NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Whether it’s a car accident, a shooting, or a broken bone suffered on a baseball field, trauma cases are usually treated right away in hospitals across the region.
But, fixing a long-ago-damaged rotator cuff and torn bicep is on hold indefinitely for a 59-year-old Norfolk man because of the coronavirus crisis.
Late last month, Gov. Ralph Northam put a freeze on elective surgery because personal protective equipment and blood donations are in short supply.
Jeffrey Braxton has been in excruciating pain for months.
He used to work as a landscape designer — a job that required heavy lifting. Thirty years later, the wear and tear have taken a toll on both arms. Overuse of his right arm eventually caused damage to his left rotator cuff and a tear in his left bicep.
“I cannot raise my arm from my elbow to my head at all its extreme pain,” he said.
Braxton has suffered for years. Day after day, sleepless nights turn into difficult days.
The experts recommend that patients waiting for surgery turn to their doctors for help in managing pain medication.
“I was up all night. I took four pain pills and I took Seroquel. Also, I took two of them and of all those meds I took, I didn’t even get a half-hour of sleep,” said Braxton.
Braxton is concerned the dangerous cycle could lead to substance abuse if he goes long enough without the surgery. In 2016, Virginia declared opioid addiction a public health emergency.
While COVID-19 has put Braxton’s important surgery on hold, officials indicate circumstances may be looking up.
Late last week, Northam said Virginia had received a shipment of 24,000 masks, gloves and gowns. He added that more PPE is on the way.
President Donald Trump Sunday expressed optimism that relief may be on the way for cancer patients, transplant patients, those suffering from old injuries and other ailments.
Virginia has a comprehensive website on the opioid public health emergency.