Spinal Cord Stimulator

I'm sorry to hear it doesn't really help you. My trial went good with a spinal cord stimulator, now I'm two weeks post op with permit one. Other than surgical pain I'm much better. Not pain free but today I see the rep for tuning. Hope it gets even better.

Well the trial was going great except for a discharge from were one of the leads are, I'm hoping its nothing serious because I was feeling great in the beginning of the trial, I hope they tell me I still can get the permanent one cause I've been in pain for almost 20 years for a failed fusion, and my legs and back felt alot better! Going to see the drs today, fingers are crossed I'm ok for the real deal...

I must say the rep for the company is really nice but seems like they are pushing u to get permanent one, I have my date for sept 24th and I am going in with a positive attitude, I hoping what my pain levels were for the trial stays the same for permanent one, fingers crossed 20 + years in pain since I was in my 20's I just wish with medical miracles they can find us all a cure for the pain, people look at you like you are nuts and faking it, I say to them all you couldn't stand to be in my shoes for 5 minutes never mind 20+ years people amaze me everyday, I hope we all get some kind of relief from all our pains, good luck everyone and I will definitely let you know how my procedure and pain is...

Hi Cindy,

How did your appointment at the doctor's go ?

Bad news - Brian has an infection & is now on antibiotics but the good news is he can now drive (short distances) ...

Hi Karen, Sorry to jump in on this reply, I know it was to Cindy. I'm sorry to hear about Brian's infection and hope it resolves very soon. I am really impressed that they've allowed him to drive. I'm not allowed behind the wheel again until 7th November ):  Maybe I should have gone to Southend! Take care Graham

LOL !!! not a problem Graham .. good to hear from you ... his car is an automatic (he had to get rid of his beloved red Toyota a few years ago because he could not drive a manual car anymore) ... X ray tomorrow & then back to the pain clinic Friday week now ...

Hi karen.hope the infection is sorted soon.My hubby wasn't allowed to drive fir 6 weeks after perm implant!

How's he feeling. Is he pleased with how it's all gone (apart from infection of course!). I've had to have an automatic for a few years now and in truth wouldn't go back to manual even if I could. Good luck for tomorrow! I'm back to Ipswich at 1430 today to see if they can sort me out. Fingers crossed! Take care G

Seems to me he has bad days & not so bad days so far - nothing really hugely positive yet but we are both pretty impatient people... he was bad last night because yesterday was the first time he had been out of the house for nearly 2 weeks - he went to the pain clinic & then had to go to the pharmacy in the hospital to wait for his prescription ... I had to work so I couldnt take him :o( - good luck today !! :o)

Hi Bev (do you like Bev or Beverley?) - It seems to me the doctors make it up as they go along, different docs have different ideas - I wont let him drive too much & he is having complete bed rest again today ....

Hi Karen,Bev is fine😀I was paranoid with my hubby,I wouldn't let him do anything.It was a nightmare having to drive him everwhere,including going back to the hospital in Leeds from Cheshire.I was concerned in case he had to do an emergency stop,what if it jolted the leads.Lol.Rest is very important,they get so tired because of the endorphins that are being released due to the stim (we were told) .Further down the line,hopefully he will feel the benefit,just tell him to take things slowly.We used antiseptic hand gel all the time & kept both wounds covered with the allevyn dressings.Fingers crossed they've caught the infection in time & the meds start working asap.

He is very good about using hand gel ... I have just texted him & pain scale today is 6 (10 being the worst) which is the best its been so far ...

That's good.There are a number of programmes available that they change to get the best results.It was spooky - when they came to our GP surgery to change the progs,they plugged him in and could tell the good & bad days from the computer readings.They also told him off for putting his leg lead on maximum!They said it takes weeks to get the right settings.Each one should be tried for at least 48 hours before trying the next.My hubby is just grateful fir some non drug pain relief.Hope he continues with the drop in pain levels.It's a long road. Keep me posted. Bev

I will & you to !

Hi my name if Fred and I'm from Massachussetts!! You mentioned your husband having an infection!! Did he have a spine stim put in and then get infection?? I have gone through that in last three years!! Just wondering if injurys related at all!!

Fred92666,

I'm from Connecticut I just had my battery moved and did get and infection thank God they caught it in time, I healed nicely thank God but my battery I can feel it pushing through again, just had it put in my abdomen cause it was pushing through my back. What a weird feeling.

Hope you are doing well

Cynthia (Cindy) Connecticut

Your lucky!! Mine wSnt caught even after weekly office visits and daily calls of complaint!! During the eighth week the swell burst!! Ended up in hospital for a week!! The can't commit to anything!! Now getting deppresionpain since then is a 1000 times worse!! They tried another stim in me wich ended up hurting every time I had it on!! The sciatica and back and leg pain is so bad!! It controls my life!! I have to live one day at a time!

Fred,

That's what I kept telling them the aprn's I don't get to see my dr it's all aprn's until I said if something isn't done I was gonna complain to the hospital that I haven't seen my dr since the 1st surgery in Sept of 2015 I hate that pain controls your life what you can do and can't so I will see what happens with this one again, it's just so frustrating that you have to do things little by little

Cynthia

That was my problem also!! Always had his np look at it!! The one who took my staples out(yes stapled he used to close it) had to make me lay there and wait a half an hour while she went and got instructions on how to remove them as it was her first time!! I was p*ssed!! I only saw him twice!! Real sad excuse of a doctor!! Some of these doctors should not be doing these spine stims!! His office is like going thru an assembly line!!

Fred,

Omg!! Same with my dr giving them out like a lollipops ! I had staples in my back and a massive probably 50 stiches on my stomach! Ugh I'm 45 but I can still wear a bikini doesn't bother me, so now I have to try to get that scar plus all the scars on my back to at least get smaller, I just feel like a pin cushion what part of Massachusetts you in, I used to live there when I was young.

I hope you are getting some relief today

Cynthia ( Cindy)

I live in Franklin mass!! And I have spent most of the day in bed! Just can't win!

Fred,

I hear ya, it's beautiful out here and I couldn't sleep all night finally got up at 2pm I got maybe 3 hours all day n night, I do feel ya on the bed it's like days you can't even get out of it.

Cynthia

To many days lately!! I try to look forward to the next day to stay pisative!! But it doesn't always work well!! It gets so bad that j give up fighting not to take the meds!! I do that so j always know the meds don't control me!! It's like having a job you have to do 24hrs a day!! The pain doesn't go to sleep it doesn't take a day off every now and then it's just every second of everyday!! Gets real depressing some days!!