Hi Jan, I had my trial this past December and a permanent implant in late January. I was sedated heavily while they were placing the leads ( it is for RSD arm pain so they had to go all the way up my back to my neck), and then they "woke me" for a short period of time while the doctor and rep found the sweet spot. It was somewhat uncomfortable while they were doing this, but as soon as they found the correct spot, I was back asleep. The higher they go in your back, the more nerves they encounter and neck placement can be difficult. Before the procedure, I ask my doctor what I needed to know, and he gave me so much good information and really prepared me for the procedure. When I woke up, the rep fine tuned the unit some more. I had two large dressings on my back, and my back was very tender after the trial procedure. Percocet seemed to help with that.
The worst thing was that I had to try to keep my head and neck still, and NO SHOWER for a week. Then they had to take all the tape off that they had stuck all over me. I would recommend soft pants to wear to the procedure and have enough at home afterwards. I have found low-cut yoga pants have worked best for me. Even though I am way over the age for junior clothing, I found the best ones in the juniors' department at Kohl's for about $14.99. Let me know if you need any more info, but I am really glad I did this. I have drastically reduced my medication, and have been a little bit more active since SCS. Lisa