Can someone please steer me in the right direction? Please

Hi I am new here and accidentally posted a reply to you rather than replying. I do not know if you will see that one so will say it again sorry.
Wow you really have been through it. I am sorry you had to go through all of that . But I am glad that you are where you need to be. You deserve it sure sounds like you put in the extra mile to make it happen.
It is nice to have someone share their story so that I can see a light at the end of the tunnel and have an idea of at least which way to turn now. I greatly appreciate you.
I will keep you updated as things move along. I wish good health and happiness to you and yours.

I would like to thank each and everyone of you from the bottom of my heart for taking time out of your busy day to respond to my post. I appreciate it greatly. I also find all of your information very informative and useful. I want to wish each and every one of you and yours a lifetime of good health and happiness.
To get more detailed on my ordeal, this was the 3rd surgery on my right elbow. my doctor who did the surgery did a fantastic job. He had to cut and move my ulna nerve, drill a hole through my elbow bone and tie it so that the nerve would not try to get through it again. Had to shave the bone and cut the muscle. The first 4 months all I did was range of motion. I just started strengthening two weeks ago, but my therapist is fantastic as well.
Before I went into surgery, a male anesthesiologist came into talk with me. He was great I was I was happy. But when they came to get me to take me to the or, it was two different anesthesiologist. I don't know if they were having a shortage that day or what was going on, because my surgeon put in his notes that they the hospital didn't even have an assistant to help him with the surgery that they had to pull in another surgeon from another surgery to help with mine or it would have taken double the time. So we going to or and I'm still awake. I kept saying you have to knock me out I can't go through this awake because every time I've got an hour I've been knocked out first. Then be our deal started with the burning up my arm and everything I think she just wanted to get me to shut up because I from the beginning she got may I just kept mentioning don't forget to put me to sleep.
Did you ever touch anything that was super hot and you're actually pull your hand away? Well that's how my arm felt when they were putting the anesthesia in it but I couldn't pull my arm away. They had my left arm, and the surgeons assistant had my right arm preparing it for surgery. So I was kind of like straight down I couldn't get up. Trust me if I could have gotten off that table I would have and I would have ran. But as soon as she's as soon as she emptied the syringe of anesthesia my body started to relax a little bit because my arm started to cool down a little bit. The whole time she was a ministering it my body was so tense and in shock and I don't even know if I breathe or not. So as soon as it was emptied it cool down a little bit enough to where I could at least relax my body a little bit before I fell asleep.
I just don't understand two things how my arm can be totally numb but still feel pain. And how my own nerve was so damaged in my right elbow and it showed up in the EMG but I had no numbness with that one. Now this time is going completely numb every day all day and nothing shows up. I'm starting to think that maybe it is in my head and I'm just going crazy but I'm going to take a lot of your advice and I'm going to get a new neurologist at a different facility see what they say and I'll mention the biopsy and the smaller fibers. I will keep it updating on here along the way in case anybody wants to know what's going on but again I can't thank you all enough for taking time out of your day to respond to my post I'd really super really appreciate it thank you

Hello Skylee, If your neurologist can confirm that you have Neuropathy, you will find much support on this site. Lets see the results from the neurologist. Keep us posted and good luck.

Thank you skylee for your well wishes. Someone wrote that you should be examined by a neurologist. Absolutely! The neurologist was the one who actually said that the original orthopedist was incorrect about his diagnosis and firm assertion that there was "nothing wrong." And he examined the nerve and muscle conduction studies, telling me that the report and the exam that he personally performed to test my nerve/muscle responses told him that I had nerve damage from the ankle/foot damages. He finally sent me to a pain management specialist with diagnosis of complex regional pain syndrome. I have learned so much during this entire ordeal! I was supposed to get a nerve block, but based on my own research (I have an edge since in my young adulthood I took courses, worked with microbiologists and neurologists), and with what I've learned here on this site, I've decided against that procedure. I have other long-standing central nervous system issues that play into my decision. Instead of what to me is an invasive procedure of a nerve block, I finally accepted what 3 doctors within my medical team have suggested for at least a couple of years: medicinal marijuana. I got the authorization form, submitted it to a certified dispensary, and am awaiting a phone call from their pharmacy (I want to discuss several points). This will hopefully bring me some relief since my system is so seriously adverse to ANY pain meds! My goal is to bring an acceptable "quality of life" to my world since I am care provider for my husband, who also has several complex neurological and cardiac issues. Gotta take care of myself so I can help him😊! As I said, you have to seek info, brainstorm and investigate, ask questions, and be best informed so you can decide what is best for YOU. God be with you in your journey🙏🏽.

This sounds terrible and scary. (And PS I HATE it when providers/nurses turn off the “reply” feature on messages. I don’t know if they know this, but it feels like a door being slammed in the face.)

Honestly, if it was me because I’ve had some really bad experiences with healthcare providers, I wouldn’t continue corresponding with the original anesthesiologists. I just don’t feel like I have space in my brain or heart to deal with that kind of attitude anymore especially if it relates to my health.

It seems they either don’t know what happened or at the very least they don’t seem very invested in helping figured it out, let alone connect you to someone who could help.

Is there someone else you feel comfortable reaching out to such as your PCP, to help come up with a plan and/or reach out to the people who treated you before?

You could still have small fiber neuropathy even if your EMG is normal—small fiber nerve dysfunction wouldn’t show up on an EMG. And like someone else has alluded to, it’s possible you might have developed some kind of pain syndrome…any kind of very physically or psychologically stressful or traumatic experience, like it sounds like what happened to you can make someone more likely to developed a pain syndrome (CRPS, central sensitivity syndrome, etc.)

The anesthesiologists were right about referring you to a neuromuscular neurologist; that’s the type of person who treats neuropathy. But it may take eons (months where I live) to get an appointment.

Recently, I saw a hand specialist, and I wonder if that would be more direct and specific, even though they’re orthopedists?

Sounds like you are doing all the correct things by following up with the specialists. Just call and get that last appointment with the neuro- muscle doctor...good luck !

Hello, thank you for your response. This neurologist I only met once virtually and all she said was the EMG was normal and she could give me a referral to a neuro muscular physician. I will go on my chart and screen shot the EMG results and post it ..do you think it could be IV infiltration? Because my arm was fine before this ...and it was the worst pain going in I think it went in my arm wrong. I don't know it is driving me crazy. I will post the results of EMG ..thank you

Thank you and I am in the process of finding the neuro muscular physician now. Hopefully can get in soon and get some answers ...I will post all info every step of the way...thank you

Hi thanks for responding. You hit the nail on the head. When they shut the chat off it is like a door slammed in your face. I do not know why she did that. Only thing I can think off is that she is thinking I am going to sue anesthesia and does not want to be involved. ???
I am contacting my PCP and a neuro muscular physician and hopefully something comes forward. I will post all info as I get it ..thanks again

I mean...I suppose it's possible they close off the reply because they're indicating they've "completed" the follow-up. I know some providers and nurses who do that. But this typically only happens when I'm frustrated and don't feel the issue is resolved, which leads me to end up with the feeling that they don't want to talk to me about it anymore!

I hope your PCP and the neuromuscular physician are able to point you in the right direction. Wishing you all the best.