LOBPI

So what is an LOBPI?

As mentioned in my previous post, it stands for Left Obstetrical Brachial Plexus Injury.  
Some doctors have refered to this in my medical chart as being congenital, meaning it happened in utero, it isn't and it did not happenthere. It happened as I was being born,  basically I was born breech, feet/bum first, got stuck and the doctor panicked as he was not scheduled to be my mom's OBGYN, and definetly was not expecting to have to deliver a 27 weeker! So he pulled and I came un-stuck but not before having my C-spine spinal cord nerves being pulled and injured first. It was to save my life, but other times it happens to babies b/c the doctor is not careful/too rough/too rushed/not up-to-date on methods to turn the baby so that they are no longer stuck on the mother's pelvis. 

What has having a OBPI meant?
LOTS of PT, surgery, pain, frustration as a child b/c I could not do certain things like every other kid (monkey bars were imposible as I did not have the strength to hang or do the hand-over-hand motion needed). It means that my humeral head is small, mishapen and is subluxated permenently. I cannot bring my left hand to my mouth or over my head unless I use my right side to put it there. I was 12 when I finally figured out how to get my hair into a ponytail! 
It means that my left arm is considerably shorter but I hide it well and no one notices.. It means my shoulder is rounded making spaghetti straps and bra straps impossible to wear unless they are crossed in back. 
It meant that at age 14 I had major surgery to give me some external rotation and a more relaxed posture. The surgery worked, sort of. It gave me some external rotation but not against gravity which was a huge disapointment at the time.

I was made fun of in kindergarten, and on and off throughout primary school. Once I hit high school in 7 (high school for us is grade 7-11), one girl would make fun of me behind my back, which of course was not hidden from me.

So long before I got TM, I had already been dealing with a disability and HOURS of PT. Not all PT was for the OBPI though.

**side note**
I started figure skating at age 6. I skated until age 11 then quit formal lessons for 2 years b/c of high school. I then started practicing on my own until age 17 when I started again with a coach, private lessons and HOURS of ice time. This also meant injuries and me being stubborn and not taking the time to rest an injury long enough. So back to PT it was! I didn't care as I loved it, I could spin, jump, be creative and show off! On the ice I was like anyone else, shoulder disability not even really being an issue. I did have to do some moves differently but again I could pretty much cover up the differences and no one was the wiser.

Every 2 years there is a Camp run by UBPN.org for kids/adults and their families for us BPI folk, they also have a small number of traumatic injured adults (car accidents, falls from a horse..).
I love being there. The first time I went I realized that I did not have to "hide" how I held my arm, how my elbow goes up when I use my arm/hand to hold a knife, how I have to put my left arm up on my head to get it to be a helper hand to braid my hair, put it in a ponytail. 
I do stand out as I am in a wheelchair or walk with cane/crutches, many think I am a TBPI until I tell them I am OBPI but have another disability (TM).