I've posted here about my past nerve damage and the surgical fallout before. I guess I get to add another to the list.

It's been going on for months, but I saw an ortho back in April because of horrible shoulder pain I got after firing my new Tristar Viper. It's super light, and that combined with the hard rubber shoulder pad made shooting it less than pleasant. The shoulder doc said I'd injured my brachial plexus and sent me to PT.

About the same time, I also saw a friend of mine who's a hand surgeon because of pain in the back of the same arm/hand, and he said it's probably RTS and injected my arm, saying if it gets better this is it, and if it doesn't we'll check for other obvious injuries, and do PT before considering surgery. 6 weeks in a brace as tolerated.

A couple of days later at my sister's birthday party we're talking in my parents' garage and he asks if it works. "Night and day," says I.

"Well, that was easy. Let's hope it keeps up."

I talked to my physical therapist about my arm, and we addressed the brachial plexus injury in a few visits, then shifted efforts to the RTS issue. We did a number of things, including dry needling, that helped significantly, but I'm still in a very large amount of pain, so I sat down and had a Real Talk with my PT about how she thinks I'm doing (she's awesome). I mentioned that at this point I'm about willing to put up with the surgery for pain control.

I texted the doc a couple of weeks ago saying this isn't working out and I'd see him in the office at the appointment I'd already scheduled. (I'm a big proponent of observing professional boundaries and not asking people to work on their off time "as a favor." I dealt with that a lot both as a photographer and as an IT professional; plus I'm the only one of the kids who isn't a nurse, so I know the drill.)

At that checkup he confirmed my fears - he still says it could go away on its own but he's not holding his breath, especially with the breadth of my hobbies and their tendency to be hard on my hands. (Hell, I think he's handled most of my guns.)

I'm going to Germany next month, so we'd have to wait until after that to discuss anything seriously. Up until then, I've worked out a plan with him and my PT to keep the grumpiness to a minimum. I'm not looking forward to dealing with this mess, nor am I to figuring out how tf I'm going to drive a stick with just my left hand while the bandage is on (good thing I work mostly remote.)

It is nice to have physcian friends. It is even better that you respect the boundaries.
There is an old joke about a doctor and a lawyer at a party. A woman comes up and asks the MD. how to treat her swollen ankle. The doc gives the usual advice. He then turns to his lawyer buddy and asks if he should send her a bill. He says Yes and then the next day the lawyer sends the doctor a bill and the doc send the lady a bill.

Yeah, it is nice.
I definitely do my best to pay them the courtesy they pay me. That said, I have ended up getting stitches at the kitchen table a time or two after having a mishap with a chisel.

My optometrist went to high school with me as well, and spent the weekends at my house. The extent I text him about is "this is what's going on, do you want to see me in the office tomorrow?" Honestly I hate doing it, and I'm only okay with it because he gave me permission.

All told, I am quite disappointed about needing to visit an operating room as the "guest of honor" yet again. Here's hoping this is the last time, but I kinda doubt it.

Yep, it ain't looking good for me. Been hitting the PT hard, and while it's paid off, I'm only staying still. I haven't lost strength (my grip strength weighs in at 150 PSI per my last test, significantly better than the average guy and better than when I started (I think I was somewhere around 100); I believe the phrase I'd use to describe it is "I've got that retard strength") but the pain level is about the same.

I'm not about to throw in the towel, but I'm also not feeling particularly thrilled about the direction things are going right now.