(no subject)
And finally, a diagnosis!
Went to Dr. A this morning to have my MRI read.... I was stressed as hell sitting in the waiting room, then in the exam room. I waited in the exam room for a long time, which only added to my stress... doh.
For a while now I've had this fantasy that a doctor in a white lab coat will put a picture of my shoulder up on a light board, reach out and point at it, and say, "Well HERE's your problem!"
Today my fantasy was fulfilled, almost exactly. Dr. A was smartly dressed, with a white lab coat over his business clothes, slapped one of the MRI sheets up on the light board, and stabbed his finger at a white spot on the image. "You've got some fraying," he said... not exactly the "here's your problem" but damn close enough for me!
Basically, back around my labrum, I've got some fraying of the tissues around my joint capsule... there are little fuzzy dangly bits hanging into my joint. It's certainly the cause of the pain I'm having in that region. The rest of my joint looks great, much to my relief and joy, and all the tendons and tissues are in one piece. Excellent!
If I wasn't having some kind of thoracic outlet syndrome - the nerve stuff - then I'd have a bunch of physical therapy, and in 6-8 months, we'd re-evaluate everything. There's nothing there to indicate I need immediate surgery, and after those months of PT I still may not need surgery. I'm unclear as to all the ramifications of a fraying joint... will it cause trouble down the line? Will it eventually need surgery if we don't do it now?
However, thanks to my friend the brachial plexus, there's no use answering those questions just yet. In the doc's words, he won't touch me until we have some understanding of what's wrong with my nerves.... we decided not to do physical therapy until we have a clearer idea of what's going on, unless it's going to take forever to get the BP looked at.
So, finally, I have at least some answers. After four years, I have a clue as to at least part of my pain... I can't tell you how good it feels to have my fears about the joint laid to rest. Now, I just need to know why my hand goes numb...
And by the way, the contrast MRI I had Tuesday, that clearly showed that there is in fact damage in the joint, was the one Workers Comp decided I didn't need. The surgeon I had at the time appealed as many times as she was allowed to get me that MRI, and they denied it every time. And yes, I will be persuing that, and seeing what happens when you have four years of unnecessary pain and fear that can be laid at someone's feet.
Went to Dr. A this morning to have my MRI read.... I was stressed as hell sitting in the waiting room, then in the exam room. I waited in the exam room for a long time, which only added to my stress... doh.
For a while now I've had this fantasy that a doctor in a white lab coat will put a picture of my shoulder up on a light board, reach out and point at it, and say, "Well HERE's your problem!"
Today my fantasy was fulfilled, almost exactly. Dr. A was smartly dressed, with a white lab coat over his business clothes, slapped one of the MRI sheets up on the light board, and stabbed his finger at a white spot on the image. "You've got some fraying," he said... not exactly the "here's your problem" but damn close enough for me!
Basically, back around my labrum, I've got some fraying of the tissues around my joint capsule... there are little fuzzy dangly bits hanging into my joint. It's certainly the cause of the pain I'm having in that region. The rest of my joint looks great, much to my relief and joy, and all the tendons and tissues are in one piece. Excellent!
If I wasn't having some kind of thoracic outlet syndrome - the nerve stuff - then I'd have a bunch of physical therapy, and in 6-8 months, we'd re-evaluate everything. There's nothing there to indicate I need immediate surgery, and after those months of PT I still may not need surgery. I'm unclear as to all the ramifications of a fraying joint... will it cause trouble down the line? Will it eventually need surgery if we don't do it now?
However, thanks to my friend the brachial plexus, there's no use answering those questions just yet. In the doc's words, he won't touch me until we have some understanding of what's wrong with my nerves.... we decided not to do physical therapy until we have a clearer idea of what's going on, unless it's going to take forever to get the BP looked at.
So, finally, I have at least some answers. After four years, I have a clue as to at least part of my pain... I can't tell you how good it feels to have my fears about the joint laid to rest. Now, I just need to know why my hand goes numb...
And by the way, the contrast MRI I had Tuesday, that clearly showed that there is in fact damage in the joint, was the one Workers Comp decided I didn't need. The surgeon I had at the time appealed as many times as she was allowed to get me that MRI, and they denied it every time. And yes, I will be persuing that, and seeing what happens when you have four years of unnecessary pain and fear that can be laid at someone's feet.