Appt. with Neurosurgeon Thursday
 

Hi all,

I'm having what I think may be my final followup session with my neurosurgeon this Thursday, and I have put together a list of questions, requests for tests, and concerns to bring up during my appt.

This appt. is supposed to be my final evaluation of my abilities before I return to work. My company is expecting me back in a couple weeks, and in their minds I will be returning to a 45 hour work week, of graphic design and computer work.

This is not even close to possible. I can't use my right hand, last two fingers are always numb, tingling and painful, along with the pain in my shoulder, levator muscle and scalene and traps. I can't sit at a computer for more then 15 mins let alone do anything with my hand. My fine motor skills are gone in my hand.

Mentally I am prepared for being done with my career as a graphic designer, and I am prepared to be retrained and look for other areas to work in, but I want to get my point across to my doctor and have the proper paperwork filled out.

I think I have TOS, and would like very much to be tested for that, and I also am having issues below my fusion (I'm fused C5, C6, C7) and my PT backs me up on this and wrote a letter to my neuro.

I'm looking for advice on how to bring up all these issues, how to get my concerns across that I'm not just looking for more time off work, I really have a lot of pain and problems and want answers and options.

Any advice on the approach I should take? Basically whatever he puts on my worker's comp functional abilities form dictates my future. I'm stressing myself out about the appt because of this.

Any suggestions or input is appreciated, I know lots of others have been through this before.

Thank you so much!!
Cathie

Hi Cath1,

You probably know my standard is Google: talk doctor pain

Maybe some variation on that?
talk doctor disability
talk doctor workers comp (wc gets you hits about toilets :o )
talk doctor return to work

Get creative with search criteria; this is a bit different than I'm used to.

He should be able to, at the least, write you a note detailing limits of what you can/not do.

Also, something in the FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) may be able to help (or ask the doc about that possibility).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_...ve_Act_of_1993
(This is an informational starting point only - google: FMLA for much more)

Doc

Thank you!!!!!
 

Thank you!!! I will start googling and reading right now. I do hope he at least puts a detailed list of restrictions.

Hoping everything goes well tomorrow.
Fingers and toes are crossed!!

Hope all went well.
 

How did you make out at the dr.? I think I sent you a message on a different thread about my dr appt

Not so great. He's really pushing for me to have a second surgery on my ulnar nerve, saying its a matter of when, not if. He's unsure what is giving me so much shoulder pain, thinks that is muscle related and a separate issue. Gave me an appt for another MRI on my thoracic outlet area (which is just to humor me since he doesn't believe in TOS, but will give me testing anyway.) also gave me an extension on physiotherapy for another 3 months.

As for my career, I'm done. He wrote that it is his belief that I will never return to work as a graphic designer. Will re-evaluate for any other type of work in march 2012.

I knew I couldn't do my job, but I don't want another surgery. He feels my hand has a lot of nerve damage and neuropathy, and think surgery could prevent it from worsening or risking muscle wasting of my hand. I'm thinking about it, but haven't decided yet.

I contacted my boss and told him this, and he was a total jerk to me, said he thinks I have a hereditary condition and doesn't think I should be on workers comp, wants to save his insurance premiums obviously. I am so mad at him, I was his assistant (he's the VP of our company) for 10 years, I made him look good from behind the scenes with no glory and this is how he repays me.... Grrrrrr. Anyway, I have proof it's from work and ergonomics, so he can shut it.

I'm angry and frustrated. I will check the other thread for what you wrote about your appt. I hope you had better news then me.

Take care,
Cathie

Oh :(
 

Sorry that you made out so poorly. I think having the thoracic MRI is a good idea. In some respects I would like one also. Not having one there or lower back at this point.

There are other tests for the TOS. They can do an EMG to see if that region is impinged. (The vascular surgeon that I saw looked at the EMG from a year ago and decided I did not have TOS. May ask for a new one. The PT says that I have some of the symptoms of TOS.)

Glad your PT was extended for another 3 months. From what I have read surgery does not really help the TOS or RSD and that it can make the situation worse. I have also read that you should not use ice.

I'm so sorry to hear that your fine motor skills have been so disabling and destroyed your career as a graphic designer. Have you thought about a 2nd opinion or going to a hand specialist to figure out the cause of the nerve damage and neuropathy in your hands? (I have been to a hand specialist and a vascular surgeon. Still looking for answers) Is it the NS that gave you all of this information?

Sorry that your boss was such a jerk. Glad you have the proof that you need. That is always helpful.

Right there with you and feeling angry and frustrated too. Feel free to vent anytime you want. Too bad we weren't closer.

I will write a list of questions and call the Vascular Surgeon back so that all of my questions are answered. My symptoms are bilateral which also tends to be RSD rather than TOS. I also have significant OA which causes some pain and swelling in the hands and joints. My hands, fingers and feet and toes can be burning hot and red or ice cold and or purple. It hurts to walk at times and have issues completing certain tasks with my hands. My left shoulder area is very tight and don't have the ROM. Never a dull moment. As far as my neck is concerned I have pretty good ROM (I think) but still get some muscle spasms that are frustrating.

Sorry for my rambling.
Have a painless day. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and stay somewhat warm and the snow will stay away.
On a positive note, my son is home from college. SO now I have extra muscle home if it should snow for at least 6 weeks.
Be well. Gail

Hi Cathie,

I've sat here and tried three.... now FOUR times to say something, but I just keep rambling and getting downright maudlin. I know firsthand the loss of a creative career, and it just plain... [draws liquid out with the mouth]s. :hissyfit: Maybe that's enough. Creativity is not just in your hands; it's in your mind, your heart, and your soul. It cannot be lost entirely or gotten away from.

Your boss can perch on a pencil. :icon_twisted: Don't let him or the surgeon bully you. You need answers/information/more opinions in order to make intelligent informed decisions regarding any more surgery and your life in general from here on, and you're entitled to get them. :ranting:

The anger, pain, and frustration.... USE them!

Illegitimi non carborundum! :Soapbox:

Doc

you go DOC!

don't stop!

please!

i'm with you!



happy holidays

thank you for understanding...
 

Hi Doc,

Anger, pain and frustration are EXACTLY what I feel. You are one of the few people that understands that loosing my fine motor skills in my hand is like loosing a piece of myself. You're right, creative minds can't just be 'shut off'... I've been searching for ways to continue being creative without using my hand. I miss drawing, painting and designing so bad. Probably why I'm so angry with my boss, he doesn't understand I'm not trying to get out of work, I"m loosing what I love to do most in life. Not just my income source, but my hobbies and creative outlet in life.

I'm trying to remain positive through this, but it sure ****** me off when somebody belittles what we go through without understanding the truth. Maybe I was meant to learn the truth about his personality and maybe that job wasn't healthy for me (mentally as well as physically). All things happen for a reason, so maybe there is another door that will open as a result of this one closing.

Thank you for understanding... may I ask what was your profession?
Cathie

Hi Cathie
 

I understand your pain. Dealing with the lose of your job and part of yourself is heart wrenching. I am fearful of that also. There are times that my feet hurt so much I can't walk. How am I going to drive and walk around a classroom. SO far it has been tolerable. I am still trying to find someone knowledgeable with the RSD so that it does not progress. I read that during the first 3 months in stage 1 is the most important. My neck was fine after the surgery and these issues came after the car accident. i know that your issues never resolved them self since the surgery.

I hope that you are able to enjoy this holiday season despite the problems you are having.
Gentle Hugs

Hi Cathie, I am also from Ontario and I had to push and push my doctor for and MRI, and the only way I got it was the fact I had a blood clot in my subclavian vein 2 years ago and I had severe pain in the same area in October and found I had a narrowed subclavian vein. This tied with all the same symptoms you have so I pushed for the MRI as the pain was extreme, the result was a narrowing of the nerve opening (foraminal stenosis) at my C5 and C6 and this has caused the pain that I have. Now waiting for appt with Vascular Surgeon Neurosurgeon. I have found your posts very helpful, Thank you. Mike

Hi Mike,

This forum has been a wealth of knowledge for me over the last few years. I was scared to death at the thought of having a spinal fusion, just the thought of someone opening my neck, geesh, but talking with many others who have gone through it helped a great deal. There are only a few of us from Ontario on here, we are a bit unique with OHIP since we don't have as much choice in drs or second & third opinions, but we are also lucky that we can always get coverage for what our dr orders for imaging and tests, thank God, I've had over 25 MRI's, CT's, xrays, EMGs, etc, that would have cost me $$$.

may I ask what brought on all your symptoms? Are you expecting surgery as an outcome? If you hace the opportunity, find a good physiotherapist and go as much as possible. I have finally found a great one that is knowledgeable in spinal patients and ulnar neurapathy. It helps a great deal.

My family dr put me thru months of crap before I finally got my first CT, then once they saw all the spinal damage I was treated more seriously. Don't give up getting your point across, they misdiagnos often, and are too quick to give a script and push us out the door!

I hope everything goes well for you, what hospital are you close to?

Take care,
Cathie

Have yet to have surgery but trouble in the same area
 

Hi cath1, I'm not really able to help much with your question as I'm only recently starting this process with doctors myself and my worker's comp claim was denied. I did however want to say that my problem in the exact same area as yours and wondered if u would choose to have surgery again if given the option to make a different choice... At this time I'm trying to avoid it but not having much luck. I hope your doc is helpful with all of your requests and all I can say is I think its best to keep thinking positively. I have noticed that I get so much more accomplished with my doctors when I approach them in a calm fashion as opposed to when I go in to see them and I'm totally anxiety ridden. They don't seem to care to listen to me at all when I'm super wound up and worried.
Do you meditate for the pain at all? Relaxation before appts. and for the pain helps me tremendously. Best of luck to you!!! I'll be thinking of you...

Hi SAMs,

Yes, I would have the surgery again, knowing what I know now, mainly because I've gained the use of my neck again, and that portion of my body (the fused area of my neck) has improved a great deal since my fusion. I still deal with pain daily, and yes, I still take narcotics, plus cymbalta on a daily basis for the neuropathy and pain, but the pain in my cervical area is less sharp after surgery.

I had multiple issues being my cervical spine, my ulnar nerve, and median nerve. The fusion helped the cervical issues with residual muscle spasms and weakness and pain in shoulders and traps but it did not fix the ulnar pain or any of my hand issues as we all hoped it would. But half the pain is better then no pain relief.

I reached a point before my surgery where I was no longer able to drive myself to a doctors appt., or to the corner store. My days were spent crying I pain, waiting for my next dose of narcotics, and I did not want my life of 40 years to be over like that. I come from a very healthy active lifestyle, both myself and husband are certified scuba divers, we love to hike mountains, camp, go four wheeling, anything outdoors.and my hobbies all revolve around the arts, drawing, painting, crafts, etc. I had to have part of my life back.

I'm not 100% by any means, I'm still taking painkillers and going to PT and acupuncture three times a week, and I'm still off work on comp, but life has improved, so I'm grateful for that. I can walk 45 mins on our treadmill, with a slight incline, so I'm getting there! I try to keep as positive and as active (and when I can creative) as possible through this all.

:). Cathie