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“Praise the Lord! Happy are those who fear the Lord…When darkness overtakes the godly, light will come bursting in…They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them…They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly…”

Psalm 112:1,4,7&8

Well…after a very long appointment with my specialist yesterday he and his nurse practitioner have diagnosed me with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS). Basically they think my clavicle and first rib are compressing my artery/vein which may have caused the clot to land in my finger after my vein was scratched from the inside (he’s not really sure). I won’t know much until my next ultrasound on Thursday the 27th and my follow up visit on Feb. 3rd.

There are 3 types of TOS – Neurogenic (most common), Venous (blood clot in subclavian vein) and Arterial (blood clot in subclavian artery) And of course there are several treatment options: Physical Therapy, Lidocaine and Botox injections, medication or Surgery consisting of either removal of first rib, venoplasty or arterioplasty.

After my appointment I was left feeling a bit knocked down again…and me being me…I went home and began finding out more about this TOS which of course is a rare disorder. I was not entirely impressed either doctor’s bedside manner in the least…I felt like a ‘number’ just another body they needed to work on and fix up. Maybe it was because I sat there on the table for over an hour in a gown and a sheet before I ever saw the specialist. I’m sorry but a 2:15 appointment does not mean strolling in at 3:30 especially without an apology. Besides, I will not take one doctors opinion after being seen for less than 15min.

Again…I am praying for patience and wisdom concerning my options.

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