Connecting the Dots: From Erb's Palsy to Anorexia Nervosa to Borderline Personality Disorder

By Eglantine Franco

THIS BOOK CHRONICLES A YOUNG WOMAN'S LIFE AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LEAD TO HER PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITION. WHEN THE AUTHOR DELIVERED HER SECOND CHILD, IT WAS TRAUMATIC BECAUSE NOT ONLY WAS HER BABY BIG, THE DOCTOR WHO PERFORMED THE DELIVERY WAS UNPREPARED. THIS TRAUMATIC EVENT CAUSED A PHYSICAL DISABILITY LEADING TO WHAT WOULD LATER MANIFEST ITSELF AS A PERSONALITY DISORDER. IN CONNECTING THE DOTS, FRANCO CHRONICLES THE EVENTS THAT LED UP TO THE DIAGNOSIS OF A GIRL WHO NOW SUFFERS FROM A CONDITION NAMED BORDERLING PERSONALITY DISORDER (BPD).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 4, 2011
• ISBN: 9781462859498

Eglantine Franco

THE AUTHOR RECEIVED HER DOCTORATE IN BIOLOGY FROM NEW YORK UNIVERSITY AND IS CURRENTLY A FULL PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY WITH THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK. SHE IS MARRIED WITH TWO DAUGHTERS. SHE IS COMMITTED TO MENTORING AND HELPING STUDENTS ACHIEVE THEIR PROFESSIONAL GOALS.

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Copyright © 2011 by Englantine Franco.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2011906106

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4628-5948-1

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4628-5947-4

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4628-5949-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

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96252

Contents

1.   The Delivery

2.   Erb’s Palsy (The Morning after Delivery)

3.   EMG Tests

4.   Joan Mayer

5.   The Nerves Associated with Erb’s Palsy Brachial Plexus

6.   Nerve Muscle Connection

7.   Body Disfiguration

8.   Swimming with a Disfigured Body

9.   Hand Disfigurement and Playing an Instrument

10. Balance

11. Dance

12. Sports

13. The Psychological Effects of Erb’s Palsy

(Beginning of Abnormal Behavior)

14. Anorexia Nervosa

15. Borderline Personality Disorder

The Delivery

Uh! Aggh! I can’t!

Come on, Pam! Push!

One, two, three! Push!

Don’t push until we tell you to. When we do, give us a great big push.

I remember coming home one day and experiencing severe pain in both the right and left groin. My next door neighbor, who I was friendly with, tried to comfort me by saying that I had been working too hard; that was why I was having pain. Slow down, she said, and the pain will subside. Well it did not.

One month after slowing down, the pain was still there. So I went to visit my family doctor who examined my abdomen with his stethoscope and said that all he heard was feces moving around. Since this observation did not help the pain, I decided to go to a former schoolmate who was a practicing gastroenterologist in Freeport, Long Island. After examining me, he said I had irritable bowel syndrome. So I was given medication and dismissed. When I returned home, I thanked God that I was not given a diagnosis of a terminal illness and decided not to take the medication. For me, as long as I was not going to die, I would try to tolerate the pain without taking the medication. My pain persisted.

Two months after I saw my family doctor, I noticed that, along with the pain, I was beginning to become nauseous every day at about 6:00 p.m. every evening. It was then that I decided to go and take a pregnancy test. Approximately two to three days later, the results returned positive. At thirty-six years old, I was now pregnant with my second child.

My visit to the gynecologist explained why I was experiencing such excruciating pain. He said that I was carrying a large fetus that was pressing on the ligaments in my groin. My baby was large from the beginning. I went regularly to the doctor, and he promised to follow me for the entire pregnancy up to the time of my delivery.

Approximately six months into my pregnancy, my husband lost his job, and so I no longer had the medical coverage needed for this doctor who agreed to treat me as an outside patient. Thus, Dr. Jonas changed his tune after I told him of my husband’s misfortune. He said he would follow me to term but could not promise to be present for the delivery.

My pregnancy went well for the nine months that I carried my daughter. In the morning of January 17, 1984, I began having contractions at home, which were coming far apart. I called Dr. Jonas, and just as he had said, he informed me that he would not come to the hospital but that I should go and the doctor on call there would attend to me.

It is usually the practice that during the pregnancy the mother should be seen by at least one other doctor, so if there is an emergency and the chief doctor is unable to be at the delivery, the alternate doctor would be familiar with the patient. I was not seen by any other doctor but Dr. Jonas. When I arrived at the hospital, I was admitted by the resident on duty, Dr. Fischer, whom I had never met during the nine months of my pregnancy. She did not have my medical records but admitted me nevertheless.

My husband and I took Lamaze classes, so we settled down comfortably in the assigned room, ready to practice what we had learned. For about two hours we did extremely well as a team, with me breathing with each wave of contraction. Only the resident and nurses came in during this time.

Three hours into my contractions, I began to experience excruciating pain of unbelievable intensity, so I began to ask for medication. I was ready to give up on the Lamaze method. It was at this time that I was advised that the doctor on call was busy with other deliveries and was not available to order a prescription for medication and that it was too late into my labor for medication, so I