JKL'S TOS Journey or How I am seeing all the doctors in L.A.

[jkl626]

Originally Posted by parbie

There are a few other Drs here who claim to specialize in TOS, so I will see as many as I can and if I am not comfortable with the amount of experience they have, I may go out of state, Boston is definitely one of my next options. I guess it really depends on which procedures I will be needing and if anyone here has a significant amount of experience doing them. Maybe I should start on my own thread on my surgeon search in NY for those on the east coast.

yes I think you should start a new thread,as mine has gone a bit astray-

[parbie]

Originally Posted by kellysf

Darren Sneider used to be at University of California San Francisco with Dr. Louis Messina. I believe Dr. Sneider has a great deal of TOS experience. Dr. Messina has also left UCSF and is now in Massachusetts, I think.

Kelly

Thanks for the info, feel a lot better knowing I found at least one surgeon with a lot of TOS experience here.

[jkl626]

Well I started a small job at home today after exactly one year of not working. i drew at the drawing board for about 2 hours then started getting shoulder pain and had to take a break.I have had some flare-ups for the last couple of weeks,after doing so well for about a month. Dont konw if it is due to my new chiropracter or the new PT I tried last week in Dr. Andos office. Both did Soft Tissue Mobilization that may have flared up my symptoms.Mostly Nerve Pain in Arm and hand.
I was also moving boxes and lifting things trying to get ready for my job.

So I was very stressed about going back to work and almost lost it at the PT today since I got discouraged and have been thinking if I am not able to work then I will look into surgery again. Dr. A gave me a pep talk and some tips on streching in between . He went over all of my exercises again to make sure I am doing things right. I am tempted to cancel my chiro visit for Friday as I dont want to flare up again.

Also my Chiro suggested getiing a new EMG/NCV since mine is a year old. which I have scheduled for next week. I am considering postponing that too as I dont know what else it is going to tell me. i am much more interested in getting a SSEP and MAC test as I know my Pec Minor is a problem. Also I cant remember if the EMGNVC can make you flare -up?? Anybody know??

[parbie]

Originally Posted by jkl626

Well I started a small job at home today after exactly one year of not working. i drew at the drawing board for about 2 hours then started getting shoulder pain and had to take a break.I have had some flare-ups for the last couple of weeks,after doing so well for about a month. Dont konw if it is due to my new chiropracter or the new PT I tried last week in Dr. Andos office. Both did Soft Tissue Mobilization that may have flared up my symptoms.Mostly Nerve Pain in Arm and hand.
I was also moving boxes and lifting things trying to get ready for my job.

So I was very stressed about going back to work and almost lost it at the PT today since I got discouraged and have been thinking if I am not able to work then I will look into surgery again. Dr. A gave me a pep talk and some tips on streching in between . He went over all of my exercises again to make sure I am doing things right. I am tempted to cancel my chiro visit for Friday as I dont want to flare up again.

Also my Chiro suggested getiing a new EMG/NCV since mine is a year old. which I have scheduled for next week. I am considering postponing that too as I dont know what else it is going to tell me. i am much more interested in getting a SSEP and MAC test as I know my Pec Minor is a problem. Also I cant remember if the EMGNVC can make you flare -up?? Anybody know??

Hey jkl626, yes the EMG can make you flare-up. I remember when I did mine in January I was in SOOO much pain afterward for days. I was supposed to return to work after my appointment and just couldn't go back, had to take a bunch of meds and get in bed. I am also being asked to do the EMG before surgery next month, and I really want to see if I can convince the surgeon to not do it. I would hold off on it unless its something you really need right before surgery.

[heybro]

Originally Posted by jkl626

Well I started a small job at home today after exactly one year of not working. i drew at the drawing board for about 2 hours then started getting shoulder pain and had to take a break.I have had some flare-ups for the last couple of weeks,after doing so well for about a month. Dont konw if it is due to my new chiropracter or the new PT I tried last week in Dr. Andos office. Both did Soft Tissue Mobilization that may have flared up my symptoms.Mostly Nerve Pain in Arm and hand.
I was also moving boxes and lifting things trying to get ready for my job.

So I was very stressed about going back to work and almost lost it at the PT today since I got discouraged and have been thinking if I am not able to work then I will look into surgery again. Dr. A gave me a pep talk and some tips on streching in between . He went over all of my exercises again to make sure I am doing things right. I am tempted to cancel my chiro visit for Friday as I dont want to flare up again.

Also my Chiro suggested getiing a new EMG/NCV since mine is a year old. which I have scheduled for next week. I am considering postponing that too as I dont know what else it is going to tell me. i am much more interested in getting a SSEP and MAC test as I know my Pec Minor is a problem. Also I cant remember if the EMGNVC can make you flare -up?? Anybody know??

oh no jkl, i am so sorry. the flare up stuff is just so bad. when i did my emg, it was not painful at all. weird how we are all different. i am flared up since my pt though, which is sad to me. do not feel down. we love you

[jkl626]

I am going camping for a week with my family. Luckily we are staying in tent cabins with beds.
I am prepared with all of my exercise props and meds. Sierra Mountains here I come. Wish me luck!

[parbie]

Good luck!

[stos2]

Originally Posted by jkl626

I am going camping for a week with my family. Luckily we are staying in tent cabins with beds.
I am prepared with all of my exercise props and meds. Sierra Mountains here I come. Wish me luck!

Good Luck ! Have fun lots of fun with your family! You deserve it! Remember to take your favorite pillow to put your head on. Enjoy!

[jkl626]

Well the trip was pretty successful. I would have preferred a more luxurious vacation-but my husband and son like to backpack and it was beautiful and very inexpensive. It was very nice to relax and get away from the computer and the chores at home.

I had some pain mostly at night,probably because the mattress wasnt as firm as mine- but took Lunesta when I couldnt sleep. I stayed off the meds for the most part-the drive was the worst-7 hours on the way back-I took a celebrex for that which I think makes me a little nauseaus.

When I got home I put on my spinalQ brace which took the pain right away and then iced it which was hard to do while camping.

I actually managed to to sit in a canoe and row a little bit,went on a little hike,tried to fish but that hurt. I cooked and cleaned the campsite. A motor boat ride wasnt too fun-but I had a chair which helped.

i bought a special lawn chair which was great. i did my exercises every day in the outdoors.

First time in a long time that I didnt have any PT or acupuncture and not sure if it made that much of a difference. I go back to PT on Wednesday.

I still dont feel confident about going back to work,because I had alot of neck and shoulder pain when I tried-but I want to badly and need to financially.

Over the next couple of weeks my goal is to strengthen every day,start working part time (not my regular work) and continue pt once a week for a few weeks and then try to do every other as I will not be able to do the drive to see Dr. Ando once I start Full time work again.I also need to continue to find someone closer to me that I can go to.

[jkl626]

Well after 4 months of pt with Dr. Ando and have been feeling pretty good(about 40-50 % better at rest) , my insurance ran out and I canceled my appt with him last week because it was during the space shuttle flyover and I didnt want to be driving and thought I should try to go every other week for awhile.
Well, on sunday I did my regular exercises and I developed the worst flare up I have had in a long time. We were out at a birthday party and I drank alot of wine. Nothing I take : Relafen,Flexeril seems to help. I slept on ice and finally took a sleeping pill and it is not as bad today. I dont know what caused it and so frustrated that nothing I take helps.

I have an appt next week with another chiropracter/"Yogadoctor" who does Myofacial release and comes very highly recommended by a friend of mine who is a yoga teacher. If I can find a chiro who does massage closer to home I will be happy.I am having trouble working-it just hurts too much and its not even my regular work. So i feel I have backslided a bit after all this pt work.I am also looking into a Feldenkreiss class.

I go back to Dr. A on friday and I am going to ask for Trigger pt 's and possibly medrol dose pak . I had that more than a year ago and I think it helped. I need something to enable me to work with no pain-I am also going to talk to her about the epidural Dr. J recommended to rule out once and for all that my bulging disc is not causing any of this pain. I think I'll try the Tramadol or Vicadin again-but in the past I get muscle spasms at night from them. Weird. SO TIRED OF IT!!!! NEED BETTER DRUGS!