Thanks David, that really shows the lack of consideration they had for those caring people who put so much of their valiable time into making Braintalk what it was, it was mountain of valiable information that was critical for so many people that were struck with this horrible disease.
That really gets under my skin

. . .even though, like jcc and Mrs. D., I do sort of feel morally obligated to continue to check OBT and to provide info/answer questions when approrpriate, especially to newbies.

BTW, if anyone is interested, I basically tore the right trapezius muscle off the shoulder blade while weighlifting. I also apparently tore part of the rhomboids (deeper muscles) on that side. The physiatrist who first examined me, in my question mark position of pain, said that this took considerable talent. (I've apparently overdeveloped some muscles at the expense of others over the years of lifting, and applied too much torque--as I've said before, my workout motto is anything worth doing is worth overdoing.)

The pain was enormous, but it wasn't neurological pain. It was good old-fashioned nociceptive pain, with a lot of tightness and pulling besides. The neurological symptoms, though, were the most intriguing part of this--not my "usual" small fiber pain, but a tingling numbness in the back of my right hand near the first knuckle and extending into the webbing of the hand and up the inside of the thumb and forefinger to their tips. It became obvious I had compressed some part of the medial nerve branch in the nerve root area near the displaced shoulder, and/or possibly in the area where the arm extends from the shoulder. This symptom is still present--a little bit improved; I imagine with the "crush" phenomenon and the fact that all of us with nerve damage are far more prone to compressive effects than "normals", this symptom is going to be of long duration. My priority is getting the anatomy back to its former place to take the pressure off the area.

A most interesting thing in all of this has been attempting to educate the physiatrist and physical therapists about these symptoms. Some are more open to listening to a patient than others. I often have to pull jargon on them. (They didn't know my background; you can be sure they do now. )

Hi,

I am new here but am also a member of BT. I normally post in the Spinal Disorders forum but also have PN. What I really want to say is that I have read everyone's posts here and I think things have been very well said! I find this site much more friendlier and welcoming. I also like the Mission Statement here along with how moderation is handled. So, I just wanted to stop in and say hello and I think I am here to stay.

Ouch! Glenn! That sounds horrible, and like it may take a long time to mend. Is there a chance you will need surgery to repair anything, or just time...lots of time?

Hi Kathi49! Nice to meet you. I think everyone has expressed some valid viewpoints here, too. We all have slightly different perspectives on things for various reasons, depending upon our experience and circumstance, and that's ok . It is a really nice place here, and I'm glad you have decided to stay!

Cara

David, you said "........ The one thing I am desperate about is getting the old "Stickies: Useful websites" back. That was a precious resource for all of us that took years to build."

As I thought about this, I seem to remember a post about JL (I think it was in Forum Feedback). It had something to do with him walking home in the rain and realizing that he had these CD's in his pocket, that were the backups of OBT.
He then spoke about realizing that he was carrying thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people in his pocket. Then, something about it being a humbling experience and him being the sole keeper - in his pocket- of so many needs and desires of people with neurological problems.
He went on to state that he made these backup CD's regularly and they were not kept at the 'hastypastry' building, but taken home to his place. He also mentioned something about making space at this place for storage, as he was running out of place(s) to put them.
Weren't these CD's the OBT backups/archives?
Were they used for something else and then 'lost'?
I just have this nagging feeling that our info/data was not lost- and retrieval of it, lies just around some corner-somewhere. But it isn't worth the time or the effort to get it back on-line where we can use it.

Glenn, I guess you aren't the only one who could be accused of being 'long winded' in posting replies.
(So sorry about your arm/shoulder I hope you recover quickly)
I have been known to 'run off at the mouth' - frequently.

glenntaj-
some of your shoulder pain and symptoms sound almost like thorasic outlet syndrome{TOS}.

weightlifters can and do get it - so be cautious- with your rehab.
plus it is a somewhat repetitive motion injury /posture related issue too.

If your interested in more info or links about TOS see out forum here and our stickys.
TOS info: the first links in our sticky list
http://www.nismat.org/ptcor/thoracic_outlet/
http://tos-syndrome.com/newpage12.htm
http://tos-syndrome.com

this has the weight lifter references-
http://www.acofp.org/member_publications/thoracic.htm

This sounds very similar to my leg issue, from a year ago!

It takes a LONG time for these soft tissue injuries to heal and they are mega mondo painful. Are you getting
ultrasound and IFC treatments? These really took my pain levels down
dramatically.

My PT cautioned me over and over, about sudden movements, or sudden
strains. I have several health club no-- nos now, and weight limits on the machines. Even tho I am strong, and can do 240 lbs on the leg presses, I am no longer allowed things like that. You might have to sacrifice weight with more reps. As we age, we do not handle these strains well. Even with stretching. I also think the PN (autoimmune issues like Gluten) wear on the connective tissues alot.

And you might investigate Biofreeze. This topical gel has been marvelous for me.
They sold it at my rehab place. Now I buy it online. I even use it on my feet too.

When my pain was at its height I used Lidoderms on my lower back to intercept the pain signals before they hit the spine. Lidoderm might help you sleep etc.

But estimates for my recovery were grossly off target. I was told 6mos..and it has been a year now, and I am just getting my stamina back, and the limp is almost gone. The major pain left for me during the IFC and ultrasound..the 24/7 pain that is. Now I don't even need Tylenol except on very bad days. But my range of motion is not 100%, and I can still feel it if I move certain ways. So don't become frustrated if it takes longer than you expected.

There are some nutrients that may help
Vit C
SAMe
Tumeric/ginger for inflammation
silica (found in green beans and bananas-- and beer which you cannot have on your gluten regimen)

I would avoid continuous use of NSAIDs...even tho doctors give them. Every day use, suppresses the healing Cox-2 cytokines (yes some Cox 2 cytokines stimulate healing!) . This will happen at about 4-6 wks...so intermittent use for pain is okay and should not interrupt normal healing. Sometimes an icepack will do wonders instead of Ibuprofen.
Strangely, ibuprofen only started working for me when I reached pain levels of 3 or so. In the beginning it was useless! But now I can take 600mg of Ibu on a bad day or long shift at work and get a 8hr or more effect.

I have a website (provided to me by Jo55 a while back) that sells home units for IFC treatments when your PT runs out. It is nice to have it at home, and worked well for me. (about $140.) IFC is healing whereas TENS do not. What I was told at my sessions was that adhesions form with the fascia, and that is something that leads to pain with motion during healing.

Don't hesitate to email me.. if you need further support. I can really understand your plight... it was a totally rough year for me as well!

Love,