Hi..I am new to the boards here, but have been reading alot of your info on SCS implants

I am 35 and work in the OR as an assistant in surgery (Orthopaedics)..very physical job to say the least with a norm of 60-70hr/week.

My injury began Feb 09..I had played Roller Derby for the last 5 years--throughout that time I had received many injuries, two requiring surgeries, but had never called in a day in my job...I worked through them all with canes/crutches and just sucking down the pain until I could get home and finally take my painkiller for the day to sleep. Then in Feb during a bout (and this is FYI two weeks before my wedding in Jamaica), I had landed on my arm/shoulder outstretched and while trying to get up a girl landed on my back again and I fell on the arm again. I haven't felt the same since. I had stretched the brachial plexus, dislocated my shoulder anteriorly, but still continued to work and play even with the pain and numbness---stubborn I guess, and not realizing what was in store or how severe this was, but did notice the limitations of the arm immediately. Then a week later the RSD set in and then I knew what pain really was.

So, fast forward through countless MRI's, CTs, EMG's, stellate ganglion blocks repeatly, brachial plexus catheter, TENS unit, physical therapy, Neurontin 3200/day, predinosone doses x 5, Cymbalta 60mg/day, Norco 10 (try to only use at nightime due to work), while continually working while losing strength, functions, and never called in or called off of being on call and pulling on other peoples body parts while mine were falling apart--Then a month ago I noticed major bruising all over my body and after weeks of monitoring them, I had bloodwork done and was having a rare reaction to the Neurontin and my liver was causing the bleeding. Both my liver an kidneys enzymes were elevated 4x higher than normal, so no more med--gotta wean off. Since then the pain has gone sky high and now I have FINALLY decided that I need to put myself first and do a short term disability for 3 months to 1: let that nerve calm down and the pain/RSD to subside for some since I never have done that in 8 months, and 2: My doctors have set up my trial/implant to be done hopefully by mid-Nov to Dec, just waiting on the approval.

I'm not nervous for the surgery, I just am hoping for some relieve to be able to continue my job since it is so physically demanding. My doctor is aware of this, and he is going to try to place the leads in the least area of which it may pull and worst case scenario he has stated we would do the paddled leads with a mini-laminectomy, but that's if i continually pull the regular ones out. Hopefully NOT!

So any advice would be wonderful, I'm tired of the waking every morning with such pain I can't comb my hair or fold clothes, numb fingers, weak arm...I am a very strong person, but this is the first thing in life that I feel is breaking me, I still continue to coach derby and my girls are wonderful and supportive, but somedays it is just hard to go and see all of them still able to do the sport that I love the most and will never be able to do.

Thanks for listening



Sin Lizzie