Age: 49.0
Sex: F
Vaccine: TDAP
Symptoms: Activities of daily living impaired, Anxiety, Frustration, Local swelling, Musculoskeletal disorder
Clinical narrative: Within several hours of receiving the Tdap vaccine, I had fierce pain in my right arm.  Having been advised of the potential pain, when scheduling the appointment for this vaccine, I assumed my symptoms were normal.  As a result, I did not seek medical treatment.  Over the next two days, the pain intensified to the point that I was unable to utilize my right arm.  On Tuesday, November 25, 2014, I returned to the employee health clinic.  I informed the nurse that I recently had a Tdap vaccine & asked to have my arm examined.  On a scale of one to ten, I described my pain as a ten.  The nurse did not examine my arm & informed me that "these symptoms are normal after a Tdap vaccine."  On Friday, December 12, 2014, I returned to the employee health clinic & asked to have my right arm examined.  I provided a brief history & expressed my concern about the excruciating pain & loss of functionality in my right arm.  The nurse did not examine my arm, but suggested that "you may have a blood clot under the skin."  I was instructed to take Motrin & apply a hot compress to the swollen & sore area of my right arm.  This comment just heightened my state of anxiety. Over the next seven months, I continued to suffer from excruciating pain in my right arm & shoulder.  I also lost a great deal of functionality in my right arm.  I truly can no longer perform activities of daily living.  The level of pain changes throughout the day.  If I happen to sleep on my right side, the intense pain will wake me from a deep sleep.  The pain & anxiety will last for several hours.  If I take Motrin & lay flat on my back, the pain will diminish but not disappear.  If I refrain from lifting anything with my right arm or performing activities with a repetitive motion, the pain is still chronic, but decreases to a minimal level.  On a scale of one to ten, I would describe minimal level as a three.  On most days, I take Motrin to alleviate the pain & utilize my right arm sparingly.  On Wednesday, June 24, 2015, I returned to the employee health clinic again & asked to have my arm examined.  The nurse did not examine my arm, but advised me to submit a claim with Workers Compensation.  Following the instructions provided by my employer, I scheduled a visit at Occupational Medicine.  An MRI was scheduled, but not completed.  At my next appointment, physical therapy & an orthopaedic consultation were ordered.  A few days later, I received a phone call from a claims representative at the insurance company.  The woman prefaced the conversation by saying "I am not a clinician."  She proceeded to inform me that "I have been doing this for a long time & there is no way that an injection in your arm could cause an injury to your shoulder."  She then advised me that my case was closed & any future appointments or treatments would be denied.  I canceled the physical therapy & orthopaedic consultation.  A year has passed since I received the Tdap injection.  The pain & loss of functionality in my right arm have caused a great deal of frustration & anxiety.