Hana,

Welcome! I am sure that you will get some great input from the wonderful members here. Their support and encouragement has been invaluable to me as I, too, struggled with the decision of whether or not to get an SCS.

I am so sorry to hear of the pain that you are in, and the limitations that it has placed on you. This beast truly does wreck havoc on us physically, mentally, emotionally, etc.

I had my SCS trial in mid-December, and had the surgery for my permanent implant on Christmas Eve. I, too, was terrified - I had read so many horror stories, and so many other procedures, surgeries, etc., had failed, and I just didn't put much faith in this working, either. I can honestly say that having my SCS has given me a part of my life back that I thought was lost forever. My pain level has gone from about a 6-8 on any given day, down to a 1-3. I no longer walk with a limp, and I can sleep in bed for more than the one hour I was managing before the surgery.

The absolutely amazing thing about the SCS is that you can try it out before moving forward. The trial lasts about 3 days (maybe a couple of days longer, depending on your doctor), and you can get a good feel for whether or not it will be effective for you before moving forward. Have you talked to your doctor about the trial? If not, you might want to check into it.

Please keep us posted on how you are doing, and don't hesitate to ask questions, vent, or just lurk and read!

=Becky