Julie,

My opinion on the idea of a SCS is use it as a last resort. There are plenty of other options out there that may help get you to a point that you are able to function well enough without it. As mama mac said, a lot of doctors are trying to push it on patients that could possibly benefit from it without trying other options first. It is quick cash for them. My first PM suggested it when 600mg of gabapentin t.i.d., 50mg of amitriptyline and 10-325 hydrocodone taken as needed did not provide enough relief. I felt that he was giving up too early to try such an expensive and invasive procedure. I now have a new PM. who wants to try that as a last resort only. He even wants me to try other options that he does not do, such as ketamine infusion, before I go that route.

As for being heeled, Littlepaw is right. Clearly you are not better. My ortho is still working with me. My surgery was back at the beginning of January and he knows I am not better so he will not release me from his care until he, my PCP and my PM all agree that I no longer need his care. I am however dealing with a non union that does not show up on x-ray but does show up on ct scan. In all actuality, that makes me still his patient anyway but he wants to do everything he can to help get things calmed down. I would suggest to not return to work full time until you are ready.

It may be wise to file for disability. It takes a long time for everything to go through. Talk to you doctors about it and see their suggestions on this. I filed last October when I was starting to loose work over the pain that my arthritis was causing. My first denial came in March. My first appeal is still in the review stage. It has been over a year since I filed already and I have been told, it could be another year and a half before I could hear anything back again. I do live in an area where too many people file for all the wrong reasons so the process does take a long time here, but if you are thinking of filing, do it sooner rather than later.

Alaina