Sorry this is so long but I am at my wits end and would like advice/opinions on what I should do...

I had arthroscopic surgery 3-1/2 weeks ago to repair the TFCC in my left wrist. About 3 days after my surgery I started having extremely severe pains in my wrist/hand that would come and be extremely severe for a short period of time and then go away. I also was experiencing poping and other pain (which I felt was normal). When I went for my post op at 1 week, they removed all of the padding, bandages and such and then put me in a cast. I continued to have these severe pains and called the Dr on 3 seperate occasions over the next 2 weeks. Did not get a response.

This past Friday I decided to stop by the Dr's office to inquire. They said they had called and left me a message that the pain and poping was not normal and that they may have to put me in a full cast up past my elbow. The Dr was in surgery on Friday so they had me come in on Monday which was 10 days early for my next post op.

They removed the cast. The Dr checked ROM and then proceeded to "feel" around. Starting at the outside of the wrist, caused mild discomfort, continuing to work to inside of wrist, hit a spot that I vocalized....he asked what I was laughing about and I told him that was very uncomfortable, he continued to feel and apply pressure and the pain caused tears to start flowing. He continued until I was in such excrutiation pain that I was sobbing. Now with all that I have been through over the past 9 years, I have a pretty high pain tolerance so this was very out of the ordinary.

He asked why I was sobbing and I told him that the pain was excrutiating. He said that it looked good and there didn't appear to be any signs of infection and that it had been just over 3 weeks so it is healed enough to start therapy. He would not answer or really even acknowledge the pain that he had caused.

The nurse was doing the dictation on the computer and asked if they were going to do a half arm or full arm cast and he said they were going to splint. I wasn't supposed to be casted in the first place but they did because I was having pains and poping that I shouldn't have. She asked about RX for V10 (I assume Vicodine 10) and he said "she doesn't need pain meds anymore). I was so upset at that point that I popped off with I couldn't take another RX from him for pain anyway because of the Fentanyl patch and Vicodin that I take from my Pain Mgt Dr.

Nurse asked when he wanted to see me back and he said "Oh, in about a year should be good". She asked him 2 other times and got the same response. I left without a follow up appt and was told at the check-out desk that they would request authorization for therapy and then I would come back after I completed therapy.

If the pains that I am having were pains that I had before the Surgery or if I had had the same pains when I had the ligament repaired in my right wrist, that would be one thing. But these severe pains will come and stay for a short time, having me almost in tears and then go away. I also have pains that wax and wain throughout the day that are more of a nuisence...sometimes can get pretty uncomfortable but nothing I can't deal with.

I am frustrated but more importantly, I am concerned because I have always been told severe pain is the bodies way of telling you something is wrong.

Has anyone ever had TFCC tear repair surgery and if so, did you experience anything like this?

Oh, ya it is Worker's Comp so I can't just go to another Dr.

Thank you for reading my book and for any advise/comments that you might give.

I'm sorry that you have so much pain. I'm also sorry that you were treated so shabbily by the doctor that did your surgery. Have you considered seeing a Rheumatologist? I believe I've had Fibromyalgia since I was about 12. The severity escalated after I had a spinal fusion. Usually Fibro affects you all over, not in a certain area. I hope you'll put your mind at ease and make an appointment with a Rheumatologist. If the surgeon finds no reason for your pain he can advise the Worker's Comp people that he can't help you.

Jenni

I'm glad you bring up having FM since the age of 12. You know I have to admit that I truly believe that I've had this disease since I was young and remember times when I've had to ignore phone calls from friends just to have a weekend all to myself being too tired to do anything at all.

This carried with me all through college to present day and I remember oddly doing all I could do to hide from my friends every Friday night when it would be tradition to go out and kill the town and I just didn't have the energy to do it. My friends all found it odd and took it personally as if I didn't like them, but in fact I just couldn't bring myself to exert the energy level to keep up with any of them. Then always feeling flu-like, having to deal with unknown pain. I think there's definitely something to perhaps FM being genetic and possibly something you could have even during childhood.

That's all. Just wanted to interject that.

However, I do want to say how sorry I am to hear of your terrible suffering Grumpy and wish there was something your doctor WOULD DO to get you the treatment you need. You may or may not have FM but you no doubt are suffering and it's the job of your doctor to do whatever they can to help eliminate that pain and that suffering. It's so criminal to keep hearing how doctor after doctor fail in this area. It's hopeful to see more progress and the recent commercial about FM. We may finally be getting closer to vindication.

Take care everyone.