Brachial Girl
- Jun 8, 2017
- 4 min
Update - 2 years later ...
So, it's been while! Life has been challenging and I honestly haven't had any motivation to blog. But ... it's time! To recap, my motorcycle accident was on 1 March, 2015 and my nerve transfer surgery was on 4 July 2015. 4 of the 5 brachial plexus nerve roots were avulsed (ripped from spinal cord). Here's a bit of an update as to where I'm at: Pain Still horrendous all the time. I'm still taking 75mg of Lyrica in the morning and 150mg at night. My hand gives me the worst pain
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Brachial Girl
- Jul 26, 2016
- 1 min
Really need your help!
I really hate asking. But I really want to make Brachial Plexus Australia an official organisation and time is running out Once registered, we can start making ourselves known. Australia needs to know about Erb's Palsy and Brachial Plexus Injuries. Then once we start raising awareness, we can get Government recognition and start applying for grants, and start helping those in need, get more research and medical information, register an Australian Brachial Plexus Awareness Da
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Brachial Girl
- Jul 26, 2016
- 1 min
Media Surprise!
So I've just discovered that an article about me was published in the local Gladesville newspaper (where I used to live) - The Northern District Times! I got an email from a guy asking me if I'd like to do a radio interview. When I looked up the radio station I saw that it is located in Sydney. I asked him how he had heard of me and brachial plexus injuries and he said that he had seen an article about me in his local paper ........ so I did some Google searching and stumbled
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Brachial Girl
- Jul 14, 2016
- 3 min
Brachial Girl Update
So I've been too focused on my "real" life to allow much time for my brachial plexus life ... if that makes any sense! To catch you up on me - I've been working 2 days a week in an admin role for the Australian Association of Social Workers, and also trying to get my family life organised. I've also been working on my 2 Diploma courses, though not as much as I should be! I've found that after working my 2 days, I'm exhausted! I've also discovered that I think my brain was aff
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Brachial Girl
- Apr 29, 2016
- 1 min
Happy Birthday Blog !!!
So today marks my blog's 1st birthday! 1 year ago today, I decided to share my story, search for people like me, and give Australia a presence in the brachial plexus community, What a journey the last 12 months has been! I want to thank you all for all the love and support you have shown, the strength you've given me and the community you have welcomed me into. We all need to be there for each other. Brachial plexus injuries are horrible things to live through, whether you we
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Brachial Girl
- Apr 21, 2016
- 1 min
What is Occupational Therapy
What everyone should know about occupational therapy, including what it actually is! I love going to my OT sessions. I get so much out of it and learn how to use every day tasks to exercise and improve my arm. "The goal of occupational therapy is to improve the quality of life of people with physical and mental challenges. And to make that even more awesome, occupational therapists accomplish this by creating individualized treatments based on what activities and occupations
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Brachial Girl
- Apr 13, 2016
- 1 min
Deltoid and Supraspinatus
So small miracle today … besides the HUGE improvement in my deltoids … my supraspinatus has decided it wants to work now. It’s intermittent but Jaslyn, my OT, managed to get it on film! The snow angel movement looks a bit bizarre, amd before filming I managed to do it with a much more normal look to it, but ….. here we are! #brachialplexus #brachialplexusinjury #brachialplexusinjuryaustralia #erbspalsy #nerveinjury #nerves #muscles #birthinjury #nervetransfer #disability #bra
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Brachial Girl
- Apr 11, 2016
- 1 min
Flex Bar Fun
New toy from Jaslyn Cullen, my OT … flex bar … or wobble stick lol. I have to hold it in my bad hand and pump it up and down in a really tight movement to make the ends wobble. Quite tricky but I can do it. Uses all the muscles in my arm. Doesn’t take long doing it to wear my muscles out and feel the burn. Awesome workout. xxx Brachial Girl #brachialplexus #brachialplexusinjury #brachialplexusinjuryaustralia #erbspalsy #nerveinjury #nerves #muscles #birthinjury #nervetransfer
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Brachial Girl
- Apr 3, 2016
- 1 min
Bicep and External Rotation Update
This is a video of my bicep and external rotation doing a reach and pull action 13 months post accident
9 months post nerve transfer #brachialplexus #brachialplexusinjury #brachialplexusinjuryaustralia #erbspalsy #nerveinjury #nerves #muscles #nervetransfer #disability #brachialgirl #blog #surgery #nervesurgery #paralysis #ot #occupationaltherapy #supraspinatus #infraspinatu #Triceps #Deltoid #TeresMinor #musculocutaneous #brachialis #tricep #strength #bicepcurl #bicep #exer
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Brachial Girl
- Apr 3, 2016
- 1 min
Deltoid Update
This is a video of my deltoid movement 13 months post accident
9 months post nerve transfer #brachialplexus #brachialplexusinjury #brachialplexusinjuryaustralia #erbspalsy #nerveinjury #nerves #muscles #birthinjury #nervetransfer #disability #brachialgirl #blog #paralysis #ot #occupationaltherapy #supraspinatus #infraspinatu #Triceps #Deltoid #TeresMinor #musculocutaneous #brachialis #tricep #strength #nervepain #bicep #recovery #rehab #rehabilitation #workout #exercise
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Brachial Girl
- Apr 3, 2016
- 1 min
Deltoid & External Rotation Update
This is a video of my deltoid and external rotation in action 13 months post accident
9 months post nerve transfer #brachialplexus #brachialplexusinjury #brachialplexusinjuryaustralia #erbspalsy #nerveinjury #nerves #muscles #nervetransfer #disability #blog #paralysis #ot #occupationaltherapy #reinervate #supraspinatus #infraspinatu #Triceps #Deltoid #TeresMinor #musculocutaneous #brachialis #tricep #strength #bicepcurl #bicep #brachialgirl #rehab #rehabilitation #workout #e
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Brachial Girl
- Apr 3, 2016
- 1 min
Bicep Update
So I figured out a way to film myself. This is a video of my bicep movement 13 months post accident
9 months post nerve transfer #brachialplexus #brachialplexusinjury #brachialplexusinjuryaustralia #erbspalsy #nerveinjury #nerves #muscles #nervetransfer #disability #blog #paralysis #supraspinatus #infraspinatu #Triceps #Deltoid #TeresMinor #musculocutaneous #brachialis #tricep #strength #bicepcurl #bicep #workout #exercise #recovery #australia #rehabilitation #rehab
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Brachial Girl
- Mar 16, 2016
- 2 min
Deltoid, Supraspinatus, Rotator
WE HAVE LIFT OFF! So today I went to my OT session with the awesome Jaslyn Cullen, and we discussed my latest MRI and the comments my surgeon, Alex O’Beirne had about me having 4 avulsions rather than the 2 originally diagnosed. It seems impossible that I have hand movement when C5 C6 C7 C8 are all avulsed. But, I do. They’ve always said I was a confusion for them. But the MRI clearly shows 2 nerve root avulsions (torn from spinal cord) and 2 nerve ruptures (stretched and sna
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Brachial Girl
- Feb 24, 2016
- 1 min
Tricep
24 Feb 2016. 8 months post nerve transfer. Triceps. I lost the use of my triceps as my surgeon used it as a donor for 2 of my transfers. I’m finally getting some use back. #brachialplexus #brachialplexusinjury #brachialplexusinjuryaustralia #erbspalsy #nerveinjury #nerves #muscles #disability #brachialgirl #blog #paralysis #bra #ot #occupationaltherapy #supraspinatus #infraspinatu #Triceps #Deltoid #TeresMinor #musculocutaneous #brachialis #tricep #strength #brainsignal #bice
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Brachial Girl
- Feb 24, 2016
- 1 min
Bicep and Brachialis
24 Feb 2016. 8 months post nerve transfer. Biceps and Brachialis. I have to bend over because my arm hits my stomach if I’m standing straight. Stupid twisted shoulder and elbow. #brachialplexus #brachialplexusinjury #brachialplexusinjuryaustralia #erbspalsy #nerveinjury #nerves #muscles #nervetransfer #disability #brachialgirl #blog #ot #occupationaltherapy #supraspinatus #infraspinatu #Triceps #Deltoid #TeresMinor #musculocutaneous #brachialis #tricep #strength #brainsignal
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Brachial Girl
- Feb 24, 2016
- 1 min
Deltoid and Tricep
24 Feb 2016. 8 months post nerve transfer. Deltoids and triceps progress. #brachialplexus #brachialplexusinjury #brachialplexusinjuryaustralia #erbspalsy #nerveinjury #nerves #muscles #birthinjury #nervetransfer #disability #brachialgirl #blog #paralysis #subluxation #ot #occupationaltherapy #reinervate #supraspinatus #infraspinatu #Triceps #Deltoid #TeresMinor #musculocutaneous #brachialis #tricep #bicep #brainsignal #JaslynCullen
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Brachial Girl
- Oct 7, 2015
- 1 min
EMS machine experiment
Experimenting for the next week with this little item. Let’s see if it helps stimulate my newly working muscles to get stronger! I’ll post a review in a week. This is a TENS and EMS machine. I”m using the EMS program on my bicep and anterior deltoid. The TENS function is believed to provide pain relief. #brachialplexus #brachialplexusinjury #brachialplexusinjuryaustralia #erbspalsy #nerveinjury #nerves #muscles #birthinjury #nervetransfer #disability #motorcycleaccident #trau
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Brachial Girl
- Oct 7, 2015
- 1 min
Brachial Plexus Autralia
RAISING AWARENESS IN AUSTRALIA FOR BRACHIAL PLEXUS AND ERB’S PALSY INJURIES Did you know … The reported incidence of birth related brachial plexus injuries can vary from 2-5 of 1000 births. Out of these around 80% or more resolve themselves. The rest will go through multi-discipline treatments, including OT and PT therapies, nerve and tendon transfer surgeries and other treatments. Besides the birth injury, other causes of brachial plexus injuries include car, motorcycle, spo
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Brachial Girl
- Sep 26, 2015
- 1 min
Bone infection update
So I’ve had a check up and my surgeon Alex O'Beirne suspects I have a bone infection. Not good. I have to have some xrays tomorrow then see him again on Friday. If the broken bones are completely healed he wants to operate and remove the metal plates because even though the infection may be under control it can hide between the bone and the metal and cause huge problems later. Still don’t know what the cause of all this is. .. Looks like I’ll be heading back to the operating
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Brachial Girl
- Sep 23, 2015
- 1 min
Brachial Plexus Australia
We’re getting there! We now have a temporary landing page online at www.brachialplexusaustralia.com.au
Won’t be too long before we have the actual site up and running!
Exciting!!! I’m also eagerly awaiting the printed contact cards I’ve designed to arrive so the Australian surgeons and therapists can hand these out to patients! And of course us patients can hand them around too! As for me - I’m off to see my OT Jaslyn Cullen today for my weekly visit. 12 week post op check
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