hi! it is now 12 days past my first rib resection on the left side. also the lower 25% of the lower scalene muscle. my left arm worse than before surgery, but the really awful chest pain, back pain, and neck pain are gone. i took a 45 minute walk with my husband and my face numbness and blurry vision came back..... anyone have any thoughts?

Tracie - It takes time to recover from this surgery. When I had my surgery, I was warned the nerves "wake up" around week two or three and the pain actually gets worse for a period. I felt ready to return to work at two weeks but I wasn't ready. I ended up taking another three weeks off and working part-time the 1st week back to ease into things. The nerves have to regenerate so there is a long recuperation period. Have they started you on physical therapy?

By a year post-surgery, things had significantly improved. My hand muscles recovered (I had severe atrophy of the hand and forearm muscles). I am 5 years post-op, working full-time and taking classes to try to change my career. I am experiencing some returning symptoms (mainly numbness in the pinky/ring finger) right now but I am also 5 months pregnant so the suspicion is the pregnancy is causing the returning symptoms.

Good luck with the rehab and take it easy!

Hi Tracie,

A couple of thoughts. Both could be due to heradaches. I get pretty bad headaches from the vascular compression part of TOS. It could be the position you are in or some edema from the surgery that was putting pressure on the area that caused a headache. And a headache often involves the trigeminal nerve that can cause face numbness and blurry vision if it is irritated. Just a thought.

By the way I have an excellent TOS PT person in Santa Monica if you need someone. Many of us TOSers have seen her.

P.S. I also replied to your PM.

Shelley

i am seeing joyce wilkenson in santa monica already, who are you seeing? i am going back to her on tuesday! can hardly wait! i just LOVE her!

You got it! Joyce is the person I was going to recommend. She rocks doesn't she!

Wait I have an appt Tuesday. What time is yours. Mine is 815

no way!!!! mine is at 9!!!!!! we get to meet!!!!!! this is too strange.....