Hi Mark. Sorry for your having to use a magnifying glass to read but I'm not only crippled from a wreck, two neck surgeries, two lumbar surgeries and, last Nov., quintuple bypass surgery and more recently I began suffering computer stupidity. Please forgive me till I get the hang of this hunt and peck thingy.

My dilema started in 1977 after I suffered an undiagnosed rupture to level c-5,c-6 region. I was released from emergency with only stiches to my forehead. Two years later I started feeling pain in my neck (having forgot and not associating pain to wreck) I changed my pillow whic helped for a few days and then pain was back with a vengance.

A couple of girls at work told me I needed to see a chiropractor that they were seeing. BIG BIG MISTAKE!!!! Wellll, without any questions other than where was I hurting, he gave my neck " an adjustment " and then wrenched my neck ; I could litterally see stars!! As I was walking to my car I felt numbless in my fingertips and in my toes.

I thought nothing of it as I thought it was part of the healing process.
Almost 10 mo.'s later I was in dire straits as I had already severe spasticity in all of my extremities, more pronounced in my right side. My family doc, whom I should have gone to nearly a year before, referred me to a neurologist who immidiately reffered me to a neurosurgeon who immidiately diagnosed the damage in my cervical area.
He said the main damage was caused at a critical time when I needed surgery and I instead opted for the infamous "neck adjustment" and then waited until I was cripple till I couldn't walk.
Surgeon first did surgery (front entry) to remove disc debris and relieve pressure on spinal cord and nerves. That was in Jan. 1980; then in Aug. 1980 further surgery was done by entry thru the back of neck to remove even more pieces of disc.
Needless to say surgery was to keep from having more problems and did nothing to correct damage already done. I was able to recoup some of my ability to walk but my gait is quite spastic and am quite vulernable, as I get older, to tripping and following. Even keeping my balance is a challenge at times.
I have fought pain for years and mostly since my first lumbar surgery in 1992. After the surgery and after healing process from surgery I stll had terrible pain in waist area. Dr.'s back then literally told me to grin and bare it. I endured it as long as I could and then decided to go to my family doc. He put me on Ascriptin which at the time was a God send. The Ascriptin (in double doses) worked till 2003 and then didn't cover the pain.
Doc then put me on 5 mg. Hydrocodone, then 10 mg.Hydrocodone, then to PM doc. PM doc tried, steroid injections and other methods which I cant remember. I do remember the first of my two temporary SCS implants in 2007. I don't remember the name of the company that made it but I do remember that it did nothing to help my pain. There wasn't but one setting to which I could amp up or amp down.

I saw various PM dr.'s and neurosurgeons the following years and was diagnosed with failed back surgery syndrome, stenosis, facet degeneration and a couple of other problems that I can't remember. Finally, Sep. 2011 pain got Sooo bad I once again sought help, this time that of an orthopedic surgeon. I was put through the usual gambit of x-rays and MRI'S.
Open heart surgery interruped my back surgery in Nov. 2011 and finally had 2nd lumbar surgery in Feb. 2012. A very involved stenosis removal(?) was performed. Dr. said I had a terrible back and there wasn't much else he could do. He referred me to his PM dr. who put me on Morphine ER and Morphine IR for break thru.

We did the St. Jude temp. implant, with much pain and difficulty. While trying to place electrodes he encountered bone spurs and couldn't get leads placed as needed. The end product was sensations on my right side when pain was on my left side. He said to go ahead with trial and pretend that it was actually producing the same results as the right side. I have a good imigination BUT, I couldn't imagine anything especially the pain he created while trying to force leads in to position while hitting bone spurs.
I was sent home in agonizing pain on a Friday, of course, and screamed and cried the whole weekend and off to emergency room at 2am Mon. morn.
I know this is very long ,so, the leads were removed without my having tried the unit for but about 2 hours total. I was so caught up in the pain in my left calf and foot from the procedure I couldn't even concentrate on anything but that!!!!

My meeting with the surgeon who will do the permanet implant is Oct. 29th. Do I go for it and, if so, what should I ask the surgeon. My options as far as pain relief are concerned are all but over. I had being rum dumb and woozy from all this dope so whats a person to do?
One thing I've learned is that things can always get worse but I feel as I felt about you when I first started reading your story and that you later described in one of your threads; "God has a plan for me"! Maybe it's to be a witness of some sort but He's sure seen me through a lot of problems in life.
Thanks to all for any prayers and/or input. God bless us all.