Quote:
Originally Posted by ger715
Oh Hana,
You have so much going on. You certainly don't want to risk possibly worsening your conditions either. There have been some very good SCS outcomes and some not so good.
Some have had very good trials; but different when permanent implant. Often it has been the migration of the leads.
Mark has a very good recommendation which he uses BLAST which each letter stands for what to do to help leads stay in place until they are permanently scared in the position originally intended. I am sure he will explain this for you.
I, myself, had an unsuccessful lumbar trial a few years ago. The vibrating was in the groin, top front of legs and knees. My biggest problem was spine pain, leg pain, as well as the burning in my feet. The trial did not go anywhere near those areas in spite of the rep trying to reprogram. My Pain Management doctor recommends another trial. But for many reasons, have declined.
I completely understand your "OWWW". I have an extra pad on my kitchen chair with a foot rest to put my feet on so as to relieve some of the back leg pain. Also, use my elbows on table putting pressure to relieve some of the spine pain. Have one comfy chair in the family room with arms to put elbow pressure and a couple of throw pillows on the floor to rest my feet. Have to keep getting up and walk around or after a little while; gets too painful to continue sitting. Yep !!! Not nice indeed.
Wish you all the best in making your decisions; especially with possibly two SCS's.
Gerry
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Thanks Gerry for your kind words. I've been reading about the good and bad outcomes,and it seems to parallel my experience over this lifetime if surgeries and treatments. The last major treatment I had was steroid facet injections at 4 levels in my spine. My pain went from 10 to 2000 in one treatment and I haven't gotten it back to where it was yet, so I have a fear of further treatment.
Sounds like your experience's similar to mine in things that you do every day just to say comfortable! Actually I'm going to adopt some of them so thanks so much. I'm going to buy some more pillows to help me around. Right now I'm carrying around a bunch of bed pillows that I sit on in the house and one that I take to go outside, in addition to the normal seat pads.
I feel a bit stuck because I am alone and I wonder if anyone has done this by themselves? My right hand works most of the time, even through pain i can do a lot, unless my fingers are numb.
My partner has been MIA because of the difficulty of pain and a TBI since i woke up by the grace of a very benevolent God. It has become dysfunctional so that i left am alone when i am sick or in pain. Sadly, i am not allowed to reach out either, and the issue is not love. Somehow we lost most of our friends in the several years i was " gone". I know that they tried to call..and no one ever answered the phone. Anywhoo, this is a different life than the one i left.. Full of pain and still the sun keeps shining, even when its raining, even at night, there is light.
I am thinking that I will probably go for this trial... and ask them to only activate the lumbar area of it and not my cervical spine just yet. I want to test one area and not blow my whole entire body out if it doesn't work. I guess I would say that I'm healthfully cautious.