i have been away for a long time and finally am ready to share our experience.....

i am happy that you are getting wonderful coverage with your trial........

i see there are so many newbies here, and such young ones ....so sad that so many new cases of rsd are being diagnosed, but this is a wonderful
place to get info, make friends, and just vent and share our stories.welcome to all...

most of you don't know me, but i have been around for several years....since 2000 i believe..........both my husband frank and i have rsd....(i was boo422317)
two people in the same house...........i am as close to remission that i think you can get...with the tunnelled epidural catheter, the
blocks and therapy, i am able to tolerate the pain....not to say i don't hurt like heck, but i am ok.....

however, frank was dealing with horrendous pain...he got reinjured in march of 2006, and had rotator cuff surgery which resulted in his rsd spread.
(he already had it in his right shoulder) he went through a few blocks, an intrathecal catheter, and then the trial stimulator...........he had been at a
10 pain level for over a year each day............they medically retired him june first..........he worked for the sheriff dept....and hates being unable to
be a policeman.........with the scs they won't allow him to work......to much of a liability.............

he had issues with his neck, the doctors said it is short and muscular...........he had the trial, and loved it....sure, no bending, twisting, etc, but the relief
was well worth that........he loved it.....got so much relief...all of his rsd symptoms disappeared.......he even stopped all the medication he had
been taking......he had it in for ten days and did NOT want to let them take it out.....as soon as the trial leads were removed, the pain
started to come back..............

he had to wait almost two months for the permanent scs to be placed........he was miserable during the wait....but he knew the relief would be
well worth it. he had his implant on june 13 2007

he has a medtronics scs. the doc had issues with his neck being so short and muscular, that the literally had to cut his head and move the muscles
out of the way with his fingers.......it was supposed to be placed in his neck....it is way up his head and they used a halo type thing to hold his
head still during the surgery...he had several holes from the pegs they used...
if anyone wants to see some photos i wll send them to you if you pm
me.......i don't want to scare anyone....laffff

his relief is wonderful....his pain was all the way up his neck, shoulder, elbow and forearm and fingers.........he still has some pain in his elbow,
but says he can live with that.........

however, the pain he is going through from the surgery is rather high...........he is back on all the meds, and sleeps alot.....he has overdone
things too, so i am sure that is a big reason for his pain...........he is not to bend, lift, stretch, twist or turn for 8 weeks....well, ya
can't hold him down......i get angry with him for doing too much.............

would he do it all over again? he is still undecided about it....he says it is definatley NOT a cure all....he loves the relief from the scs...he hates the surgery pain........i feel it will get better
after time........they told him that he could feel some pain from the surgery for up to a year...........

he has no trouble with the placement of the battery pack tho........the wires go from his head, down the side of his neck to the right side of his chest...i just tell him he now has man boobs........lafff

i told this story to share his experience........every person is different, some have horror stories, and some have wonderful stories........

here is hoping that you have wonderful stories .......big gentle hugs...............please do not over do anything...................let your body heal.........
claudia