Newby
 

Hi all I am new here m/51 Kentucky. I have Bilateral Thoracic Outlet secondary Carpel Tunnel. I am a Sr. Maintenance Tech. on work restrictions. No pushing, no puling, no pinching, no griping, no repetitive motion and I am not to raise my arms above the level of my heart.

I found out in Dec. that I had all of this going on with me. I feel lost, I don't know what to do about work. I set here and type this and my neck is hurting so bad that I can't feel the pain in my arms and hands. Work has been trying to put me on modified duty but everything they give me to do causes more pain.

I’m fighting with work comp.

I have been on Neurontin and it helps some but I am gaining weight like crazy from the meds or lack of exercise from not doing the work that I am accustomed to?

I have always been in control of my life for the most part and now I feel lost in not knowing what is next.

Thanks
DA

Welcome
 

Hi, and Welcome to the forum. I am so sorry you are suffering and struggling so. I know and remember the initial feeling well!! It is devestating to have the world as you know it change in such a drastic way.

I hope that you will come to this forum whenever you need some support or information to help you through this journey.

One suggestion I would like to make is don't push your body and do things at work or home that cause you further pain. If the changes that are made for you at your job are still not the right accomedations, try to have them continue to modify your work. It is importnat to not injure yourself any further.

That also applies to any P.T. that might be suggested. Never let the Dr.'s or P.T.'s push you into doing any tests, for example range of motion or stretches, that hurt. That could also cause re-injury.

What kind of tests have you received so far??

Take Care,
G ~ :)

welcome
 

hI Lovestofish,

welcome...I hear your pain in the fight for comp....it took me three years to get my appeal but did eventually win my case and they are now paying my way....not that it is much.....but better than no income!!!!!

oh the weight gain......I tried yoga you may want to consider it as it is low inpact and I find I gain relaxation skills from it as it teaches you how to breath properly.....

Have you tried progressive muscle relaxation??? it teaches you how to notice which muscles do what as you tighten them then relax them in a certian order this way you can learn to do a body scan which means you can notice when you are tensing up your muscles.....and relax them as best you can...like when your shoulder goes up past your ear :eek:

I hope we can help you with resources and if you need articles to take to your doctor I'm your gal....let me know what type of info you need and I will do my best to find the article you need to educate your physicians and your comp idiots.....lol

take care and welcome
Victoria rn con(c)


ps what do you like to fish for???

Welcome Lovetofish
 

I am just 3 days post op, I just wanted to send a quick Hi and welcome to you..
Hope to chat with you soon..
((Hugs)) Dawn :hug:

welcome
 

Welcome DA,

Sorry this has happened to you, but you've found a great home here full of caring people and invaluable information! Search, read and learn!

Hopefully your job will keep you on in some restricted capacity. Teaching? But if this evil monster forces you to stop working, it will be ok. We aren't defined by our jobs, but how we care for each other. Get a w/c attorney sooner rather than later. Others here are far more experienced with w/c and will be able to help you.

Weight gain is a no-no. You may want to ask your Dr about changing your medication to something different. More weight is more compression on nerves. :eek:

Best of luck to you on your journey,
Anne

Hi DA.. Welcome !

You have definately come to the right place. If it wasn't for all these awesome people I wouldn't know what I know today about TOS. So.. I wish you the best.

Gibbrn.. maybe some soon I will take you up on you offer if that is o.k.? I am going to a "new" Doctor Tuesday.... DA welcome to the family !

no prob
 

anytime I will gladly get articles for anytime! they are so important for taking to your dr and WE need to educate our dr's so they get it and understand our pain and suffering. :wink:

just let me know
love and hugs:hug:
Victoria

Thanks
 

You all are all so nice thank you for the comments.

There have been many test done MRI, CT scan, all kinds of blood work, Needle Electrode and Nerve Conduction test by a Neurologist.

The findings were Left upper extremity showed prolonged median sensory latency while median motor nerve distal latency and CMAP amplitude were at the margin of normal range with normal ulnar sensory and motor nerves, normal radial sensory nerve and normal F waves.

NCS on right upper extremity showed prolonged median sensory and distal motor latencies, (what ever all of that is) CMAP amplitude were at the margin of normal range with normal ulnar sensory and motor nerves, normal radial sensory nerve and normal F waves.

Left upper extremity needle EMG using a monopolar needle electrode showed chronic denervation patterns in Deltoid and paraspinals; isolated chronic denervation also evident in Flex Dig Prof; no fibrillations or positive sharp waves; no fasciculations; rest of the muscles were normal.

Right upper extremity needle EMG using a monopolar needle electrode showed chronic denervation patterns in Deltoid, Biceps and paraspinals; no fibrillations or positive sharp waves; no fasciculations; rest of the muscles were normal.

Impression:

Mild-moderate left carpal tunnel syndrome.

Moderate right carpal tunnel syndrome.

Left c5 radiculopathy.

Right c5, c6 radiculopathy.

And again what ever all of that means?

So neuro sends me to neuro surgeon who says that he thinks that I have TOS as well as carpal tunnel.

The surgeon sends me to Dr. Erdogan Atasoy in Louisville whom I think was the one who preformed the worlds first hand transplant and a wonderful doctor.

After a very rigorous test he confirmed Bilateral TOS and secondary carpal tunnel.

DA

Welcome
 

DA it is nice to meet you and chat at night. It is tough battling this monster and especially when doctors approach it as treating symptoms not the tool it takes on the life of a person.

WE battled w/c for almost 13 years, riding their roller coaster. One thought I have is neurontin and wight gain, there are other med's similar that hjelp and do not gain wright. A few i have used are topomax and zanaflex. Both ahve to be started at the most smallest rate, even cutting in half and build it up over weeks and months.
I have vailum as needed for muscle spasms. I use small dose, half most days and incrase on flare days. It is the truest muscle relaxant per my neurolgist.

I also have percocete and darvocet that I can use per needed and days I work, I need. It is difficult to work with TOS and I have two thoughts, if accomadations are OK and you are able, it is good for psyche, tough on physical body! work is cummlative and takes its toll. I have emailed with several tosers taht work and it is extremly devestating when they use the computer or arms at work.

I don't know of many members out that way, Dabbo is the closest in mind and not sure what area right now. Tenn. I think. IT is great to have more men on the forum, but sad under the circumstances.

IN our state PA we can treat with any doctor after 6 months of their doctor. Having a team that works and supports you isntead of battling for their interst the insurance carrier for you employer is more supportive and provides better care. W/C and your care are not their priority! They want to minimize your injury, do not want a disability of total with you out of work, although that may be the best thing to heal.

Then there are the IME's they send you to and games they play when the injury does not go away in 6 months.
Again welcome and nice to be a part of your road with TOS.
Dianne

Thanks
 

Thanks for your kind words.

I have been in allot of pain lately. I worked 1 day last week and I just could not stand the pain of it all.

I worry that I will make things worse if I try to work. I can't hardly stand the pain as it is.

I go to Louisville on Thursday and see the PT. My wife and I are going to stay the night in order to see the Doc on Friday. I’m going to see about changing my meds and I am going to ask for a muscle relaxant. I hate taking anything but what choice do we have.

I’m not planning on going back to work. I just don't see how I can.

I have a long term disability policy and I hope I can use it at this point as badly as I hate to.

Friday will be my 20 year mark there and I will miss everyone. I love most everyone there. I love my job. I know that I was lucky to have a career as such.

I hope all is well with you and the other tosers.

DA

Loss of job
 

DA,
Unfortunately some times that is just the better quality of life, to not work and to take medication. TOS is about a new different life. One of accommodation and reduction. Accommodating how we do things not to flare up and to reduce the symptoms to a point we get through the day with just feeling wiped and sore as opposed to needing a hospital bed and masseuse.

Coming to terms of taking the disability is as hard as the physical pain itself. It is one of the family member can't see a injury and don’t understand why the pain. I was the first PA municipal police chief. I loved my job; it took me 13 years of battling discrimination to attain my first police job. To lose all that , I lost my credibility with the department. I was malingerer and lazy, not really injured and getting monies.

I had to retrain, create a new me, not for realistic full time employment, but for my mind, I attained my BA in criminal Justice and sociology. Graduated top 1% of my class, tons of honors and awards. It was something that could never be taken away from me I earned it. Every back ach, migraine, inability to even hold a pen for notes, I did it!

I am fortunate that I was off work nearly weeks after my injury so I believe that helped in reducing my injury and symptoms. Far to many TOSers realistically could not work, finish school, or be productive even in their own homes.

Life as we know it is gone and grieving that life and getting a new life with meaning and as less of pain as possible.
Stick to your guns about PT, nothing with weights, bands, NO HANDBIKE; I was OK. backwards not forward, but even that got the under wings flared up.

The best I could do was heat packs, ultra sound, some aqua therapy, range of motion, and a dang good rub out. I needed someone to work on the knots not create more!

There was a link about what to take to the doctors, somewhere on there is a pain diary picture, fill it in for two days this week for the doctor to see where the pain, what kind; radiating, aches, stabbing, burning, numbness, etc.

It is much easier to write ahead what you want to say AND SAY IT. Don't let them of with a two minute overview and out the door!
I thought I heard Dr. McKinnon is in Louisville, I have to check the doctor list.
Having a doctor that understands not only TOS vascular, or true TOS from neurogenic TOS is valuable in your ongoing care.

THe compression is under the collar bone and above the first rib, the cervical nerves as they left the cervical spine in the Brachial bundle C5/6/7/8 & T/1 travel across the shoulder, behind the collar bone and into the arm to fingers. They become the major nerves of the arms, medial radial and ulnar, then travel all the way a long three feet to the finger tips. Anywhere along there is a hinge like shoulder, elbow, wrist, can be a crush and inflamed nerve being aggravated crating further symptoms.

Understanding how you first got hurt, if it is repetitive, stretch injury, and even extra or misshapen ribs can incite. So understanding the physical reason of what TOS is, keeps us tuned into the doctors exam, how he will try to reproduce symptoms, and exam the extent of how much sensory damage is done.

For example: EMG maybe ordered, but an EMG test the large nerves that make muscles move, TOS affects the sensory nerves first. The large nerves feel heat from a candle and make your arm jerk, the smaller nerves are the ones if you got burnt, now take the pain signals of burn, hurt, soreness to the brain,. They are smaller nerves unable to be tested with an EMG. Much as a MRI will not show TOS, well some people it will show extra rib, or chest shape problem, but not a nerve inflammation. They can use an MRI for noticing spinal problems, but at our age, everyone ahs bulges and that will not explain the symptoms. But if a true cervical injury happened it could rule that in…but you can have both!

I have several herniations on the left side, but my TOS major problems and pain are right side, that is how I knew the difference from symptoms from herniations and TOS, there were opposite sides.

Docs should do sensory testing with needle picks, soft from rough, and if picked one place how the pain travels to others, like face, back of arm, to the fingers etc. This is a knowledgeable doc. Otherwise it is a meat wagon with PT script.

Also, anti inflammatory, something for spasms, IF you can try zanaflex it works on the nerve were it inserts into the muscle to calm down the nerve. Then the muscles will not spasms and create a brace around it.

I had trigger points in the traps on my trigger points yesterday; WOW they helped me so much! I really do receive such good reduction in the feeling of the butcher knife in the upper wing area.

I hope the visits go well, he spends a lot of time addressing your concerns and validating your pain.
Dr.Toguts first visits often last for hours!
yIKES TOO MUCH INFO....cLASSIC tos 101
Safe travels and get all you can out of the visit!
Di

Surgery
 

So, did you get the surgery? Did Dr. Atasoy do it? I am 5 days post-op from a surgery dr. atasoy performed. I would love to chat with you if you had the surgery. Amy