I have had 2 "failed" spinal fusions L5, S1- I live in constant agony. I have tried the spinal stimulator with no relief. On Tues. I am getting the intrathecal morphine "trial" pump. Can anyone tell me what I am in for and how much pain relief you get- will I still need to take oral medications? Will I be able to function like a normal person?

I am trying to get info from other folks on the pain pump. The one I am considering is the one that gets implanted in the stomach area with the cathater in the back and injects morphine into the spinal area where my pain is. I am 72 and weigh 100 lbs. I am wondering if I am even large enough to accomodate the pump since I have no fat in that area of my body. Do you have any info on what size a person might need to be to have this type of implant? I am in horrible pain, and all I want to do is stay in bed most of the time due to the pain. I don't want to continue to live like that - it is not living...just existing. I have heard both good and bad things about the pump. First do you have to have anthesia with the surgery? I get real sick, and I was wondering why a doctor couldn't just numb my body from the mid section down - where ever it needed to be numb instead of everything. Do you know anything about that? I will appreciate any help you can provide, or anyone else reading this...My husband died a few weeks ago and my pain and loss of my husband of 52 years is tearing me up inside, all I seem to be able to do is cry and have pain. I don't want to be like this, and maybe I wouldn't if I could get the pain under control. Please help if you can, and if you can't Thank You for reading this. God Bless. Kirstin

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum118.html

Hi .. I'm Saffy .. come join us on the SCS and Pain Pump corner of this site. xx

We actually have a sub-forum here at NT specific to SCS/Pain Pumps.
Here's the link to get you there:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/fo...ysprune=&f=118

Most of the discussion seems to be on the SCS, but I wish more pumpers would share over there. Up at the top of the page, you might find some good info in the section called the 'sticky's'.

Hang in there. I can sure understand the depression thing. It's a nightmare for sure, but the good thing is there are plenty of us who know what you are going thru and we try to keep each other afloat.

There were several here who had pumps, but they haven't posted in a long time.

It's good to have you here!

OH! I see Saffy already pointed you to the forum - yay Saffy!

Caring,
Rae

How thrilling to see someone with such a wonderful testimony!

It'd be wonderful if you'd pop over to the SCS/Pain Pump forum and share this.
We need more testimonies on the pump, as most posters there are regarding the SCS. The link to get to that forum is in the above post.

The SCS/PP forum is listed in the main menu as a sub-forum in the 'Medications & Treatments' section

Rae

i have used opiates for 32years now(don't like it but can't deal with pain without.Had pain pump worked great,but incision site would not heal!kept pump as long as possible,wasn't infected etc..after removal of pump my PCP found a blood disorder we didn't know I had,may have had it for yrs,.but with a load of surgeries(saving leg from amputation not diabetes and experimental)also chronic low back pain all due to hit/run accident in 1978 when I was 23.We think I wasn't so much rejecting the pump but since incision site was impossible to close I went back to oral meds,morphine muscle relaxers and nerve meds. I so far, don't have any complications from long-term use (32years) or meds except a lot of sweating face and head not due to menopause.But I'm in South Florida too we not sure what causing sweating but i still need pain releif so I dela with it.Good Luck