So after several years of dealing with intermittent numbness, tingling and pain in my fingers, hands, arms – none of which is related to Diabetic Neuropathy my endocrinologist has assured me – it looks like we’ve finally figured out the issue.  In addition to those symptoms, I’ve had off and on terrible neck and pack pain, as well as chest pain and difficulty breathing.  Oh, and my chest pops – like a really loud, unsettling “POP!” several times a day – sometimes painful, sometimes relieving to the chest pressure.

With the Lyme, Erlichia, Bartonella and Babesia issues I’ve sort of overlooked any other crazy problems being attributed to anything else, but even when the majority of my symptoms are in remission these still persist.

I’ve had so many EKG’s since 2008 they’ve (thankfully) ruled out any type of heart issue, but couldn’t figure out what’s causing the chest/breathing problems.  I’ve spent the last 3 months in physical therapy 3x a week trying to help the pain, and I’m barely sleeping but nothing has helped.  Finally they referred me to a specialist and I’ve been diagnosed with bilateral Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.  This was after MRI’s, nerve tests, etc, etc, etc.  I was relieved to have a diagnosis, but not to hear that since the PT isn’t working the only real option is surgery.

What type of surgery you ask?  Removing ribs.  Yup, that’s right.  All these years I’ve joked that if you don’t need it, I’ve surely had it removed.

Things I was born with but no longer have include:

• tonsils
• adenoids
• appendix
• gallbladder

I technically still have my pancreas, but since it’s been out of commission since 1988 I would assume it’s a shriveled down next to nothing by now, but I’ll leave it off since it wasn’t surgically revoked from my body and I gotta take what I can get at this point.

Let’s put it this way, human traffickers specializing in black market organ sales would be amazingly disappointed if they should by chance try to kidnap me for profit.

I’ve finally gone ahead and scheduled my first rib removal (left side bothers me more so we’ll start there) for the beginning of June.  Definitely not looking forward to it, but hoping it winds up being worth the pain in the long run because I just can’t function like this much longer.  Also, I will not be joking about the coveted organs or bones that I still have – they’re all mine.