This post is not intended to either incite or invite sympathy, but only to narrate a surreal experience I had.
From our recent vacation we returned, I with a mangled left wrist. Immediately upon arrival we contacted an Orthopedic surgeon who recommended surgery to rearrange the broken bones and a titanium plate with screws to shore them up.
Surgery was done under general anesthesia but a regional Blocker injection to a nerve in Clavical area was highly recommended; to lessen the bleeding during surgery and to combat post surgery pain. I was advised that the effect of regional numbing of arm below the shoulder will last for about 24 to 36 hours. I was also told that I will not be able to raise or lower my arm without other hand helping it to do so. I will not be able to feel my arm and/or wiggle my fingers. I went along. Surgery went well.
In recovery room I realized that all that I was told was correct. My arm felt like a total dead-weight. I started to cradle my arm like a swaddled baby. My arm and fingers felt numb and foreign; as if they were not my own limbs.
Stranger yet, in the middle of night, I felt I needed to scratch my operated arm and fingers. Every time I reached out to scratch or feel my numb arm I could not. I would wake up to see that my good hand was reaching about 20 to 30 degrees away from where I needed to scratch. Not only that, if my arm was entirely numb why did I feel a need to scratch?
Now that was really Surreal!
I began to wonder, is this what a paralyzed person feels about their paralyzed body parts and is this what some amputees describe as Phantom pain; in this case scratch?
I am not a doctor but would like to know if this experience credibly describes sensations of paralysis and/or amputation.
Anyone?
From our recent vacation we returned, I with a mangled left wrist. Immediately upon arrival we contacted an Orthopedic surgeon who recommended surgery to rearrange the broken bones and a titanium plate with screws to shore them up.
Surgery was done under general anesthesia but a regional Blocker injection to a nerve in Clavical area was highly recommended; to lessen the bleeding during surgery and to combat post surgery pain. I was advised that the effect of regional numbing of arm below the shoulder will last for about 24 to 36 hours. I was also told that I will not be able to raise or lower my arm without other hand helping it to do so. I will not be able to feel my arm and/or wiggle my fingers. I went along. Surgery went well.
In recovery room I realized that all that I was told was correct. My arm felt like a total dead-weight. I started to cradle my arm like a swaddled baby. My arm and fingers felt numb and foreign; as if they were not my own limbs.
Stranger yet, in the middle of night, I felt I needed to scratch my operated arm and fingers. Every time I reached out to scratch or feel my numb arm I could not. I would wake up to see that my good hand was reaching about 20 to 30 degrees away from where I needed to scratch. Not only that, if my arm was entirely numb why did I feel a need to scratch?
Now that was really Surreal!
I began to wonder, is this what a paralyzed person feels about their paralyzed body parts and is this what some amputees describe as Phantom pain; in this case scratch?
I am not a doctor but would like to know if this experience credibly describes sensations of paralysis and/or amputation.
Anyone?
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| Post-Surgery |
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| Post Surgery Cast |
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ReplyDeleteGeorge T. Everette Jr. Wrote: Usually, I have an opinion on everything, but not when it comes to medical advice. I just hope you heal completely and have no nerve damage. I have nerve damage in my feet caused by cold wet weather and frozen boots and have to be extra careful not to damage them further because I will not feel pain and so will get no warning that further damage is being done. Fletcher Bounty Wrote: One of my sons played the violin, he hurt his hand and a doctor at local hospital cut right down into his small finger and the muscles beyond, unnecessary and now he cannot move i Sadiqullah Khan wrote: Fletcher Bounty One should be careful with doctor. They do not pay the right attention. Fletcher Bounty wrote:it was a very young doctor. I felt he was practicing as he was laughing all the while. But for a violinist, the muscles are an essential. Sadiqullah Khan wrote: Patients whose limbs are amputated surgically do still feel them. 'A phantom limb is the sensation that an amputated or missing limb is still attached. ... Phantom sensations may also occur after the removal of body parts other than the limbs, e.g. after amputation of the breast, extraction of a tooth (phantom tooth pain) or removal of an eye (phantom eye syndrome).' Wikipedia Fletcher Bounty wrote: this is true, when my ex was in hospital, a man had his leg amputated and he told everyone he felt as though it was still there.. George T. Everette Jr. wrote: Phantom pain is different from real pain. I feel low level pain but what I am really concerned about is not being able to feel real tissue damage in the places where the damage nerves are. Which means I could easily do more damage to the effected area and not be aware of it. From the image, I believe Charugandhi wounds are more similar to my experience then someone who lost a limb. If he is not feeling anything and the limb is intact then massive nerve damage has occurred. Much worse then what I have experienced. So much so I wonder if the arm it fight off infection. The dried blood on the surface does not worry me. But the dark veins (left of wound) under the skin do. It has been 19 hours since the original post was made. By now Charugandhi's doctors know if the limb can fight off infection. If not Charu could be fighting for his life right now. Charu Gandhi replied: George T. Everette Jr., Sadiqullah Khan, Fletcher Bounty. First of all let me acknowledge that I am in good doctors's hands and on my way to long but steady recovery. No worries. I am sad to read about Fletcher's son's unnecessary surgery. For a Violinist it is a tremendous loss to lose the use of hands on which their livelihood and perhaps their mental health depend, not to mention mother's agony for her son. George T. Everette Jr. I am very sad to read about your feet, can I call it neuropathy? I hope your condition does not worsen, even if it does not get better, although I wish you recovery, complete and happy. Also I want to mention that, my question was academic, in the sense, what I felt is being felt by others under not mine but similar to my conditions. Thank you Sadiqullah Khan for your input. I appreciate everyones' comments and read. THANK YOU, ALL.
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