Shoulder Blade ache that makes me wanna kill myself!!!!

[Hooch]

Hey man, I know the feeling... keep your head up.

If the pain is at that level where its just exhausting you and is chaotic then you get a pounding... I hope they can clear it up soon.

[dshobbies]

Jarrod,

Vent away, complain, rant, use your 4-letter language skills - whatever. It's okay.

I know there is no comparison to nerve pain. It just is and it hurts. Usually, only heavy duty meds can touch it.

If another surgery has to be, then that's what you have to do but before going under the knife again, I would seek a second opinion, especially from Dr. Clavel. See what he has to say.

Then don't panic - it does sound like relief is possible so take a deep breath, which I know is hard to do - and then do whatever is necessary. You'll get there.

Good luck, Dale

[Maria]

That lingers and reminds us how miserable it can make us. I do remember echoing your feelings re my own pain at one time. Thankfully it's been a long time since I experienced that degree/type of pain. Good to hear the pain isn't as dreadful or present when you're moving but then again there's enough things we have to do that require a fairly still positioning and studying is one of them so concentration must surely be an issue.

Sounds like there's options, I do hope there are and that you will find the one that works best for you even if it is going under the knife again. I do wonder if there's a way for the entrapment to be released w/o surgery? Then again one does what they have to if it's the prescribed course of action to remove/remedy the prob.

Oh yeah, vent away. We all get it here.

[mmglobal]

Jarrod, I'm so sorry that you continue to suffer. One thing at a time though... if the indications are clear for the trapped ulnar nerve, you'll have to take care of that first. But, please explain??? Isn't the trapped ulnar nerve a local problem that is DOWNSTREAM of the scapular pain you are experiencing. How can it refer upstream?

Have you tried lidoderm patches? If not, you might want to ask your doc about them. The help me with the referred pain that is caused by the muscles getting tired from the constant guarding or spasms. As I understand it, there is almost no systemic value and the drug remains local, so there is little risk associated with them. But... always check with your doc... don't believe what you read on the internet!

Re: nursing school... work ahead while you can... I remember the enormous amount of memorization that was required of Diane.

I look forward to seeing your films.

Oh yes... take note of what flares you up and do what you can to avoid it. This seems obvious, but for so many people, paying close attention and making appropriate lifestyle changes can make a huge difference. (spoken by the guy who spent all day yesterday throwing zoey around... wrestling with her... no taking my own advice. I'm paying for it very severely today... really hurting badly.)

All the best,

Mark

[Jarrod]

Hi guys,

From what I've been reading inner shoulder blade pain is a common symptom of ulnar nerve entrapment, it either goes downward from the elbow or upward skipping the upper arm area (bicep,tricep )area. My neurologist said let's get through the ulnar nerve surgery first and see if it helps relieve the shoulder blade ache which it might do he said. My emg shows something in the neck region c8 nerve that is going on and I don't kno how to read the numbers on the test results so I guess we will tackle that after the ulnar surgery.

The weird thing is that my neck feels good, some pain with extreme flexion that mimics th shoulder blade pain but that's it. And I can mow the grass clean the house and walk the dog with no pain. When I go to study or watch a little tv or am sitting at work I am in agony, it is a knawing without mercy du ache that just sits on the inner left shoulder blade and never stops unless I lay down. If I knew my body was able to get use to the dull ache I could deal with it, but it just dosent seem to be able too. Also when I cough or sniffle upward (watch out as it lights me up ) and it definitely intensifies the ache In the shoulder blade.

I believe I am suffering from a double crunch syndrome of the c8 nerve which is the ulnar nerve further down the arm ( same nerve with an entrapment in two different locations) boy am I lucky. So I finished school today and I am ready to get to the root of this pain over the summer while I'm free. I am just so worried that as I wait the nerve is being compromised and hurt further..

I feel like my injury was a compression stress to the disc. Weightlifting 200lbs over my head is what hurt me and I know it seems like alot of weight but I've been lifting like that for 15 years so it was never a factor and I never had any back or neck problems so I just did it as part of my routine. Don't forget I am 6'3 255 lbs so I could move some weight around. So what I'm getting at is maybe if it's not the spinal nerve root that is compressed then maybe when it everything gave way I compressed the brachial exams or the long thoracic nerve or caused TOS. I remember having this same pain ache before surgery too. So my injury caused this. I pray that the nerve root is not the cause of pain, but Dr. Clavel reassured me that he did a very, very through job cleaning out and decompressing the c8 nerve root before placing the m6 disc. The myleo I hope will tell me the truth.

What are the odds that the disc that is left in onthe sides is causing me pain. It's that possible?? I know that when I herniated that c7/t1 disc the arm pain was unbearable (literally) I wanted to rub my arm off. My pain is not he same as that. So I just don't kno and I feel my road to diagnosing the problem is so long and tedious.. So thank you all for listi
Listening and I'll keep u all informed as any info is appreciated.

May we all find relief in the end!

Sincerely, Jarrod

[newhere]

im realy in position like you...
and im tired of fighting with this anymore.....

[Aaron]

As someone in pain, kudos for going to school with the pain. I just finished a long, long 5 years of mechanical engineering school after I was injured at work. Kind of wish I would have went the RN way though, recently became very interested that there are several spine clinics that use NP ( nurse practioner) to help diagnose, treat, etc. spine patients. That would be right up my alley. It is a growing trend NP certified in orthopedics and from there deal with the spine. If I could do something like that I would at least feel I could use my exp. with spine for some good, instead of feel helpless.

As an avid athlete my younger years I to have had many injuries. But none relentless as spine pain and I have never seen doctors seem more helpless. I want doctors who are aggressive ( not necc. with surgury) with diagnosis. The try this wait, is neccessary ,but we have to suffer in the meantime. As I have said in the past, when I had thyroid cancer and went to MD anderson I saw a real hospital ran. It was like the movies, I was so confident in them. It was nothing for them to request a second opinion of their own findings and there was no interoffice problems doing it. My records were online so that any doctor, anywhere could access the tests and diagnosis. I often talked to my doctor over the phone also, had personal number!! It was a well oiled machine, my friend. And all I had was thyroid cancer, I just sat there and laughed about the fuss they were making about it, because it was crap compared to years in spine pain. ( no disrespect to the other cancers, they are much worse and its a different ball game).
I have never been to a back place like TBI( texas back institute), but if they are that way with the spine count me in.

Good luck with school.

PS. Strongly considering going to get RN degree myself, but I need to get to work. When they told me I would never make it doing pre-med, due to my past grades from when I was young, I should have thought about nurse practioner, but didn't.