Now to let you in on what drove me first, The Very First Time, to NeuroTalk, it was questions about the psych eval. I had no clue what to expect, and I like to go into any situation having some preparation. This was the place with the answers.

RRae pulled me aside, well figuratively so, and let me know it was not that big a deal just like Lisa wrote for you a little while ago. I must admit for years prior to the implant I had harbored fear about having the equipment inside me, wondering "Gosh, what if it does not work?!?" Since I had been through SO MUCH surgery by this time, I was leery about more Ginsu Knife work on my back. Back surgery is no picnic. I will forever remember the nights in the hospital after my first fusion and the fellow in the room next door to mine doing the "moan and cry out" all night every night. I should have taken my target range ear protectors.

SO, after having taking every opiate under the sun that the doc could prescribe to me along with boatloads of nerve medications and sleep aids, my physiatrist finally sat my wife and me down and suggested that of all of his patients [and my doc is a VERY conservative, cautious excellent fellowship trained pain doc] he figured I was likely the most perfect example of a patient who presented well for the SCS, what did we think? Cleo, my wife, had been for giving it a go for some time, because she had done stock studies on the manufacturers for her investment club. She was sold. I began to yield because I hated being imprisoned in our bedroom by pain.

Next step, the psych eval. No real explanation was provided except to say that it was a necessary part of the standards of care to confirm my stability pertinent to such a high dollar procedure. Ok. I came here and asked. Then I went.

The psych doc had me to complete a standards based psych eval fill in the bubble test just like taking the ACT back in High School Days. Then he had me come into his office for a personal discussion relevant to my expectations, the pain I was enduring at that time, the impact of the pain upon my life and that of my family, and the like. I was able to speak positively about being level headed regarding an understanding that the procedures do not always turn out to be effective, thus the reason for the two step surgery.... first a Trial for usually a week with wires securely taped to your back where they protrude from insertion at the likely nerve bundle point and trailing down to the waist where the brains of the unit will be mounted in a belt of sorts worn continuously through the Trial.

I was able to share with the psych doc the fact of my family having founded a business manufacturing and selling seating cushions since I had lost my work after the pain causing wreck and that I felt very positive about it.... even showed him one of our units, since I use it, and a brochure. I spoke to him of the continual stable and nurturing support of my family throughout the many surgeries I had endured after the wreck. I talked of my faith and how that is keenly important to my family and to me as we walk this life. Lastly, I shared my participation on this NT site with an intention of developing a blog thread and my dream of being able to wean off of all pain medications if the SCS was eminently successful. It was a congenial conversation. No tension. Nothing hard about it. Then on the way out, he asked if I would share thoughts with another patient he had waiting in the waiting room....... so, I said SURE, and spoke with her for a little while, gave her the NT blog site info and away I went.

The doc wrote a complimentary recommendation regarding my suitability for the procedure. Then I waited while insurance and calendaring was all sorted out for the Trial surgery.

Long story short, it has been a miracle in my life, and I am thrilled with it! Now I am hard at work striving to re-enter my profession and networking like it is an activity more important than breathing! Seriously! So, I feel the upbeat realization of HOPE to regain things lost in my life.

You will do fine! I will pray for you,
Mark56Z