Hi SpareRib

It sounds like we had something very similar done - I hadn't come across anyone before who had the same combination of artery and nerve impingement.

I was surprised by how quickly I've healed, as I read a lot of accounts before I went in for my op and they all seemed to suggest it would be months before I could even consider getting back to normal. My surgeon said that I would probably need to take 3-6 weeks off uni, but I actually got back after a couple of weeks so I think I've just been lucky.

I'm 5 weeks post op and I'm managing to jog, cycle and cross-train at the gym now, and mostly I'm just limited by my lost fitness! The main problem was the stiffness at first - I could barely move my shoulder or neck. After a week or so it really started to loosen up though and the improvement over the next few weeks was quite dramatic. My shoulder and neck are almost back to normal now in terms of mobility, although my physio is telling me to make sure I don't overdo lifting etc as it could cause me damage.

The numbness across my chest is still there, and I think might be a permanent fixture, but it's still early days so keeping my fingers crossed I'll get normal sensation back.

How are you getting on now? Is your pain getting better? I hope you're starting to feel more human - for a week or so after the op I was exhausted and found everything more work than it should have been! Hope this has been kinda informative and makes you feel more optimistic about recovery

Take care,
Bex