(no subject)

[vicarz]

I have to not recommend going to see a neurologist if you can avoid it. Fucking ow. It was kind of funny at first - the guy gives me a bunch of tests of strength to measure the weakness in the muscle. Problem is, he's little and I keep dragging him across the floor with my weak side. He noted that usually they deal with people who are not athletic. I still have a hard time thinking of myself as athletic. The Dr. did note that my boobie was smaller on the right side, and said that was normal for this type of nerve damage though it was much more likely to occur in the bicep.

Then came the shocks. At first, he just poked and prodded and used a little zapper like a stun gun. That was unpleasant, but not painful per se.

Then came the needles. 1) insert tiny needle into nerve/muscle area, 2) listen to baseline static sound, 3) wiggle needle around to get nerve to fire and make popping noises, 4) ask patient to flex the muscle so you can hear much more static as the muscle works, 5) wiggle needle around and listen to static as patient has muscle flexed. It didn't hurt tons, but it was a progressive pain. First the hand, not so bad, the arm, little more annoying, then the pec, much more annoying, and then the piece de resistance was the back of the neck. I highly recommend not putting yourself in a situation which will involve someone sticking electrified needles in the back of your neck and wiggling them around for any extended period of time. I most highly not recommend.

Sexist note: he said I was unusual in my response that it was only mildly unpleasant. He said that typically young guys (I'm a young guy?) have the most problems, but that older women have the least. Yet another anecdote about how women can take pain and guys are wusses. Heh.

If I remember correctly, he found issues with the c5, 6, 7 and some t1 issues. I keep mixing up the nerves with the vertebrae. He explained that between vertebrae are discs, and that they can literally pop as they are filled with fluid (which would explain the pop in my neck when this all started). He located the nerves c6 and c7 which had problems, and suggested that the disk between the c6 and c7 vertebrae might be messed up. In his experience the solution is time or surgery, with surgery for people in a great deal of pain or with no strength at all. It sounds like I'm in the wait and see category. Surgery just removes stuff, so really if you're not in pain the benefits are slim anyway. He thought it seemed like I was improving on my own and would probably recover or nearly recover on my own with time.

He also said the MRI was probably going to be better able to determine what the problem was.

Stick me with needles fine, but my neck still hurts. Seems I'm stuck with this boobie problem.

Comments

[thefeline.livejournal.com]

I'll be sure to avoid going to one of those...oooouch! I got the willies just reading about your trip to the neurologist!

[tony-laetrile.livejournal.com]

I had an EMG. It kinda sucks

[nixieq.livejournal.com]

yikes! well, i'm glad it went okay. you'll just have to find a cute girl or boy to kiss your neck and make it all better... >;)

[lilu22.livejournal.com]

That's a great solution. Other than that, it sounds like there is little you can do. Bummer.

[cweaselle.livejournal.com]

At least *he* didn't break *your* toe.

[tehcas.livejournal.com]

wtf? When did you break your neck or whatever you did.
All i know bout the subject is 1)Quite a few wrestlers are getting it recently. 2) Dr Jho has some new surgery that only takes weeks to recover from, not a year and some months.

[grymnir.livejournal.com]

By the way...

This sounds a lot like something I did to myself a few years ago, though my loss of strength was in the shoulder and derived from the neck. A neurologist told me possible surgery; a good chiropractor had it cleared out in 8 visits.

Q also went through this and with a lot more needle-prodding involved. Again, the chiropractor managed a fix (or most of a fix) on a number of problems relating to her c6, c7 and shoulder.

I strongly advise a good chiro before surgery - they can often shift the vertebrae and resituate the disk -- which is all you need if you HAVE NOT ruptured it.

[vicar.livejournal.com]

From all indications, it might have ruptured - but that doesn't seem to mean a) it's for life, some heal!? b) it will have a major impact. I have tons of muscle to lean on, after all! I am able to physically overpower the doctor - ha!

I'm all about the chiro (or even chiaroscuro_dc) before surgery. I'm functional and not in pain, I'm just annoyed that instead of doing 3 sets of free weight bench with 135 I'm down to 95lbs, and my boobies are lopsided.

I've also been told that nerve damage often heals in 1-3 months, but it's not rare to take 1-2 years. I'm hoping not to have to wait that long, and a chiro would be a possible shortcut and a reasonable thing to try before say...slicing open my spine with a knife.

[tehcas.livejournal.com]

well the cases which i have heard about usually involve major damage, where the left arm is almost 100% useless, numb and tingly. Sounds like you arent that bad so thats a good sign.

Even guys in good health have lopsided boobies. Its rare, but possible.