[xr82]

Wow! Another TOS survivor. Despite all the RSI talk in the programming community, I still find it very rare that someone is actually diagnosed, let alone, goes through TOS. However, I do suspect that its prevalence is higher than estimated in this target community.

TOS killed my programming career. It ruined my life and brought me untold mental and physical pain. At one point I couldn't use my arms for more than thirty minutes a day. Even taking a shower was exhausting. I underwent two surgeries, one two remove the ribs and muscles entrapping my nerves. After the first surgery things were good for awhile, my hands were no longer purple (due compression on the vein/artery) and I could actually use a keyboard again. Unfortunately scar tissue grew over my nerves and entrapped them again. At this point I required a second surgery to remove the tissue, which worked quite well and enabled my to use my arms again. Unfortunately, nothing is perfect in life and I still have some tissue that is interfering with my neck and causing chronic pain for which I take a variety of medications for. I currently work a low end job in health care because I can't sit at a desk for 8 hours a day without substantial pain (trust me I've tried everything, at this point I could open an ergonomic store).

I just want to give a shout out to a fellow TOS victim, especially one in the tech world. It's a very rare condition and it's very damaging (imaging not being able to touch your phone without pain) and I wish there was more awareness.

[swampthing]

Wow, I don't feel quite so alone anymore. I went through something similar, although I didn't have it as bad as you. I couldn't shake hands, lift a grocery bag, or drive for quite some time. The doctors I saw were stumped, and I got the sense that no one wanted to deal with it. I went to a PT, who guessed the problem incorrectly (in hindsight), but whose recommended exercises fortuitously happened to also help with TOS. It wasn't until many years later that a sports medicine doctor mentioned TOS as a possibility and everything clicked.

Can I ask how you were able to determine there was scar tissue? Was it just someone feeling it out or did you get an MRI?