[hannahSED]

I just want to be better..I wanna be able to drive, jump run, pick up my niece, I cant even play a simple video game with my nephew now cause my fingers aren't doing what they are supposed to do. I know there arw people worse then me, and might I say im so so sorry you go through something worse then my pain.
my pain has gotten worse, its not only in my shoulder, it is now in my neck and my back now. I cant take anymore.
im only 21 im supposed to be healthy and daring.
Its so hard.

[kellysf]

I'm sorry you're having a hard time. This does suck. I'm 51 and I don't want to be going through it either. Have you posted before? Sometimes it helps people be more supportive if we know how long you've had TOS, what kind it is, what therapies you've done, etc.

I hope you get a break soon.

Kelly

[Jomar]

I read on the new members section, that you are a CNA and your arm gave out when moving a patient?

What kind of testing have you had?
Xrays, MRI of c spine at the very least? any other testing?

I would be curious to know if there is a extra cervical rib or other anomaly that might be an issue...

And have you gotten any expert PT /massage/chiropractor care?

Many MDs don't really know the full story on TOS , so finding the best MD,PT, DC etc.in your area will be very important for getting the best care and best recovery.

Sometimes TOS or TOS like conditions CAN be resolved without surgery, but you need to really educate yourself (explore the useful sticky threads & posts here) , for the best chances of recovery. Self care is often very helpful you can tell right away if something is helping or not and make a adjustment. But when pain is high a skilled professional PT or DC is a good way to get started, often they will report to the MD if they find some thing else that needs treatment or attention.

Often making a journal, or just notes and a time line of symptoms is helpful for you and any other treatment provider .
So nothing is overlooked, it is so easy to forget to mention something that might be an important clue.

[20YrsTOS]

Originally Posted by hannahSED

I just want to be better..I wanna be able to drive, jump run, pick up my niece, I cant even play a simple video game with my nephew now cause my fingers aren't doing what they are supposed to do. I know there arw people worse then me, and might I say im so so sorry you go through something worse then my pain.
my pain has gotten worse, its not only in my shoulder, it is now in my neck and my back now. I cant take anymore.
im only 21 im supposed to be healthy and daring.
Its so hard.

I'm sorry to read about your situation. I've been dealing with TOS for over 21 years or so. It started for me when I was about 21. I had to stop working, playing sports, and stop school for awhile. So I know what you are going through. I wanted to give up, but praying and my faith in GOD got me to this point. Do I still have a lot of pain, YES!!! Not only pain, but all kinds of other stuff. This is after having three surgeries. I know with all the things you are going through it might seems hopeless. But it's not. You have so much to live for and so much to accomplish. Please don't focus on the pain and all the other symptoms you are experiencing. As others have written, if you could let us know more, maybe we can guide you in the right direction. We are all on here to support you and each other. There are a lot of information on this site that has helped all of us in some way. You take care, and don't give up the fight. This too shall pass. Looking forward to reading more about your situation.

[hannahSED]

Yes I have had all those test and the EMG's I had two of those and x rays twice, and a mri.
My first emg I had little activity in my thoracic nerve then they sent me for the second one since my PT wasnt working or the needling they were doinf so the neurologist told me to stop the pt cause I had the second emg done and there was no activity in my nerve.so now im just a lump on a log at home I know I only had it for a year but this stuff is depressing to me. I feel like I cant do anything. Im an active person and now I just sit at home all day with pain and fevers an chills. I believe it is messing with my temporal regulation, and I get spasms all the time I feel like crazy person.
im sorry yall have dealt with this longer than me im so so sorry cause it drives me crazy not being able to control your arm shoulder or fingers.
and im right handed and it is dammaged on my right side so a lot of things I gotta do left like holding cups my plates feeding myself haha im getting better.
my grip power on my left is 80 and my right is 20.
Thank you all for your responses.

[20YrsTOS]

Originally Posted by hannahSED

Yes I have had all those test and the EMG's I had two of those and x rays twice, and a mri.
My first emg I had little activity in my thoracic nerve then they sent me for the second one since my PT wasnt working or the needling they were doinf so the neurologist told me to stop the pt cause I had the second emg done and there was no activity in my nerve.so now im just a lump on a log at home I know I only had it for a year but this stuff is depressing to me. I feel like I cant do anything. Im an active person and now I just sit at home all day with pain and fevers an chills. I believe it is messing with my temporal regulation, and I get spasms all the time I feel like crazy person.
im sorry yall have dealt with this longer than me im so so sorry cause it drives me crazy not being able to control your arm shoulder or fingers.
and im right handed and it is dammaged on my right side so a lot of things I gotta do left like holding cups my plates feeding myself haha im getting better.
my grip power on my left is 80 and my right is 20.
Thank you all for your responses.

Thanks for letting us know about the test you have taken. Please don't apologize for what you are going through. We all understand. FYI, I've seen neurologist, orthopedics, psychiatrist, physical therapists, and the list goes on and on. I can't name all the test I've taken these 21 years of TOS. :0) The majority of test I had came back negative. Right now, my strength in my right arm is down to 5. I've had two surgery on my right, and had surgery on my left 6 months ago. But guess what, I'm still enjoying life. I can't lift weights, play any of my favorite sports anymore. Trust me, I miss them!!! I've been an athlete all of my life. So as u can see, you are not alone.

If u haven't done so already, I believe you should find the best orthopedic that knows about TOS in your area. You can find one in your area on this website. One thing I've learned through this process, I'm not wasting money on having the same test over and over again. I hope you will try to relax, and search for other options. The pain is going to be there, but you have to keep fighting. You might not need surgery. Do they have you on any pain medicine? I pray you will keep searching and keep looking.

Take care!!!

[hannahSED]

No worker comp has denied any medicine for me. So I learned that I can take zquil to relax n try to sleep for three Hours usually then im woken by my pain and all I take for pain is aleve. I asked my lawyer to set up a appt qith my dr. So he can at least get me some pain medicine ive went this whole year with nothing. Haha It gets me frustrated.

[Jomar]

We have a work comp forum for info on how to get thru that system, it isn't real active but searches of past posts there will still be informative..

Sometimes you have to keep your atty on the ball.
It seems atty/dr should be able to get some meds approved even if denied..

Make atty work for his share of the $$...

[cyclist]

Seems like an injury to the long thoracic nerve -- you should seek out an experienced neurosurgeon to see what options are available.

Some folks to consider:

Susan Mackinnon
Washington University, St. Louis
http://nerve.wustl.edu/nd_transfers_...erve_disorders

Allan Belzberg
Johns Hopkins

Eric Zager
University of Pennsylvania

Robert Spinner
Mayo Clinic, Rochester

Hang in there and good luck!

[sec161]

Originally Posted by hannahSED

No worker comp has denied any medicine for me. So I learned that I can take zquil to relax n try to sleep for three Hours usually then im woken by my pain and all I take for pain is aleve. I asked my lawyer to set up a appt qith my dr. So he can at least get me some pain medicine ive went this whole year with nothing. Haha It gets me frustrated.

I would definitely get your attorney on the WC situation. I don't know what state you are in - but in CA, if the WC insurance denies anything, you can send it to the state for review. Your lawyer might also be able to find a doctor that the WC and you agree upon. Basically, if that dr says you need medical treatment, they have to give you medical treatment. I had to go through all of this in the first year - it took me almost that long to get my surgery approved. Again, every state has different WC laws but I would be calling my atty's office every day until they have exhausted all options. Or get a new attorney (I did that too).

Try to stay positive - I know it sucks. You can still recover, you just need to get the right people on your team. Good luck!