My SCS
 

I am unable to charge my SCS, have called my doc and spoke with my new Medtronic rep, no one seems to know what the error message I am getting on my charger and my remote. I will call the customer helpline and leave a message hopefully someon can tell me what the code means and what we need to do to fix it:(:confused:

No!!
 

Pooh!!
My heart SANK when I saw this!! :(

You are getting error message on BOTH the charger AND remote!? :eek:
Oh LORD how I pray this is something easily fixed......!
You do not need this!
:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

Do you have any reason to suspect that the battery in the unit has run all the way down? As in - completely drained?

Oh PLEASE I pray that Rep gets back to you right away!
KEEP CALLING!

You are dealing with WAY too much right now!
I am so very concerned (We ALLL are!!).......!......I know you know this!

I'm just speechless Pooh........

Pooh!!!
 

You need that back right away, and I hope instead of hand wringing, someone will take a pro-active "let's get to the bottom of this" approach! Lordy, you have had enough lately, but to have this is just awful.

Praying that your solution comes quickly,
Mark56:eek:

Gosh noooooooo
 

:eek:I cant believe you are having trouble with your SCS how awful.

Can you tell us the error your getting and maybe one of us might be able to shine some light on it?

I know one evening I was trying to turn off my SCS and I kept getting a message that was similar to it finding the stim but had another icon in the centre. Oh Lord I just hadnt a CLUE what it was. I thought I had broken something and I was in a heap. Then I realised that the lead that goes from the actual paddle to the remote had become loose and just needed to be pushed in!!!! Hey presto it worked then!

I do hope you get some answers soon and get this stim up and running AGAIN and SOON:hug:

Have you checked your batteries in the controller? That is the only time I get a goofy error message-even though it shows I still have battery life left-Just a thought-Carol

HI
 

HI POOH! Just wanted to send more care your way out there in the middle of nowhere NE.

Caring,
ASAP,
Mark56 PJ:):):):):):):):):):):)

What's the latest?
 

Dearest Pooh -

Thinking of you and wondering if you've gotten anywhere with the Rep?
Anxious to hear!
:grouphug:

I am so sorry to hear this!
 

:hug:Pooh, I am so very sorry to hear this about your stim! I hope that you keep calling until you get some answers because it is their job to help you! I am sending lots of prayers and hugs your way so that things will be fixed soon! I know how awful it is when you stim won't charge and I can relate to what you are going through. I think I am on day 4 or 5 of having it not charge at all and have no more pain meds so I understand how bad this is for you! Take care and I hope someone helps you ASAP!:hug:'sTara

SCS troubles
 

Well, my doc told me to call my rep, (who since my unit is 4 years old last month) has changed, then they called the "new" rep who is 250 miles from me, she called me Friday late afternoon, told her what I was seeing, She had NO CLUE what the message ment, she called tech support, who told her with the things I was seeing it could be "thousands of different things" That I would have to call patient services, which was of course closed until Monday am, have called and left a message for them to call me. I tried again to charge it while on the phone leaving a message for them and lo and behold, it looks to be charging, however it feels like it is heating up so will charge it as long as I can stand then see what happens, hopefully I will be able to charge enough so I can turn the darn thing on. :eek:
I worked the last 2 days on the floor and cannot take my Lortab when I am working so..........

Praying
 

For a full charge and that the unit responds, for responsive tech support tomorrow, and for you to be cleared of pain which binds you so terribly as you are a precious soul to us, to those whose care you provide and to God.
Caring,
Mark56 PJ:hug:

I do hope that you will get some answers for you SCS how awful.

When you say it gets hot, maybe put something between your skin and the charger, if you can. I have a cover that my 'paddle' sits into before I attach it to the charger belt so that its not directly in touch with my skin.

Take care

Jackie :hug:

Sitting on the Edge of my SEAT
 

What's the word, Pooh?

I was glad to hear your unit started to charge......at least it still has a 'heartbeat'...... ?.....

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

Well it took all night and most of today to charge the thing. Patient services was also able to tell me NOTHING:mad:. So I have to drive to Lincoln Friday am to have my SCS, mt charger and remote interagated:cool: plan to wait until am to turn the thing on:thud:

Aww Pooh!
 

I am so sorry you have to drive to Lincoln to get it diagnosed. Is it far from nowhere to there? Will you be able to make the drive OK? Do you have someone who can go with you?

Praying,
Mark56 PJ :hug:Z

Lincoln is 200 miles from nowhere, from my front door to my docs office door to be exact:eek:. The clinic called today and told me they (my medtronic rep) was not nor would she work Friday so I would have to come in NEXT Tuesday or Wednesday. Well that hit my Irish/German blood where it starts and I TOLD her that I did not wish to be crabby HOWEVER I am on my 3rd unit, therfore Medtronic has gotten quiet a chunck of change from me and my various insurance companies, also that my friends online, tell me how WONDERFUL thier reps are esp from BOSTON SCIENTIFIC that they contact them, return their calls and in general SUPPORT their patient, none of which I have seen and I WAS NOT HAPPY!. She (my PM docs nurse said she would "relay" the message to my rep. About 20 min later I got a call from my Rep who TOLD me that I would have to be in Lincoln at 8am on Friday IF I wanted them to look at it, I TOLD her that I would have to leave my home at 4am, get up at 3am I and I did not feel that was acceptable. I stated thay I might be willing to be there at 9am but I would have to get myself and my 3 year old neice who is once again living with us up at 4 am. She then decided that if I could get there by 10am they would strive to "find" out just what was wrong with my unit. She also told me the message she got from tech services wished her to run "some diagnostics that I have never done and am not sure I know how to do":eek: and it may take "several hours" to figure out what the problem was if they even can.
I have a feeling that she may find out just how pissy pain tends to make this old bit much:mad:

Ohhhhhh Lorrrd -
 

Man, Pooh.
This stinks.
This certainly is NOT shedding a very good light on this company! :(
Almost makes me wish I could DO something! I'm only a state a way from you......and my closest Reps are in Wichita......
To be honest, I haven't had enuf tweek sessions to even give a testimony, but we both are dealing with this company and ..... this does not make me happy to see you going thru this!
Like you said! 3 SCS's!! :eek: They should be coming to YOUR doorstep!!!

Do you have a driver?

I'm so sorry Pooh...I really wish I had the words to say here...... :confused:
This is just not acceptable.
I wanna find out WHO the 'Main branch' is - or whatever it takes to get the 'top dogs' to you!

Is your Dr coming thru for you in this stressful interim? Is he getting you some pain relief to buy some time?
The more I think about this, the MORE it peeves me!!! :mad::eek::mad:

You have been ALL OvER the place helping patients, even HOSPICE services!
It's time the tides get turned around here and YOU get the help you need!

This will be very interesting to see how it plays out.
You know, one thing that has saved me from losing it during the most stressful times (and THIS certainly would fall in the category)......Would your Dr maybe give you some sort of anti-anxiety med or something? Just to help you cope thru this?
You need people pulling together on this. God Lord!

Please keep giving details.....
Especially me being a Medronics 'client/patient'.......I feel like we're in this together somehow.
Your situation obviously requires a more skilled Rep - so they should GET the more skilled Rep to you!

Ok, I'll just put this in prayer mode......
We'll talk soon, my friend.
Just please hang in there.
:hug:

POOH I Feel so angry about this situation
 

ANGER floods my spirit when I see you are having trouble getting the "rep on the stick" for you. Almost wants to make me get admitted to practice in NE!!! This is maddening!!

I hope you are served well on Friday, and that you have a SOMEONE to drive you to your appt given your pain picture. You just should not have to be doing this all by yourself, anyone?

You are in my prayers for sure, Pooh, for sure,
ASAP,
Mark56 PJ :mad:

Wow
 

Isnt it just amazing how these people can treat patients who are so vulnerable after enduring pain for so long. This is NOT what you want to hear. How frustrating for you.
I hope that you will get this sorted asap and that their diagnostic will show them EXACTLY what is wrong with your system and get it back in working order.

Jackie :hug:

Oh no! That is awful!
 

Pooh, I am so so sorry that they are treating you so bad:(! I hate when anyone in charge of healthcare has an attitude like "you are wasting their time":Bang-Head:! I cannot believe you have been through 3 units and are treated like this! I agree with everyone else saying that I wish there was a way to go over their heads about it! I really wish you could get a new and better stim rep entirely! I have seen both good and bad stim reps so I know they are out there and to me everything they are doing to you would qualify you to have a new rep! I wish there was some way I could help you too...but for now I am going to send you lots of :smileypray::smileypray::smileypray:and :hug::hug::hug:! I hope that you can find someone (even if its another doctor) that would be able to help you with your pain during this frustrating time! Thinking of you!!!

SCS problems
 

Pooch_ac

This is a long shot but you should contact a attorney in Lincoln an have him meet you at your appointment to go over how the rep is taken care of you. If you fine the right attorney you should be able to talk to him at no charge to go over what can be done with this company. After all they were paid a fair amount of money as part of there payment the rep fee's are included as service fee's.
It's worth a try and will make the rep very nervous. Even if you have to pay the attorney a small fee for showing up at your appointment it would be worth every penny and make the rep know that you mean business. A good attorney should do it at no charge to see if you have a case against the SCS Co.
I don't know how long you have had this 3rd. one but or how long you have had any of these but they need to step up to the plate and take good care of you. Also what about the Dr. that did the implant they got paid each time you needed this replaced.
Just a thought.

Good Point!
 

"Hurting" has portrayed what I was thinking!
You need some sort of person (of an intimidating nature) to be WITH you, so that these people can SEE that you are MORE than just 'another patient' with a complaint.......This is BIG! It's a BIG deal. And BIG money has been spent. This is the EXACT type of stuff which contributes to our healthcare downfall and I really thinK (wish) there were more attorney-types who would step up to bat for patients in situations like this.
Maybe they ARE out there....

Mark has background in Law.....maybe he can shed further light.

But you really DO need someone advocating.
It would almost seem a bit different if this were your first implant and they were trying to figure out what needs done, but this being your THIRD.
Cripes! :eek:

SCS Problems
 

O.K. I am dying to hear how your appointment went with your SCS Rep.
Did you get anywhere with this person as far as help and a I am sorry for all the B.S. that I had put you through.
Or did they look at what was wrong with this 3rd unit and say well? It could be this or that and we will try this for now and wait and see if this fixes the problem or if not then you will have to drive back in when we can that a look at it at our convenient time that best works for me not you and that is just the way it is.

I hope they took care of you and made things right for you. And I hope you don"t need their services for a very long time.

Well, the appt did not go as planned, the young lady from Medtronic and her compadre did not even ARRIVE until 10:15, (remember, she had insisted that I be there at 8). Then I after I saw them come in I had to wait yet another 15 min in the waiting room. They did the tests they wanted to run on my SCS , said "everything looks fine" called tech support, found a worn spot on the wire antennea from the charger then they all decided that this must be what the problem was. They all ignored the fact that I was getting the message on both my remote and my charger. Told me they were sending me a new piece for it "overnight by FEDEX" They were suprised when I laughed at that statement, they actually believe that FEDEX actually does what they say they will here in the middle of nowhere. Of course the new piece is not here and I will be lucky to have it by Monday night. Just another day in paradise!:mad: