yikes Dabbo - had to look that one up - looks like not much fun.

well, at least you DIDN'T unswallow on the doctor... my oldest did on the dentist once while having her teeth cleaned..they just pushed a little too hard and the gag reflex kicked in ...oops

wish you all a good friday and a nice weekend.

I had a very bad headaches-week and therefore I didn`t write.

All the best to you all
Barbara

Barbara I hope your headache goes away. There is nothing worse than a bad headache.

I got a note from my neuro that the mri showed that the muscles in the bracheal (?) plexus area shrunken due to lack of use from pain. He wants me to go back to Dr. Togut or Dr. Schwartzmann. Dr. Schawartzmann is very difficult to get an appointment with so I'm hoping he can call him. I know I can go back to Dr. Togut but I don't know what he is going to say. I am kind of lost. I need to do something. Anything! They said no therapy but I think I need to do some. There must be some type that won't aggravate it! I know Dr. T. know's what he's talking about but I can't just do nothing! I feel like I'm going to shrivel up and die.

So they think you have some atrophy in the brachial plexus area - on both sides? A little, middle or lot? Are you really that inactive - I mean, I've been primariliy bedridden for four years and I have no atrophy in my physique, so I'm kinda shocked by this "note"...also, everyone, knowing MRIs as we do, can they really show atrophy - I mean, they can show tumors, bone abnormalities, vein locations, etc., I just never thought they could really outline atrophies that well...hhhhmmm.

Maybe start a new thread on this Linda, as this is an interesting turn of events worth a full discussion I think. Very important. And I also think you could reverse atrophy, somehow, without flaring up the TOS I would hope, SOMEHOW...(that's where all of our heads are so great!)

Hang in there sweet one, this is how we do our best work!

I'll start a thread on atrophy, as I wonder if there are other causes besides lack of use.

No, I'm definitely not inactive. and actually the word was not atrophy, I used the word shrunken when I believe he used the word thinning. Sorry, my mistake on the word. I did speak with him this afternoon and we discussed trying to use some gliding exercises. I am going to check some of the sites here to see what good exercises to do to SLOWLY work the shoulder. I have been told for so long not to do anything that I don't want to over do. Oh, and also, it's also just my right side. I have a tendency to favor it since that is my "bad" side.

Thanks! Linda

If anyone has any good sites for me to start out on for basic minor exercises that would be great!

oooh, ok, hhhm...Thinning muscle. Has anyone had that? I mean, on shoulders, the muscles can get thin and torn...would that have anything or any action to do with TOS? Not questioning you Linda at all - just thinking out loud about what this doc has found, this is what I do...let me know if it freaks you out...just never heard of it before for TOS!

I haven't seen the report yet but from my understanding it is from non use. That's why when I saw him today I asked him what we could do. He said If I could forward some info from sites from here he would approve them for me to do. I have great faith in all of your knowledge. I appreciate all of your help. He knows Dr. Togut is a great TOS doctor and had sent me to Dr. Schwartzmann and then to Dr. Togut. I am confident in all three. I have put my life in all of them.

wouldn't those words all mean pretty much the same thing??
thinning, shrunken, atrophy?

looked them up-
atrophy -<pathology> A wasting away, a diminution in the size of a cell, tissue, organ or part.

muscle thinning - also known as or related to muscular atrophy, muscle atrophy (disorder), muscle wasting disorder, amyotrophia, amyotrophy, muscle atrophy