The first stage of getting the pump happens in the neurologist's office. There an epidural is done, using baclofen instead of the pain med normally used for laboring women. This is done to make sure there are no allergic reactions, to see if the baclofen actually helps the spasticity, and to determine dosage and placement (low for legs, high for upper body, middle for both). The neuro I'll be using does these at 6 AM. Apart from the fact that I can't wait to have a spinal , this timing is a logistical nightmare for me.

The second stage happens in the hospital on an in-patient basis since it's a surgical procedure. A neurosurgeon implants the pump in the spine. The delivery tube passes from the pump to the baclofen resevoir, which is implanted under the skin of the diaphragm. The resevoir is generally filled every six months, using a hypo through the skin of the diaphragm directly into the resevoir.

The oral meds I'm currently taking are neurontin (which I also take for break through TN pain), zanaflex, and dantrolene. None of them work very well.

Chris