Hi AJS-

I am sorry to be late to the discussion here, and extend wishes along with hopes and prayers that the permanent install you have elected will be the very best solution for you!! My rep so far has been very helpful in and through the stim trial, then after as we proceeded toward completion of the steps toward the permanent install coming up next Tuesday, 29 June. Everyone so far has mentioned the concept of speaking with your rep every day, and during my trial that was the standard. If I was not calling him, he was calling me. The incentive being for the rep to see to an install which is optimally best for patient. This builds goodwill between patient and manufacturer which spills over to the relationship with the physicians. Everyone is interested in providing the best decision on the implants since they do become part of your body.

Counting down to the permanent install will include a number of steps for you, no doubt. For me there was not only my telling the rep "I WANT IT BACK" but the consultation with your primary pain doctor, who will write notes to the chart regarding your success, conferring with your surgeon, who will assess your completion of all of the multi-disciplinary steps, surgeon recommendation of the procedure to the insuror followed by their consent to the permanent procedure, lab work to prep you for surgery, final meeting with the surgeon to sign off on the "ARE YOU REALLY REALLY SURE YOU WANT THIS?" statement, then, voila, the surgery. In my case the one week trial ended on 20 May and all of the intervening items resulted in calendaring my permanent for 29 June. ALMOST THERE!!

May your process be quick enough but not too quick, and may your care give you results which you KNOW provide better pain management for you!!

Prayers and hopes,
Mark56