[Dark Sapphire]

Hi!

After reading some of the posts from other TOS/TOD people, I decided to add my situation. I was 55, and had no other problems on my right side, when 'it' happened. I was driving a 38 foot bus and had to make a hard right turn within a hospital complex. I felt three searing, burning stabbing pains in my shoulder, collar bone and then my shoulder again, the last one went down my right arm. I had to pull over to 'collect' myself, and then continued my route with my left arm. Needless to say, this IS worker's comp; although they, of course are fighting it. I was very careful not to crash the bus, although in retrospect, if I had had even a small accident, they couldn't fight it. But at the time, not knowing that 'it' would be completely dibilitating, and being worried about my job, and the people that were on the bus, I didn't let that happen.

My 'incident' happened in late November; my gp recognized it for what it was and I saw a TOS specialist in early January. ( It was the earliest I could get in, and he wanted me to see other doctors in the meanwhile, and have xrays and MRI's done) The specialist, then sent me to other specialists and performed his own tests and determined that I did have TOS. We tried PT, but that made it worse. He said he didn't want to consider surgery lightly, because it is a major, heavy duty surgery. In early March I had TOD surgery. He removed my right first rib and some of my muscle and soft tissue. My pain and muscle spasms haven't stopped since that night in November; it's not AS bad though, as it was before the surgery. But I was told there was no guarantee that the pain would stop. I can however, raise my arm up past my head again, at varying speeds and angles, depending on the day and time of day. I take pain meds and muscle relaxers constantly. I went to PT briefly for about 3 months and then because of financial problems we had to move out of state. (I won't bore you with the details.) It's a pain trying to get to a specialist when you no longer have a gp; so it's taken me almost 3 months to find a gp in the state we are now in that takes Medicare. I am now retired early and thank God (dess), Spirit, was approved for SSD and Medicare w/o a lawyer. Also thanks to my original doctors, have not had to go without my meds. That would truely be hell! Because of my pain levels, muscle spasms and my need for meds, I have to see a doctor in their Chronic Pain unit, which I will do this coming week. I have no idea how long this will last, or what the final outcome will be, but I KNOW I wish this had never happened. Our lives have rotated 360 degrees a couple of times since last November, and to say it hasn't been pleasant, is a vast understatement. We however, were truely lucky. We do have an income and insurance...and we still have a chance at a decent life, I hope...