I was solicited into a cardiovascular risk clinic. the needle went in and in and in, when i looked up the women had twisted away from me with the needle jabbing and twisting into my arm. i yelled ow and it went in deeper. they all tried to cover their error and whisked me out of there. the pain was worse and worse.
i was an athlete my whole life at age 49. My way of coping with pain {Emotional} was exercise. I proceeded on a hike up a ridge to get to cooler ground, The heat was making the pain just unbearable, worse than labor pains. After a mile or so I stopped and noticed my right arm and hand was grossly engorged with blood with the veins litterally popping out of my arm. I could not get the veins to go back into my arm. I tore a length of cloth from my shirt and wrapped my arm and kept elevating it.
I stayed up there for 3 days alone as I was afraid more exercise would pump more blood and I may expire. I realized she had hit and severed my nerves, brachial artery and hit the tendon as well. No one on this small island would help me in the medical field.
I started looking for neurologists in the yellow pages and flew to at least 15 different specialists. In conclusion., I have been over 8and a half years with my brachial plexus gone, a large muscle on my back gone, as well as chronic pain and swelling in the puncture site, the cubital fossa on the inner right arm. this experience has brought me nothing but loss.
i was a healthy active person, artist, musician, gardener,etc. Now I swim almost every day for an hour or so to save my life. I try hard every day to do as much as I can. For me the most painful aspect of this is that my family , kids and friends just don't understand. they just don't get it and somehow expect me to be the same person. I feel isolated and alone.
I would love to connect with anyone who feels they could be willing to understand the limitations this type of permanent injury can inflict upon an unsuspecting victim. After all, how often do we hear" it's just a simple blood draw" My heart goes out to everyone who has been hurt in this manner. From my heart to yours...I care, and I want to hear about how you are all coping. Thanks.