Hi folks, it's the day after and all did not go to plan. The procedure took well over 2 hours with them struggling to get the leads in. Finally they got one lead in and have put the battery in my right buttock. The rep and my Dr have both said my post procedure pain will be high as they were pulling and pushing on the tissue to get the lead into the epidural cavity. They are not wrong, it's painful!

Anyhow, it looks like now they will refer me to a neurosurgeon here in WA who, apparently is the only person in WA who will perform a laminectomy and then insert a surgical paddle. Of course if the one lead works it won't be necessary but I got the impression they didn't hold much hope. The rep, her manager and my Dr were all in theatre and none of them have had a case like mine before. Just my luck. So, I'm here in hospital now until Friday. Everyone has been great and my Dr and rep fantastic, great empathy and compassion.

I hope this post doesn't deter some people, if you are in constant pain and want your life back, you owe it to yourself to try whatever you can and have faith in your treating practitioners that they will do their very best. I will post again next week with an update on my progress.