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 16, 2016
- 1 min
One Handed How To Videos
I’ve finally uploaded some “How To” videos. You can view them on- You Tube, https://www.youtube.com/playlist…- My website, www.brachialgirl.com My Facebook page - www.facebook.com/brachialgirl via the You Tube tab near my profile picture. It’s just a start. There are 12 videos so far. I’ll be adding shoelaces and buttons/flys soon. Let me know if you have any requests and I will see if I can help.💟💟💟 FEEL FREE TO SHARE THIS POST. YOU NEVER KNOW WHO MIGHT GET HELP FROM SEE
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Brachial Girl
- Apr 15, 2016
- 4 min
Sorry for my selfies
So … I wanted to explain something … to look at my website or Facebook page, it may seem as though I am vain, what with all the photos of myself … But there is a reason behind it. When you have had a traumatic accident, and lose the use of your dominant arm like I did, you lose not only the use of your arm … but your self confidence, your sense of self, your dignity, your independence, your sense of future, your sense of being useful and worthwhile, and many other things. Ha
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Brachial Girl
- Apr 13, 2016
- 1 min
Trauma Survivors
Trauma survivors often have symptoms instead of memories. Those with traumatic brachial plexus injuries are no exception. Depression
Irratibility
Loss of interest
Disassociation
Numbing
Decreased concentration
Insomnia
Emotional overwhelm
Hopelessness
Loss of a sense of the future
Shame and worthlessness
Little or no memories
Nightmares
Flashback
Hypervigilance
Mistrust
Anxiety
Panic attacks
Chronic pain
Headaches
Substance abuse
Eating disorders
Feeling
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Brachial Girl
- Apr 11, 2016
- 1 min
Stop overthinking everything!
Lifes hard enough! STOP OVER THINKING EVERYTHING! That just makes it all worse! Accept. Get on with it! Focus on what you have. Live your life or make changes. It’s more simple than you think! xxx Brachial Girl #brachialplexus #brachialplexusinjury #brachialplexusinjuryaustralia #erbspalsy #nerveinjury #nerves #muscles #disability #motorcycleaccident #brachialgirl #blog #paralysis #inspirationalquote #sadness #scared #pain #frustration #selfpity #emotion #overthinking #stress
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Brachial Girl
- Apr 3, 2016
- 1 min
Scar update
So I thought I'd post some photos of my scars so you could see how they are healing. 1 - Across my back to my shoulder from nerve transfer 9 months ago. 2 - Down my upper arm from the nerve transfer 3 - Down my lower arm from the emergency surgery after the accident to fix broken bones. That scar also goes up to the middle of my upper arm but the newer scar is over the top. 4 - Inside of my upper arm and armpit from the nerve transfer surgery 9 months ago. I was concerned abo
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Brachial Girl
- Mar 26, 2016
- 1 min
Brachial Girl is on Facebook
Brachial Girl has her own Facebook page now. Like and share. I'll be posting personal stuff about my own brachial plexus injury journey, as well as useful links, news and everything I find that I think will be of some use to you all. Facebook - Brachial Girl #brachialplexus #brachialplexusinjury #brachialplexusinjuryaustralia #erbspalsy #nerveinjury #nerves #muscles #birthinjury #nervetransfer #disability #motorcycleaccident #brachialgirl #blog #surgery #paralysis #scar #depr
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Brachial Girl
- Mar 21, 2016
- 1 min
Talk To Me!
I’ve added a comments page on my website so if you want to ask any (short) questions or leave some feedback about my site, GO FOR IT. (be nice please and no swearing) I will be approving comments personally so nothing offensive etc will be published. Leave a comment #brachialplexus #brachialplexusinjury #brachialplexusinjuryaustralia #erbspalsy #nerveinjury #nerves #muscles #birthinjury #nervetransfer #disability #motorcycleaccident #traumaticinjury #brachialgirl #blog #surge
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Brachial Girl
- Mar 21, 2016
- 1 min
Website Facelift
I’ve done a heap of work on the Brachial Plexus Australia website. Design change and some new pages and features! Check it out and share with everyone! www.brachialplexusaustralia.com.au #brachialplexus #brachialplexusinjury #brachialplexusinjuryaustralia #erbspalsy #nerveinjury #nerves #muscles #birthinjury #nervetransfer #disability #motorcycleaccident #traumaticinjury #brachialgirl #blog #paralysis #diagnosis #avulsionnerveroot #C5 #C6 #C7 #C8 #T1 #ot #occupationaltherapy
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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
- Mar 1, 2016
- 3 min
1 Year Anniversary
So … it’s been awhile. 12 months ago (1st March 2015) I was enjoying a long weekend away with my husband and some friends in Donnybrook, Western Australia. It’s inland from Bunbury. We rode all around the countryside, had an awesome lunch at a pub in Nannup, then headed for Bridgetown. I wasn’t a very experienced rider. I’d been riding an automatic 150cc scooter for 12 months or so and wanted to ride normal bikes with a goal of having my own Harley. My husband’s mate taught m
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Brachial Girl
- Jan 25, 2016
- 1 min
Understanding
People will never truly understand something until it happens to them. They try. But no one really understands or knows the inner struggles. #brachialplexus #brachialplexusinjury #brachialplexusinjuryaustralia #erbspalsy #nerveinjury #nerves #muscles #birthinjury #nervetransfer #disability #motorcycleaccident #traumaticinjury #brachialgirl #blog #paralysis #scar #diagnosis #loss #devastation #healing #emotional #bikecrash #inspirationalquote #emotion #sadness #pain #onearm #o
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Brachial Girl
- Jan 25, 2016
- 1 min
Nerve Supplements
So I’ve been searching to see what nerve supplements and pain relief are available. Here’s a link to my search results. Always check with your Doctor before taking anything. Nerve Supplements #brachialplexus #brachialplexusinjury #brachialplexusinjuryaustralia #erbspalsy #nerveinjury #nerves #muscles #birthinjury #nervetransfer #disability #motorcycleaccident #traumaticinjury #brachialgirl #blog #medicine #paralysis #healing #pain #supplements #nervepain #nerverepair #nervere
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Brachial Girl
- Jan 20, 2016
- 2 min
I've got nothing
Well. I’ve just got no fight left. Neither has my husband. We cannot see any way possible, other than winning lotto or something, to save our financial situation. Even if we started earning great money now, we wouldn’t be able to catch up quickly enough to avoid legal actions brought on by the organisations we owe money to. Bankruptcy would get rid of most creditors, but we’d still need to pay rent, electricity, gas, water, some form of phone, some form of vehicle so my husba
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Brachial Girl
- Jan 14, 2016
- 1 min
I'm in the newspaper!
So I finally got some media attention! Many thanks the Perth’s Southern Gazette, Kaylee and Jon, for coming out to interview me, and for thinking that my story is worth sharing! Southern Gazette - Sufferers Journey Leads to Answers #brachialplexus #brachialplexusinjury #brachialplexusinjuryaustralia #erbspalsy #nerveinjury #nerves #muscles #birthinjury #nervetransfer #disability #motorcycleaccident #brachialgirl #blog #paralysis #onearm #onehand #media #newspaper #southerngaz
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Brachial Girl
- Jan 11, 2016
- 1 min
Connecting with others
So I received an email from a lady who has recently seen my surgeon and OT for a brachial plexus injury here in Perth. She told me her story and let me know how distraught she was about her career being ruined and what her future would be. I was so wrapped up in my own stuff over Christmas that it wasn’t until today that I sat down to respond to emails I’d received from all over the world. I re-read her email and realised that her nerve transfer was scheduled for today! I rep
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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
- Oct 7, 2015
- 1 min
Bone infection - Osteomyelitis
I definitely have a bone infection or osteomyelitis. I’ve had a course of antibiotics and the infection is under control but still present. I had xrays which showed the broken bones aren’t healed yet, so although my surgeon, Alex O’Beirne wants to remove the metal plates which can give the infection a place to hide, we have to wait till the bone is healed. So for now, I just have to watch my diet and stress to keep my immune system healthy. Sigh …. #brachialplexus #brachialpl
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