Weight loss and battery placement
 

As some you have figured out from talking with others if/when you loose weight battery placment may need to be changed. My unit is in my abdomen and that is where my doc USED to place all of the units. But due to increased risk of infection due to need to be turned during surgery and maintaining sterile field during that progress, he no longer places them in the abdomen. He has left mine in the abdomen with all of my upgrades and changes he has reluctantly left it there. (I can also be a pain in the rump patient as a nurse:p). I have told him and noted my placement changes up and down as I gain or loose weight also. It tends to slide further "south" with weight loss and "north" with weight gain. I have a feeling that with my next revision he may "insist" on giving me a "bionic butt", however I will do my best to keep it where it is.
:hug:z

Great new Thread Pooh
 

Hi Pooh- and thank you for starting this thread! As one who waits in preparation for permanent implant, you have spurred me on to the notion surgical preparedness includes appropriate attempts to strengthen and tone the target body [mine in this case] for the upcoming implant. Exercise will most assuredly bring me to better body strength so as to be as ready as possible for the post surgical recuperation, while exercise along with diet may aid assuring optimal battery placement; that is, if I can return to near my best body weight.

If you join the ranks of the bionic behind, do remember in the Borg Collective resistance is futile. :) Here's hoping you are able to keep your battery placement in what you believe to be your most appropriate location. After all, you are the one who must live with it.

Hugs :hug: and :Good-Post::wink:
Mark56 :)

Great Idea!
 

http://dl6.glitter-graphics.net/pub/...yk8r1mon6x.gif

Thank you for starting a thread on this topic!
It is important and needs discussion!

Way to go Pooh!!

I talked about this on a prior post, but since Pooh started a thread specific to this discussion, it warrants being repeated here IMO.

When my post op restrictions ended, I was glad to be able to begin being active again, so I started walking. That's when I noticed that my battery seemed to be getting closer to the surface. I could feel the outline of it and to be honest, it actually freaked me out. I have heard of situations in patients where the battery actually DID try to 'work it's way out'
When I went to the Dr with my concerns, he looked at the battery (in my hip/butt) and just smiled and said "You lost weight girl, that's all!"

I was perceiving the battery as working it's way to the surface, when in fact, losing the 20-30 lbs simply thinned out the 'fat' content, which made the battery seem closer to the surface.

There have been many cases in which the patient had to get the battery relocated. Not all of these cases were due to the losing weight issue tho.

I'm wondering, however, that if this subject is addressed in more detail to the Dr, maybe it would lower the instances of having to relocate the battery. In other words, if the patient were to tell the Dr that he/she has gained 'umteen' pounds due to being inactive because of the pain condition and/OR (as in my case) certain meds had the side-effect of weight gain - it should be duly noted what the patient's 'ideal' weight should/could be.
If the Dr were to take this into account, then perhaps the battery would be implanted deeper into the fat tissue to compensate for the potential loss of weight which would occur once the patient were able to resume normal activities. Make sense? Then, by losing the weight, the battery wouldn't end up so close to the surface.

But in retrospect, if the patient GAINS weight.....would the battery be 'too far' into the tissue, making it difficult to charge the battery?

Well, either way, I strongly believe that weight gain/loss is something that should be discussed with Dr BEFORE the implant is done. This is an important aspect in deciding the location of the battery placement.

Hopefully others will put in their 2 1/2 cents here....... :)

Interesting
 

:Ponder:

My (2) SCS are placed in lower back above buttocks. Lately, I've been swimming and walking a bit, and have noticed more pressure in that area. Both deeply internal and noticed that whole "thinning phenomena" on skin's surface where implant feels like it's being pushed out. Don't know if I'm losing weight necessarily, but I'm not as soft as I was :ROTFLMAO:

It makes sense that I feel this pressure, beings the higher amount of fat cells are no longer there to cushion the implant. So, is it better for me to keep active and better myself cardiovascularly or do I have a legit excuse to stay pudgier to better cusion the implants so I have less discomfort with them???

Hmmmm......

They have to place them just right
 

I brought this very question up to the rep. when I was doing my cervical trial. He said they have to place the battery at a specific distance below the skin because if it's too deep then the charger that sits over it to charge it up will not work. They need to be able to "connect" in order for the charging to take place.

He did tell me a funny story. He said one "dude" that wears his pants down by his behind (you know who you are :rolleyes:) was complaining about the battery rubbing on his belt. Of course I would have said "pull your pants up", but they went ahead and moved his battery for him. So seems like they're pretty used to having to move batteries for various reasons.

:)
 

....http://dl5.glitter-graphics.net/pub/...cl23cax5qa.gif I'm just so darn happy to see you back here!!
I bet, by george, you are getting more muscle tone ! And muscle weighs more than flab yes? Swimming is the magic medicine for me too!
Hey, let's just keep firmin up our fannies and see where that leads us!!!
What could POSSIBLY go wrong!! :D
......I bet you are just thrilled to have 'me' pesterin you all over again!http://dl8.glitter-graphics.net/pub/...q4259713lj.gif

When I had my first (yes first) battery they asked me where my undies and jeans rode and tried to avoid that area, and my battery is in my abdomen. Since then as stated above my battery moves up and down as my weight changes.
:hug:

Rae, you crack me up!!! Where the heck do you find these character animations from?? LOL!! There's a goal we can set for ourselves.... to work up so much muscle in our bods to push those damn stim implants so far up to the surface our skin will split!!! :eek:

Pooh, I cannot fathom the idea of having the implant placed into the abdomen. WOW. Do you experience any abdominal cramping?? Well, one thing you'll be protected from is when people slam shopping carts in the back of you (never realized how often that happens until a stim is in your lower back) and I imagine sleeping may be a tad easier. One discomfort I notice with the location of my implant (on the left) is when it's that time of the month. The uterine swelling causes additional pressure in that area and I almost always end up with sciatic nerve.

The abdomen would also be more susceptible with fluctuations in weight. If you had to choose ( lower weight itself aside), would you prefer your stim in a more "upper" position or the "lower" positioning?? Which is more comfortable, the lesser of the 2 evils?

Evidentally in my LEFT pocket ! ...... That's where Mark56 ended up finding his surgery date for his permanent implant! ...... ?.....per BMW.... :rolleyes:

What a hoot
 

Skin cracklin, battery pushin, plumber buttin, etcetera... Yup, I have seen my fair share of guys undies, especially with three sons in our house, two of which [oh, and if you are reading, you know who you are] kept letting the undies show. You know, "pull 'em up!":Dunno: I realize I am older than most and younger than some, but when I grew up we put the waist at the waist. My pants still ride there [I do feel sorry for folks like our teenage daughter who have to put up with designers ineptitude at location of the "waist" of pants] so, I reckon if I am asked, I'll tell them to try to avoid my waist. That'll probably cause a rucus since no one seems to understand where the waist is located anymore. Maybe I should get a sharpie pen and put a dashed line for them :D . After all, I have had many a surgeon draw on my canvas as it is. Now there is a thought, canvas..... hmm..... :ROTFLMAO:

And Rae------ I would give you an Academy Award for screen effects if I had one. You nearly always make me laugh!!! No, you always make me laugh!! Kudos! :Bow:

Well, I guess it is time to wonder what else is in Rae's pocket. :lookaround:
Mark56:)

For the most part I prefer the "lower" placement unless it is a new battery change, then I prefer the "higher" as when it is in the lower postion I have a "flap" of excess skin that it tends to ride in, and it will feel as if it will flip over when I pull my pants up and down, however as my weight stays lower for longer periods of time it seems more stable and secure in whatever position it is in. The advantage to the abdomal site is as a nurse I can pretty much care for my own wound with a battery change with little or no assistance. I can also keep it under observation for signs/symptoms of infection. The downside is that the risk of infection is much higher due to the need to turn over during surgery. My initial placement was before my doc had as much experiance as he now has with implants. He is VERY reluctant to leave it in my abdomen with each change of the battery, and I have had 3 so far. I really anticipate that I will have a bigger fight on my hands the next time I need a change, but am hoping that it will be at least 6-7 years whichever is the end of life for my current rechargable battery. By then who knows what will be available on the market! My current unit is one of the first rechargables and there have been so many updates and inovations since then......:eek::D
:hug:z

Maybe Nuclear
 

Maybe nuclear huh? That is if they can get such technology in a safe rad range. I dunno, life brings SO MANY changes through time. Could be something permanent by then!?!
:hug:
Mark56:)

X marks the spot
 

Actually, Mark, I was thinking about drawing two smiley faces on my buttocks so they know where I'd like the batteries to go. :) May also help ease my anxiety, pre-surgery.

Wonder what kind of music you'll get to listen to whilst going under. I've had to listen to anything from rap to country to classical...seems a lot of surgeons (and fellow operating room personnel) like to have music to "cut by". One thing I do remember about one of my past surgeries, is that the anesthesia guy had the prettiest blue eyes I've ever seen...I remember looking dreamily into his eyes as he was knocking me out :circlelove: