experiences. There's lots of info here to read. Just ask if you need to know where something is. I'll help in any way I can. Jo*mar is great at pulling up the right threads for eveyone. She's amazing.

I don't know if you're trying to work while you're flared up right now, but I still work and I know it can irritate the dragons. I have reasonable/tolerable limits. Seems to be a double-edged sword for a choice, though. I guess that's why I chose (Broken Wings) cause I can't fly like an eagle anymore.

I pray for all of us to have better health and a stronger body and willpower to overcome the challenges it poses. We need each other and we need the strength of a higher power. We TOSers are on this board together.