My name is Lynda and I am writing to learn more about how to help my son recover from his first rib resection surgery.

Blake is a very healthy 24 year old that was diagnosed with TOS on Aug 3rd after having a blood clot in his left arm and enumerable pulmonary emboli. He had surgery at Stanford Hospital on Aug 31st. The surgeon removed the left first rib and the scalene muscles and said it was a textbook surgery and all went very well. But the past week has been a roller coaster. He has been in constant pain. Originally the pain was in his back just behind his left shoulder blade. Now it is in his left shoulder and arm. He is on constant pain meds and muscle relaxers and even takes ativan from time to time to help him relax. Ice seems to help with the swelling too.

I honestly thought that he would begin improving by now but he is still just as bad as a week ago. He starts physical therapy today and doesn't have a followup with the surgeon until next week. I feel like he needs to be seen by the surgeon sooner. Am I just being a worried mum or is this constant pain something he will have to live with for a while.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
Lynda

Lynda..

Nice to meet you..I hope I hope I can shed some light on your concerns..I had two ribs resectioned, both my first top, left and right... 6 weeks apart due to a car accident and I was just your son's age...I am very sorry for you and your son having to endure this trauma in your life as I can tell you first hand, it is a very painful surgery with a long recovery. I don't think you can expect much pain relief for quite some time yet... months, I rememeber before I could breathe correctly, deeply and more range of motion..This surgery is very invasive, bone cutting..Expect and allow yourselves the time for healing and believe in your Dr.s textbook prognosis.. it will take time and patience... but important...

I hope you do well and please, let me know if you have anyother questions...

Have a great day and my best to your son..

Kathy

Welcome to NT

I didn't have surgery for my TOS. This condition is painful and varies from patient to patient in some ways.

Here is our TOS forum. There's lots of good, caring people there who have had surgery and lives to tell about it.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum24.html

I sure hope and pray your son gets a good result from surgery. It can happen that way too, you know. Think positive. Each day that passes is one more day closer to recovery.

It is a challenging condition to live and deal with for the patient, the doctors, surgeons, rehabers, and family... heck, even my dog suffered because I had TOS.

You have come to the right place

Hello,
I sent you a PM also. Has a link to the copy of your post I placed on the TOS forum for you , I'll post the link here too -
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread132051.html

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk. Happy to see you have come to be with us. Just let us know if we can be of any help.

There are great number of fellow members here to assist you. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around.

Darlene