Rae,

Thank you for the link, and for the welcome! Aw, heck thank everyone for the welcome! I must say that this forum has been a GOD send and that I wish I had found it earlier!

So far, the information I have read and discovered here is more then what really was provided to me from the doctors. I go in for a shrink appointment today at the Pain Management Center, and I am going to share this forum with her. I think, heck I know, that this site is much more informative then the "device sites" (Medtronics website or Boston's), especially since you can read the positive and negative feedback on the units, the treatments, etc. The support is by-far better, especially since the members here seem to take the time to "get to know" the posters, as opposed to be treated as a "number" in the doctor's office.

I was told to leave the stim off until tomorrow. They managed to get me in for a re-programming. I see the doctor again (still) on Friday for another cortisone procedure. I will be raising some questions for them prior to this, and before they poke me again - there had best be some answers.

In talking with the nurse yesterday, she indicated that in conjunction to the one block, that the doctor had also given me a few "bonus pokes" in a different manner that wouldn't "kick in" until around day 7 or so. To me, this really should have been told to either me or my husband previously (or even immediately after) so that we could understand it. Now, I am wondering if that new poke is what is causing the heaviness in my arms, the lack of feeling in my fingers, the purple coloring, etc. Last night was awful as far as sleeping. Not only was the pain in my leg more intense from no stim, but I kept being woke up to the coldness and "pins and needles" of sleeping arms and hands.

Again, thank you all for the welcome and thank you for the understanding and caring. This forum is a great source of information, compassion and understanding!