Originally Posted by LiveLoveandTrust

Hello everyone, I'm looking forward to getting to know ya'll! I thought I'd share my story and ask a few questions.

The whole big mess started my Junior year in high school in 2003....That is until 2008 when I had an acute bout of pain in my left shoulder. I freaked thinking I messed up my shoulder but I was told by my PCP that it was just bursitis and I was sent to PT. 6 weeks into PT I was still in the same amount of pain until one day when I woke up and it was just gone....
Now this is where I'm most frustrated because it was never really explained to me at this point what TOS was and how serious/progressive it could be. I was sent to a neuromuscular physical therapist which didn't work and I just dropped it because no one seemed to think it was that big a deal. I dealt with the pain with my flexeril and tramadol which didn't need to be used all too often until I realized that I wasn't really having good days anymore and my bad days had gone from being around a 4 on the pain scale to about an 8. I was sent for an MRI of my neck; this was now in summer 2012...wow, really? .... Yet ANOTHER orthopedic. ...I went to the new orthopedic ...
Of course, he sent me to a Vascular Surgeon who does not diagnose TOS so I ended up seeing a different one. The first time I went down to his office (over an hour away) he was stuck in surgery and I was seen by a medical student and a PA. They took half a medical history and told me that bilateral TOS symptoms didn't happen so I probably didn't have it but to feel free to come back again. The medical student told me that it was all in my head.
I did come back. I was seen first by the medical resident who said I didn't have TOS because I was not losing my pulse but when the doctor came in he stated that the resident did it wrong and I clearly did. I now have an appointment to see the Thoracic surgeon that will be doing the surgery with the Vascular surgeon and they will schedule a first rib resection and scalenectomy in January. I've been told there is involvement of the artery, vein and nerve.
So FINALLY I have my answer. It took years because of my other medical issues but they finally got it. The weakness, fatigue, loss of dexterity, the pain and the numbness will with any luck be a thing of the past.
What I want to know is about your experiences with surgery. I've read past threads but there are a few things I would really like to know.

Secondly, can you share what medications you were taking both in the hospital and upon discharge? I am currently a lactating mom and I need to be able to research when/if it will be safe to give my baby my milk.

Thirdly, what can I expect pain-wise and function wise week by week? Specifically, how able will I be to pump breastmilk? Shower? When will I be able to hold my baby (she'll be 15 months old by surgery time)? How much sleep will my body crave? I need to know these things so I can plan to have help for my significant other. He and my mother will be able to be with me at all times but they will need breaks too I'm sure. I know it will be exhausting to watch after both me and my daughter so I want to make sure I schedule other people for breaks but I was wondering how far out to do this.
.