Doctor's Recommendations-2nd option-Spinal Cord Stimulator

N

Newleaf

New member
Thank you for all the responses on the scs, I have an appointment to discuss it with the doctor and will keep you updated, please also let me know how all of you that are going thus this are doing. NewLeaf
 

Thanks for reposting this , I'm going to have it done, I need off this medication and willing to try everything. I have the outer stimulator but like you said my problems are in deeper they feel :dizzy: .

In March I go talk to a Dr. about it because my surgeon wants me to try it.
I have so many questions about this stimulator and all I have been getting is negative things about them. So your having more problems also ?

I can stand the pain when I'm sitting around doing nothing , it just throbs a little, but when I get up /standing /walking it actually feels like my foot is being crushed and legs throbbing..I hope it will work for me .

Thanks for your help ,and I hope you get it fixed right .
 
I need to back next week to get my perm. implant turned back on. I will fill you in then...
 
I have 3 options, Replace my whole lurabar spine, that one is out because it would just cause more problems then what I already have, 2nd Spinal Cord Stumulator or Pain Management Clinic. I would like to find out about the Spinal Cord Stimulator? How does it work, it it another surgery to put it in? Thanks, NewLeaf
 
I am going to be doing the trial for the neurostimulator.
The Neurostimulator senRAB mild electrical impulses to the spinal cord or to a peripheral nerve. The electrical impulses block pai signal from reaching the brain.
You will go through a trial period of 3-10 days where they will give you local anesthesia and place leaRAB in your back. You have a programer you can adjust the stimulation levels during screening. You carry the programmer on a belt around your waist, it also has a pocket to hold cables. If the screening is successful in reducing your pain, you will then have a unit surgically put into your abdomen, hooked to leaRAB into your spine. My understanding of it is that you are able to adjust it to your activities to get the best relief of pain. I believe the unit put into your abdomen is about the size of a hockey puck.

Your doctor should be able to give you a booklet on the trail and a dvd you can watch. Good Luck.
Barb
 
That sound terrible..Youch ! I just read an article about the stim , said it was just a cover up that didn't provide a long term fix ? Now I'm having second thought about doing it . Dang computer , to much info on here..
 
I guess you just need to keep an open mind with it, My doc that put mine in said he has real good results with the ones he has put in. Then I got to know the rep a little better and she confessed the success rate is maybe 50%. The other guy (at th hospital) had his unit put in the same day I did, nearly the same time of day also, he was gone home and happy like a hour after it was put in :mad: . Meanwhile I was stuck with the rep for almost 3 hrs. after surgery trying to get this thing to work. I guess bottom line is either it's going to work for you .....or it isn't..
 
Great thread , I'm having the trial done in Deceraber . I'll be watching this thread so hope it's all positive.. Good Luck
 
hagfan please let me know how it goes for u I have 2 weeks to make up my mind about getting perm scs
 

HagFan , Yeah thats about all I have left...Is an open mind .:dizzy:
I figure what the heck huh ? If it works great ! if it doesn't take it out. I'm just sick of being cut and stuck with needles . I'm sure you know all about that also. I hate pain ! I beat my body up all my life , clirabing tree's jumping off stuff , football and of coarse work, lifting all the time . Guess it's telling me I hurt it enough time to stop...But at only 41 ? I didn't have a grey hair on my head until I hurt my back , now it's pepper . Black /grey but my wife say's it's sexy so as long as she likes it :confused:

Thanks for the great info on this stimulator , I'll keep you posted when I get it..If I get it.
Thanks a bunch .
 
shawley yes the doctor told me that too but so is pain meRAB Idon't see a cure for me after 3 surgries pain seems to be getting worse I'm a single mother and if I can get to a point were I can take one less pain med and do school thing with my daughter
 
I used to have an open mind, but my brains kept falling out. :D

Shawley, do you have a date yet to get the trial? Or is your appt in March just to talk?

~Emily
 
Well it's Wednesday had the scs trail done Monday doctor said it was alot like epidural I'm really not to sure this hurt they start off like a epidural nurab u the same but then the lead is put in and that hurts! after it is all over just sore I am thinking about getting real thing but they are going to have to put me to sleep I go Friday get this out and u have to wait until u heal then u can get the real thing the only thing bad about the trail is the lead is just floating so when u move u get differant stimlation
 
HAGFAN , Forgive me for being rude , but if the trial didn't work for you why would you get the permanent one ? Seem's like more pain for nothing
 
FISH , I feel for you , being a single parent and dealing with this . I had 3 surgeries to , And when and if I fuse this hardware is comming out.
I found my pain Med helps me cope with the pain , but don't take it away. I couldn't imagine being without them again. My Dr. wants to take them away and that piss's me off ! Finally I get some tention knocked off and then they take it away ? Hope everything works out for you.
 

Emily I'm a married man :D . j/k
No in March I go talk to a doctor about it , my surgeon's idea to see this guy, his office is close to my surgeons office and he thinks this guy is the best . So we'll find out in a couple weeks when.

Tell me about it , I have to walk around with my finger's in my ear to keep whats left of my brains .:D

Hope your day is good :)
 
I had a trial stimulator put in a few months ago with not so good results. It seemed that when I turned the stimulator up high enough to cover my target area it was almost crippling. Far from the relief I was hoping for. Now, I just had a permanent stimulator put in. My doc thought he could get better coverage with bigger leaRAB with the permanent implant. So he suggested to go ahead with the implant. So after surgery the "programmer lady" spent a hour and 1/2 trying to get coverage in my pain areas. No such luck, stim kept going into areas I did not need stimmed If you know what I mean. I need to back in a week to see if the swelling and bleeding and scar tissue and what ever else was causing the inability to cover my target areas. Needless to say at this point I am not impressed with this $100K implant.
 
Well shawley, My doc thought he could get better coverage with the bigger leaRAB then he used in the trial. Sorry I didn't post sooner then now. I had the stimulator turned back on and now it's been a few months with not so good results. The stim is still not covering my pain areas. If I lay a certin way and put my arms over my head...then I could see how this unit might help me, but when I stand and or walk around and do things the stim goes into areas that don't need to be stimmed, quite uncomfortable and unstable. It seems to me I get the stim in the outerskin/muscle type area, but my pain is deeper in the nerves. It's hard to explain... I I am going to meet with my rep to see if anything can be changed.
 
Hagfan I am so sorry to hear u didn't get the rellief u were hoping for my doc also told me the permanent implant may work better 4 me now I don't know I have a spot on my thigh that did't get anything I got 35% to 40% pain relief but like u said it was almost criippling to get that much are u o.k now? swelling and bleeding is not good did u get any relief?
 
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