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Member
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Way down yonder in the Land of Cotton
Posts: 231
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Way down yonder in the Land of Cotton
Posts: 231
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My answers...but I had a weird/odd/unique case.
Roz,
Sorry that it has taken me so long to try to get your poll answered here. One draw back of being "long fingered" (what DebbyV and I call ourselves since we are "long-winded" talkers, and our posts are like we talk....but written instead....ROFL. If that made ANY sense at all)..one draw back is that it takes SOOOOO long to get a post written, and writing the short novels that I have been writing the past couple of days on here uses up all of my "Spoons" for the computer. I have to take many breaks while writing, to rest my rt hand, and to move around because of my lower body and back problems....so it takes me a while to get things written. Then, I am pretty much "done" for the day. Seriously. Not even any emails get answered or anything.
So, that is why I couldn't answer your poll here before now. Like Artist said, I could see that it would require more than just ticking the little boxes for answers...and that meant me having to do more typing. I just didn't have any Spoons left for that. Had to wait for my "fresh spoon set".
(**BTW...Thank you Artist for posting that! I will try to put a short note on the other thread thanking you better there, too. But I wanted to make SURE that I told you how grateful I am that you had that, and posted it for me! For all of us!  **)
Ok..on with the answers:
Yes, I had an SCS implanted
I don't know how much relief I got from my perm implant. A little, I guess. But, I had to have it removed due to complications. I only had it for about 9 months, and I had 3 revisions during that time. When it worked...it helped a little.
Yes, I still had to take pain meds. Never even dropped the dosages or frequency of them. Had to take all of my other meds too, besides just "pain meds". Antidepressants (2 different kinds at the time), Neurontin (yes..this was during my dreaded and hated Neurontin days), muscle relaxers....and I am not sure what all else. That is all I can remember for sure from then.
Yes...I had complications. I had to have 3 revisions done, to remove "fluid build up" from around the connections (where the leads connected to the power source) because the fluid that would build up would cause the stim to act wrong and become very painful. It would hurt to breathe when I had it on and there was fluid build up. I also had a problem with the power source in my hip rotating, and sticking out...which made it painful to sit in anything that had any kind of back to it (including couches, car seats, recliners...whatever else). I had my SCS removed 9 months after it was implanted. (There were some other complications with the original surgery it's self, but those were very unique to my situation, and had to do with my being allergic to surgical steel, and having a doc that stapled me closed. This wasn't the SCS fault, but my docs. Actually, I have wondered many times over the years for many different reasons if ALL of my complications with my SCS were my doc's fault).
Yes...My trail SCS was WONDERFUL!!!! I had no problems, and the coverage was right on (not so with my perm one......that was another thing; they never could get the lead placement "just right" again). I so wish that my perm SCS had worked as well....or even close to as well as my trial one did.
Ummm? Not sure? I guess? The SCS surgeries helped to cause my RSD to spread up to my lower back...and that has caused me problems. Before all of those surgeries, my RSD was only located in my lower right leg and foot, kinda in the area of wearing a knee high? After the surgeries (and I believe that each one made things worse and worse...and NO blocks were done before or after surgeries to try to combat this problem), my whole rt leg, and lower back were invloved. So...yes...I guess that would cause some mobility issues. I sure did fall a lot more after all of that than I did before.
Ok...that answers all of the things that I had ticked on the poll. But, I do have to say this, too...because we do have to be fair. There ARE lots of folks that have gotten SCS units implanted and that have had them work WONDERFULLY for them. Ones that have had them change their lives for the better. Those folks aren't here to post about their SCS experiences, because they aren't "Stuck" like all of us are. I wish that there was a way to find out the percentage or ratio of Good results compared to bad. I don't know how we could do that, though.....because the ones that have had successful treatments with SCS (and with other things) don't come around here anymore. That is because they don't NEED to....and good for them!
I do think that it is a good thing to know what kinds of things can and do happen with the treatments that we are offered, because sometimes we aren't told of some of the "Complications" that can come up...and some times we are told that some complications are "rare", and find out later that might not be the case so much. Information is power, I believe that with all of my heart and soul....but I also think that folks should keep in mind that there are cases where SCS (and other treatments too) have helped, and have made all the difference in the world to folks. That won't be so much reflected here on our board....it is sad to say that we are the ones that....well....things just haven't gone well for. Or, some of us are, at any rate.
Ok....I am putting up my lectern now. Promise! LOL. On with the Poll! I am interested to see what all anyone else has to say.
Oh..and I am sorry that, once again, this wound up getting kinda sorta long. *sigh
Jose
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"Be Excellent to each other." ~Bill S. Preston, Esq. & Ted "Theodore" Logan
"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." ~Albus Dumbledore
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