Sacral Nerve Stimulation

I have a Sacral Nerve Stimulator impanted just six years ago this week which sadly has had no effect at all and now the battery is running low. But please take heart they work more for some than others. Part of my problem was having it done at a Specialist centre in Bristol , it was done privetely as my hubby was still working and this was a priviedge of his job having Bupa. Five weeks later he retired as he had only hung on for my benefit. We retired here to Torquay and i was refered to Exeter who were supposedly starting up  a new clinic for such bowel problems. They have been useless and did not install the sets of programmes for me. Basically the gadget sits in your upper buttock area and 4 leads are going through your lower back and attached to the sacral nerve near the other upper buttock. A simple procedure which took half an hour and i had no problems at all with the stimulator itself. They programme in the first set of four programmes which you yourself can increase the intensity with a small remote like gadget you are given and shown how to use. I kept asking Exeter to install the next four programmes but they did not seem to get it at all. Once or twice a year they have to take out the four programmes and reprogramme the next set of four but Exter said i had misunderstood. They were supposed to have a specialist person trained only to deal with these gadgets but no one ever appeared so i assume there was no budget for this person. After five years i left Exeter and was referred to the Specialist Bowel Unit at Southampton who understood exactly what they were doing. Jan their Nurse Specialist has been trained only to deal with these gadgets for the last 12 years, we actually found that mine was not even switched on. Anyway it was set up correctly but the battery is low. They last about six years but we do not know how long mine was switched off for. Southampton get over 1000 referals a year for bowel problems and they tell me that they have over 250 very happy patients with these Stimulators. I have a very weak sphinter but have no idea why. I have been told it may be adhesions from the various surgeries i have had, had C sections, an ectopic pregnancy and ovarian cyst removal and hysterectomy or they say it is just age. I have frequest loose stools since having my Gall Bladder removed 20 years ago. I just started having accidents out of the blue and was told that i have lost my squeeze and uplift in my anal sphincter. Not had a day out or holiday since it started as i cannot cope with the humialtion of an accident. Not sure where you live but please make sure you are referred to a specialist bowel centre and they know what they are doing. Good luck with it all.