I had a barbaric med procedure yesterday

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Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:13 am

It's called EMG.

First the lady took my hands and started feeling the back. Then she told me she thought that I had muscle atrophy, so she was going to have to do the needle test, too. She asked me if I knew what all was going to happen. I told her I have read as much about EMGs as I could find, and yes, I knew it was going to hurt, so can we just DO IT. So, she hooked electrodes to me and shocked me. I wasn't feeling it - they kept turning up the current until - ZAP! So she shocked from my wrist up to above my elbow - 3 or 4 times in each place. That wasn't tooooooo bad - until she got to the tender part of my elbow that I can't even stand to be touched. I jumped when she touched it and she apologized and asked if I am going to be able to take the pain of being shocked there. I told her to grab my arm with her other hand so that I can't flinch and just stick the machine to it and shock and to not worry about me - it's just a few seconds - just do it. So, she did what I said - grabbed my arm and held it down. OUCH!

When that was done, the lady put a needle in my muscle and listened to the sounds the muscle made - and then made me relax it - and then listened - then jabbed - poked - prodded - pulled - jabbed, etc the needle around in the hole she had it in. She would tell me to move the muscle - put fingers together - try to push against her hand with my muscle - when the needles were in the muscles of my hands, I could feel them hitting my bones!!! So try spreading your fingers apart or pressing against someone's hand when a needle digs further into your skin and is hitting the bone - NOT FUN. Then she took it out and put the needle somewhere else. She kept doing this over and over from my hand up my arm. She hit a blood vein at one point and blood bubbled under my skin - a big blue bubble. She apologized. Then she asked me if I've taken any meds because I was bleeding too much during the procedure -each time she took the needle out blood was pouring. She'd then have to apply pressure. She said due to my bleeding I'll probably have bruises all over my arm today but it will be ok.

She kept asking if I needed a break - I kept saying - NO just get it over with - stick me or shock me and let's do it. I can do it! She was like - are you sure - I know it hurts. I said - JUST DO IT!

The results..............

Were not good.

I have ulnar neuropathy at the elbow - - and due to this and not realizing what was going on - I have muscular atrophy.

I'll be needing surgery and will get my surgery date Aug 11.

I read that the muscle atrophy may not be reversible. So I will have to ask the doctor.

Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:27 am

These aren't funny news Confused

However I wish you the greatest courage possible.
I'm sure you'll do it right, you just proved that you're able to deal with it!

My aunt suffers from a generalized muscle atrophy (genetical disease), and I know that going by the doctor or physiotherapist is really painful.

My thoughts are with you!

Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 12:26 pm

To a needle hater that sounds naty, but it's best to get everything in working order. Best of luck.

Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 12:31 pm

wtf, I'm sorry to hear about your experience. it's not supposed to bleed like that when you get an emg. People do it on college students here for research purposes and they hardly bleed at all.

Good luck with the surgery ED.

Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 12:45 pm

Sorry to hear about that Eliza. I hope all is well soon.

Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 4:13 pm

Eliza, I'm sorry to hear about your condition. I will be keeping you in my thoughts.

Good for you that you gritted your teeth and kept going. I agree with you that it's best just to get it over with. I have never been in that much pain (barring the gangrene, which I have actually wiped out of my memory), but the few times that a doctor or therapist has caused pain, I just concentrate on breathing slowly and deeply. Keep up your courage and strength.

Baiting Guru Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 2628

Ooo I'm wincing just to read this.
I wish you all the best

Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:20 pm

Eliza, that is so sad. I really hope things go better for you and I will be thinking of you on the 11th.
I remember when my daughter was 8 and had glandular fever and she had to have many blood tests and depending on which nurse was taking the blood, she would either have a small bruise or an enormous one. It got to be a laugh as she would wait for 'dracula' to go on a break and see 'nice nurse' instead. After a few weeks there would be all these patients waiting in the room for 'nice nurse'.

Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:54 pm

Hope everything goes well and you will be in my thoughts.

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