I was hanging out for an appointment with my surgeon/consultant, Mr Garnham in Wolverhampton on 18th March 2020, where he was going to admit me and run some tests, including radiological and get some help with managing my pain. I was informed of this the week before and was 'delighted' that I was going to get some help, but unfortunately it was cancelled the evening before and on the day itself I tried to bargain with the staff but was told that people were literally 'dying' in the hospital and it just wasn't safe to attend. Mr Garnham phoned me that evening and he'd requested a load of specialist rheumatological blood tests (ANA and ANCA) that looked for things like Rheumatoid arthritis and Lupus and other such conditions. All these came back normal, including a load that my GP had requested, so whatever goes on with me, never ever shows up in my blood, so they are goingto have to look outside the box. In addition, my sternum MRI scan came back normal so it hadn't been perhaps the best test to prove what is causing my chest pain. The most likely diagnosis is Costro-chondritis and inflammation of the ribs as they join into the sternum. However I have now had this since Christmas and rest has not abaited the symptoms. I additionally cannot elevate my left arm, although my right arm remains OK for range of movement and my pec minor remains very tight to the left and was also tight to the right when my osteopath (who I hadn't seen for ages) determined when he saw me the next day. A letter back from Mr Garnham requested my GP to arrange for pain relieving injections by a rheumatologist which was refused because of Covid, and for me to continue to work through elevating the left arm. I still can't play the recorder and hair-washing and drying is agony when I had to do it for a few days whilst my carer was off sick.
I now suspect that I have adhesions as well as ongoing pec minor syndrome. My circulation is also not great on the left and I have severe neurological pain again on the left arm after attempting any exercises which causes me great pain. I feel I am now worse than I was before surgery on the left and I also experience some severe muscle spasm of the left scalenes which I have written about before. I think I might end up having to have repeat surgery on the left because the left side musculature looks completely differently in my neck in the left to the right - even if the right arm is elevated the right side looks OK, but the left looks under great strain. I tried to show this using black eye pencil on the affected muscles. I can literally only get my arm into the ''Roos Position' (see earlier entries).
I have emailed Mr Garnham again and just asked if I could be requested for an admission review as soon as Covid-19 is over and it is safe to do so again. I am aware this could still be some way off yet.
Here are some pictures of me at the moment - shown above.
