Wanted to chime in here with my 2 cents...

As has been said above - an SCS is a big commitment; both for you (physically and emotionally) and your pain doc. My pain doc likens an SCS to a "marriage" in that 1) She wants to get to know her patients first (both their pain as well as their life stresses and coping mechanisms) and 2) once she implants an SCS she is commited to you for life.

I will never forget my very first appointment with her. She spent over an hour with me, going over things I have tried, as well as all the things we could try to reduce my pain. At that time, none of my Drs (and certainly not myself) was convinced my pain was permanent...as I had a bunch of structural damage that we were attacking with sort of a reconstruction surgery first...when she mentioned the possibility of SCS down the road I thought she was crazy. Every appointment I had with her we always went over this list - and I still never saw myself with an SCS. After my foot reconstruction, when it was apparent that pain would be a permanent part of my life, I started to get pretty down and depressed...but this was still an option. Finally I got to a place mentally where I was ready to try it. I tried very hard to get my hopes up...because at that point I truly felt like I was trying the very last thing that could potentially lower my pain...and in the end it is the best thing I ever did - it has given me my life back. I am almost off all of my long-acting narcotics now...but still have breakthrough meds to get me through each day.

The point of the story is...you have to have complete trust in your pain doc, and be mentally prepared before you get to the point of an SCS trial. As others have said...your pain docs sound like they are only in it for the pay chekc...not for your quality of iife. PLEASE search to try and find a Dr that cares about you over his pocketbook. Then, once he knows you and you know him - will you be able to make a comprehensive plan of attack!