Quote of the Week

"We Must be Willing to Give Up the Life We Have Planned, So As to Have the Life that is Waiting for Us."
-Joseph Campbell
Week of Aug 12, 2013




Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Here's Some Numbers for Ya': 1 in 100,000

So, I have a name for the pain I've been experiencing...
"Brachial Neuritis/Brachialplexopathy." A simpler term: "Parsonage-Turner Syndrome."

Check out how rare this is:
In the U.S...cases are 1 in 100,000.
The doctor was even kind of excited to get to diagnose it - he had JUST talked about it at a medical conference where they were working on a board certification test - and they were going to put this diagnosis on the test because it's a tough one.
Lucky me!

Basically, when I got really sick 2 weekends ago - I never completely kicked it. My immune system attacked my nerves. (There's some joke about something getting on my very last nerve, but I haven't figured out how to make it go.)

And because it was my nerves getting attacked - nothing worked. Pain meds don't work on angry nerve endings. So, that explains why after 3 powerful medications in the hospital, I was still feeling it. The doctor told me morphine would not have even helped! (I wouldn't have minded trying though.)

So. That's good. It has a name. But what's a bit of a let down is the treatment:
Nothing.
Nada.
Zero.
Zip.

Yep. The doctor says it usually resolves itself after a couple of weeks. (I'm on 2 weeks 1 day now.) I'm not at the intense pain I was in - so hopefully that's a good sign things are indeed "resolving themselves." I do have to go back in 2-3 weeks, and if I still have pain, they'll so some sort of nerve therapy thing where they stick me with needles. Oh goody!

I was hoping for: It's X and we'll treat it with Y. Well, I got the X part. But no Y. I can continue to take pain meds to take the edge off for as long as I need - he even promised to keep my prescription going as long as I need it.

So there you have it. "Hang in there! Tough it out!"
Well, I'll tell you what, I am SOOOOO taking one of those pain pills tonight by golly!

Then I'll go to work tomorrow (fingers crossed). And I'll go to work Thursday (gritting through it!) And Friday, we'll hit the road and I will begin beach therapy.

That's right. That's going to be my "Y". Our spring break trip. To the beach. "Y" not?
Time to recover with my toes in the water, ass in sand...and hopefully a zero pain status.
I wonder how angry nerve endings feel about alcohol?

Thanks everyone for checking in. You rock.

3 comments:

thetwobelles said...

Knowing must make you feel so not crazy. Schaun had an unidentified pain. So frustrating! Kelly, how do you feel about chiropractors? I have a great one. She is a friend and a provider. I trust my kids to her. Let me know if you even just want to call her. The spine and nerves are all one deal.

Maricar said...

I am glad that you are "diagnosed", even if it means treatment is nonexistent at the moment. What a blessing to get the doc who just did a talk about this! I hope it was a correct diagnosis and that you are on the upswing of this all ... {hugs} my friend!

Aunt Susie said...

I'm so glad you know what the problem is. It's a real bummer that there is no treatment though. I always feel better knowing what's wrong myself. I don't know about nerve endings all over the body, but when I had a broken tooth (during Christmas) that ultimately had to be pulled; scotch really helped! Have a great trip!! Love you!