Hi ducky,
My fiance' has the permanent stim now, and he's doing great. The trial does feel much differently than the implanted one. Give yourself a couple of days to get over some of the soreness, then try to start doing things slowly. After about the 4th day, Reed could really tell a huge difference. he hadn't walked in 6 months, and now he can! He has a limp, but hey.. it's so much better than being on crutches!
Remember, if you decide to get the implant, do exactly as your doc tells you. Those restrictions are there for a reason, and they are extremely important. Reed was having really bad tremors right after surgery, and his arms jerking moved his leads after 3 days. Luckily, not enough to have a revision surgery, but if they move any more, he will have to undergo surgery again. The soreness and pain is no walk in the park, but if it helps you, it's well worth it in the end.
Good luck!