As summer 2019 came to a close, I would begin my junior year with high hopes. It was supposed to be my big comeback year. I progressed quickly after surgery #3 and even got to swing my bat (hitting only whiffles) and throw little by little. I was looking forward to coming back to school the strongest I had been in a long time. I was ready to tackle my junior year. Even though I wanted to go full throttle right away, my therapists, kept me realistic.
Since I moved home for the summer I was not able to continue with my OT and PT with Loma Linda. I had to find someone new to trust with my aches and pains. This is always hard.. especially when you have surgeries that make you structurally unique. Not only was I different, but I was also extra nerve sensitive. I initially went back to MORE physical therapy and chiropractic care. Like I've said before, I've never been a stranger to injuries. I've had a slight tear in my right MCL in my knee, rotator cuff tendinitis, and a concussion. But, even with my knee injury, I was able to see the progress in my recovery. My arm was not as linear of a recovery, but I kept treating it like it was. Don't get me wrong, I love Mark Eastland as a chiro and PT. However, the treatments he chose at MORE were far too aggressive for where I was at in my recovery stage. So, I decided to venture off to make my own physical therapy routine. One that I knew I would be able to handle because I only had to listen to how my body felt.
Going back to school, also meant going back to my usual therapists at Loma Linda. I was excited to be back. I felt well taken care of. It's nice to not have to explain my pain, symptoms, and surgeries every appointment. They knew my case and most importantly they knew me. So, when I started to feel my nerve pain, trinkle, up into my neck... I knew I could count on my surgeon to help diagnose this new pain. I went to see him on October 15, 2019. He immediately felt concerned about the "crowding pressure" that I felt compressing on my ulnar nerve. So, another MRI, but this time for my cervical neck area.
The MRI didn't show any huge glaring signs of something being wrong. Other than having a straight cervical spine, rather than having the natural healthy curve. My surgeon suggested continually doing PT for massages and stretch release of the neck and trap muscles. He also suggested doing one more test to check for what could be causing my nerve to remain prevalent.... another EMG test. And this time they would have to insert needles up in my neck this time, as well as my whole arm. But, I knew it was necessary. Even though I wanted all the answers to my questions about my pain, I had to focus on taking it step by step. I didn't want to jump to any conclusions, just let the test and my pain speak for itself. Or so, I thought...
The part that gutted me the most? The EMG dr's notes:
WTF If it was normal, then why was I still in pain?? Next step?
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