Guest guest Posted April 4, 2010 Report Share Posted April 4, 2010 Hi everyone... A while back I was active in this group, but I haven't posted or even read other people's postings in quite a while as I just didn't feel like dealing with any of it. I'm sure you all understand. I fell and broke my elbow (fractured the head of the radius from the impact of my out-stretched hand hitting the sidewalk) on July 11, 2008 at work and had to have surgery with 2 pins. I regained function in my arm, but since then I've been dealing with horrible nerve pain in my arm, hand, and fingers which hasn't responded to any kind of treatment, therapy, or injection. The current theory is that the pain is coming from the brachial plexus. I can't tolerate it without pain meds and muscle relaxants, but because of the meds, my driving is very limited and I can't work. I have underlying neurological issues and very very mild cerebral palsy, but before my injury, I worked full-time as a special education teacher. My neurological issues make the pain meds cause more " fuzziness " than the typical person would experience. I take 4mg Dilaudid up to 4X a day and Xanaflex up to 3X a day...sometimes a half dose as needed if I have to time my meds for driving. I'm SO sick of the pain, first and foremost, but also timing my life around narcotics. I don't even drink alcohol, so being medicated all the time is driving me crazy! I hate it! I also REALLY miss working and having a normal life. My pain specialist has suggested Neurostimulation. It " sounds " great, but I know things can sound better than they actually are. He gave me information from St. Jude Medical. Has anyone else had a neurostimulator implanted? Did it help? What do you like/dislike about it? Was it from the same company? I'm looking for any information I can get, so I would really appreciate anyone who is willing to share their experience with me. I will do ANYTHING at this point to get my life back! I even asked to have my arm amputated, but obviously the Dr. said no. Besides the fact that my arm " works, " my doctor said it wouldn't fix the problem anyway because I'd get phantom pain. I knew it wasn't a realistic request, but I told him at least he knows my state of mind. Thank you in advance... ~Mindy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.