You are now among friends who will gather around caring and yearning to help you as you approach this 5/10 permanent implant! Jackie and Rrae have truly provided wealth in wisdom for you regarding the quest to regain some of your life post surgery. Jackie is so right in sharing that each of us is different. Pretty much as each of us has unique fingerprints.

Pooh and Rae both work outside the home, both in the medical field, both too hard and each knows pain despite the SCS. I am and have been in the search for work since completely withdrawing from pain meds last August after my June 30 permanent implant. I only use my Boston Scientific Precision Plus SCS unit along with my trusty cushion for pain management. With this as a foundation, I have been working hard as %#*@ via in person networking as I look for work from very early this year. Prospects are now turning into fish on hooks, and I am filled with hope to regain my ability to provide for my family. The unknown is whether once I "land the fish" whether I will be able to sustain the kind of work hours my career demands, and only time will tell. I keep this travel along the path to healing and teh victory of work attained [ when that happens] on my thread about Boston Sci.

I am filled with excitement and have done so much hard work looking for work, that I am in hopes I will be able to sustain the demands of day after day at the job. I'll keep you updated.

Now as to you..... sure, I had fear as I approached SCS, wondering "what if this does not work?" The Trial told me in spades that I wanted the permanent implant as I wanted off of the full regimen of prescribed pain management meds so I could again hold a clear mind. When the victory of withdrawal from all meds came, I began to hope for employment. No, it is not easy in this market finding work, and I relied far too long on the Overly Touted and monetarily wasteful internet job search services as my means to find work. It demoralized me terribly. I felt a failure. Wondered whether I would be able to ever support my family.

Not until I KICKED the internet job search engines into the trash where they belong [oh, by the way..... any of you may QUOTE me on this as you wish] and began to actively, in person, make contact with people I know did hope come back in full force. I started a group in my church for folks who have no job or feel underemployed. We meet everyweek, because job seeking, as demoralizing as it is, can wreak havoc on your psyche unless you have support.... not your family... others in your situation [just like with this SCS forum]. So we share each others' victories, are accountable to each other regarding our efforts to obtain work, back up each other, critique each other on ideas and presentations, while also passing along leads we come across.
NOW I have opportunities being brought my way and my wife and I are actively considering REAL OPPORTUNITIES that lead to work. Almost home, and thankful to God that He tapped me on the shoulder and said "Get off your computer and actively look for work."

I have told a friend new to the church group I mentioned that looking for work will be the hardest job you ever have in your life. You are running your personal sales campaign. You are responsible for regular contacts with network participants to keep that fish net circulating on your behalf. You are responsible for negotiating the deal and then closing the deal. Basically you are running a business the purpose of which is "find a job."

All this in mind, have I been working since I had surgery..... well I guess I have. I have been working to find gainful employment. I come home tired... weary.... I have done my best to sell myself... sometimes the pain otherwise controlled by the stim is over the top, spiking, so I turn up the stim and it usually handles the spike without too much distraction.

The real deal for you Nan will be how your body reacts to the permanent stim, how careful you are about following post surgery instructions, what you find to be your result regarding pain management meds after your stim is functioning fully as your manufacturer patient representative has programmed the unit. For me, the rep sat me in front of a computer and I programmed the unit myself with four separate programs. I am anomalous as a patient, and I have had no need for follow up tweaking because the device has been my God sent deliverance. Many others here have been in for tweaking of the programs. Don't fear it if you need tweaks, they are a means to determine proper device signal needed to manage your pain.

In the meantime though, we are here to help you go through the approach to surgery. Questions for us? Ask away! We will do our best to help.

Caring for your needs Nan,
Mark56