A little help needed...Medtronic Vs. Boston Scientific???
 

Hello everyone!

I hope everyone is having a good evening and not in too much pain. I am new to the site and have been reading and researching like crazy. I will be having my cervical SCS trail on Jan 25th and I have a quick question. I do not know if this has been answered and I've searched through the site and have not found what I was looking for.

So, my question is this....

Which company in your experience for people who have the Cervical SCS Implant is better for the Cervical vs. the lumbar? Medtronic or Boston? Is one better for one area vs. the other? For instants is Medtronic better for lumbar SCS and not cervical or is Boston better for Cervical and not lumbar?

Am I making any sense? LOL:p:eek:

By the way if the trial goes well I will be having paddles and not "regular" leads placed. I don't know if that makes a difference or not.

If there is a link or thread already out there about this topic please point me in the right direction because I just could not find it:Bang-Head:

I have to say that I am so happy to have found this site. It is very informative and all of you guys are so encouraging and supportive. It's really nice to know that you guys are here when people are in need of support and information.

So thank you guys in advance for your help and comments. I look forward to hearing from you!

Hugs,
Treca

Welcome Treca!
 

It's GREAT to have you!
I'm so glad you started this thread! You will get alot of feedback I'm sure. :)
I distinctly remember how 'nervous' and apprehensive I was when getting the trial (Lumbar)....and it meant the world to me to have people encourage me along the way. I come from a rather small community and NObody really 'comprehended' the SCS (not even ME :p )

I was 'glad' to read that you are getting the paddles. They will probably prove to be more secure in the longrun. I have the less-invasive percutaneous leads and one of them has migrated, so I am getting it fixed on Jan 26th (the day after your trial!)

Both of the manufacturers you asked about are very reputable. There are quite a few folks here who have units from each of these companies.
I think part of it depends on our location. My doctor uses Medtronics as his vendor...and they are 3 hours drive from my neck of the woods....but they are real good about making regular visits here to accomodate the patients.

It's so good to have you aboard!
Ask anything! We are constantly learning from one another....I think that's what makes this such a sweet little forum.

Rae
:grouphug:

Hi Treca!
 

I am a T8/T9 implantee of Boston Sci paddles for leg symptoms. My implant was done June 30 and since then I have fully withdrawn from opiods and use only the stim to control pain, inclusive of flares I have experienced. I think Tchr012 is the only person I am aware of who has experienced both company products [and she has just received her new implant so has no lengthy experience by which to compare]. Read her threads, and you may get a feel for the answers you seek.

Nonetheless, my prayers are with you for a good trial on 25 Jan.!
Mark56:)

I had one company (Medtronic) for the trial and another (Boston Scientific) for the permanent implant. I don't have a lot of experience with Medtronic since my trial was only 3 days. I do prefer the 'equipment' with Boston Scientific though. I don't need to charge as often as the rep from Medtronic said that I would need to and the technology is supposedly better.

I think overall it doesn't matter too much on company because they all generally work the same. I just prefer Boston Scientific with the experiences I have had. :)

Good luck as you go through this journey!

Thank you guys!
 

Mark~ I will go and check out her threads today and see what info I can get from them. Yeah, I'm just trying to get a feel for what would be a better fit for me. I've read up on both but of course both companies are biased about their own product..lol :rolleyes: I've read your thread and you inspire me Mark you really do. I pray that my outcome is as good as yours. My one true dream/wish is to get off opiods FOREVER:D I LOATH them! However, they are a evil necessity in my life at the moment.

smea~ The recharging is a issue for me as well. The less I have to do it the better. I am so forgetful about even charging my cell phone and thank goodness that sucker holds a charge for a long time :) I will be having Medtronic for the trial as well and I will be seeing my rep this Weds. to ask questions and actually see the unit and feel it for myself before my acutal trial on the 25th of this month.

Rrea~ Thank you for the warm welcome! I have to agree that after having lengthy talks with my doctor that the paddles would be best for me. I really really want to be able to dance again like I did for the majority of my life until pain hit when I was 20. I really want my active life back, BUT I know that this may not work so I'm being equal parts optimistic and pessimistic. I come from a small town too and I also do not talk to people about my condition except with my mother,father, brother, and of course my husband. I am a very private person and this(my condition) is just too private. However, I have no problem talking about it with people that UNDERSTAND and are walking the same road I am. That honestly makes all the difference in the world.:hug:

Treca

I agree Treca!
 

My first thought (when I realized how important dancing is to you) is that the paddles would certainly be more secure. Make sure your doctor knows how important this is to you. Get specifics on post op restrictions.

I think part of my 'mis-hap' is because of lack of communication with my Dr. I am more 'active' than he realized.......I have horses (I don't ride, but I love taking care of them.....but tossing bales of hay probably wasn't a good choice to make during my post op :o )

I have faith that you WILL get your life back. Stay determined and hopeful.

I see that your husband is in the army.
Hat's off :Tip-Hat: I thank him for his service to our country!

Let us know how your appointment goes!

God Bless
Rae
:hug:

Rrae~ Oh, believe me I have loads of questions for my rep on Weds and I will make sure I get a list of restrictions. I know that plays a big part in a good recovery :)

Thank you for the support and thanks for my husband serving. He was actually overseas for the 3rd time until he got called back so I could have my SCS trial. We do not have family in our area and our son is Autistic and I do not trust anyone to take care of him or me besides my husband. Sometimes it is hard for the FRG to understand this but I am EXTREMELY grateful to the powers that be allowed my husband to come home and STAY home with me for my recovery and to take care of our son. He will not be going back overseas for the rest of deployment because my recovery is too long so they are keeping him back in the states. Which is a HUGE BLESSING!! I KNOW how lucky I am and I never take it for granted.

I do have another question now that I have thought about it....I swear this forum makes you think of all kinds of things...which is a great thing because I never would have thought to ask these questions before. So thank you guys so much!!!:grouphug:

What do you guys that have gone through the trial and permanent implant recommend I get before hand? Should I get a cane, ice packs, heating pad,...etc??? Anything you guys would recommend to make life a little easier after surgery and during recovery?

ALSO, how did you guys deal with the rolling over thing in bed during trial/recovery from permamant implant placement? I'm a stomach/side sleeper and I know they don't want you to sleep on your back so how do you go about turning over?? I know this is a silly question but even silly question are important ones! :D

Treca

Get a 'Reacher/Grabber' !!
 

Your Q's are not silly at ALL!

I never knew how important one of those reacher/grabber things could be!!
Do you know what I'm talking about? It has a handle and it picks things up so you don't have to bend and it reaches up high so you don't have to stretch.
If my HOUSE was on fire I'd make sure I ran back in to get my Bible and my REACHER/GRABBER!!........:rolleyes:......well, I'd probably go back and grab my husband I guess..... :ROTFLMAO::ROTFLMAO:

I'll try to dig thru some older posts and bump them up to the top....there have been some wonderful suggestions......and then the posts slowly sink down to the bottom. So, it's good to be 'refreshed' on these topics.....
And Mark recently had a VERY good description of the 'log roll' in bed....
You gently bring your knees up to your chest and then roll toward the edge of the bed and then put your feet on the floor. Maybe he'll come on and describe it better. He has a wonderful way with words.

Actually, I need a refresher course on these tips for the cervical implant.
Others will chime in.
Someone was recently asking about washing hair.
There is a 'search' button at the top of the page. I haven't used it in a while, but maybe try typing in some key words and it'll bring up posts from past discussions. Try typing 'tips before surgery'......It's fun to play around with.
You're gonna love this place :p

Yes! I know exactly what your talking about. That's a good one! I'll put that on my list of things to get.

Yep, I've been searching all day today and reading all I can on the topic of SCS Trial and permanent implant. fioanb's threads have been very helpful and Mark56's as well.

I really appreciate all your help! Gonna go lay down for awhile and rest up. I think I pushed it a little to much by staying at my laptop reading for to long..lol... I just want to make sure I read as much as I can on the subject ya know? :)

Hugs
Treca

Army bein good to you!
 

That is cool, Treca! Our youngest son is just a few months back from deployment, is Army, out of Ft Bragg. He and his wife are now expecting our first grandchild. Everyone is excited for sure. It is great the Army brought your hubby home for the surgery. Help is important as you recover, because you are quite limited in what you can do. Gee, we have a friend who is CPO in Seals and they brought him home early when his wife miscarried. The service cares, and when they can, they try to help their people. So our thanks to you and your husband as well.

Now to log rolling in order to get up. Since you are having paddles installed, and if you have not had heavy back surgery before, this will be a new experience. For one, they are likely to do a laminectomy, removing part of the lamina which lie along the spine so as to expose a route to guide the paddles into the space for securing. Now as I recall you are looking at cervical implant, whereas mine was lumbar. My laminectomy was mid-back, around T8-T9 and, well, when folks take bone out, it makes for a bit of pain.

Depending on where they implant your control unit, since cervical, they could go for a chest, low armpit, or route your connecting wires to a pocket on your hip or tummy, all of this should be fully discussed with your surgeon. All questions answered, taking into account the clothing which you wear where and how, like the waistline area being sensitive, just as an armpit location could be troublesome with underwear. A friend had it implanted for face pain, and the wires were routed to a pocket in her chest, and she accomodated by saying she would just watch the neckline of clothes she wore thereafter.

My control unit is implanted just below my waist in my right hip area to the rear a bit, so with the paddles in the middle of my back, I had an upper incision, a lower incision, then the route they made under the skin to lay in the wires connecting up all of the works.

I have previously had fusion surgery work twice, and it hurt like heck recovering. The mere act of arising from bed was torture because it seemed as though I was pulling my body in half [of course I wasn't, it was just the disturbed muscles complaining], so I was taught the log roll technique of getting up. I tend to sleep on my left side facing the wall on the left side of our bed, so rolling that way as a log with my legs straight was not a terrible issue. Once oriented facing the wall, the trick was going to be levering myself into a sitting position with my legs dangling appropriately over the bed. So, laying on my left side I drew my legs up toward my chest so I approximated a seated position although laying on my side, then my legs were very close to the edge of the bed. Using my arms, I levered myself up as my legs dropped over the side, and VOILA', I was sitting.

Then you use leg and gut to work your way into a standing position. I doubt this will be the problem for you that it was for me with your surgery higher on the trunk of the body. Anyway that is the technique. They should teach it to you in recovery so you can get out of bed still hooked to the IV, if you have one at that time, and you can hold the IV pole to steady yourself as you start to talk walking steps slowly, steadily and surely. Everything is slow at first, everything. Pain will be an issue. Easy steps make for less pain. Once you begin walking more steadily, then you will be proving your ability to move on through recovery either to discharge and home or your room, if you are going to be kept over for observation. I was sent home at the early evening after having arrived for surgery around 6am that morning.

Once you have either the trial or the permanent implant, at first taking movements slowly is key. I was told at trial to be VERY careful with movement because the leads were just sutured at the skin and very well taped to keep them in place. They did not want the trial/temporary leads to wander or be pulled out, so I was told to take movement during the trial carefully.

Rae's suggesting a reacher is good. Having a body pillow against which to lie in bed is a good thing. Doing walking was for me a good thing during the trial. Using the control, which, by the way was EXACTLY the same style remote control I now use with the permanent Boston Sci implant, was important to experiment with the programs I was provided. So much to think about, to test, try. Mostly I was told DO NOT REACH above my head so as not to cause migration or pulling of the trial leads, then after permanent implant the paddles.

Your doc is going to give you LOTS of information regarding Trial and Recovery. After Trial, the removal of the trial leads will be a very easy tug on the wires which protrude through your skin after the sutures have been clipped, then it will be, as it was for me immediate return to the pain which had been blissfullly controlled during trial by the trial implant. How I hated that moment. Pain was resumed, the very pain which had made me a candidate for the procedure.

ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS are VALID. You are in a safe place here. Ask away, knowing we will support you and your husband through this process, oh, and by the way, I hope to be able to resume dancing with my wife, as we danced for years after FINALLY consented to lessons to satisfy my wife's desire for dancing. It became such a shared fun for us that we went to dnaces and balls all over the place. My wreck took away the thrill of the dance floor for me and I look forward to resuming it [even though courtesy of nerve damage, I feel nothing below my knees].

I offer you my prayers Treca. This will be a blessing for you in my hopes,
Mark56:hug:

You guys are awesome! :-)
 

Thank you so much Mark for letting me know about the "Log Roll" I know exactly what your talking about and that will help a lot!:) Yes, I LOVE to dance and I have danced all of my life until the pain hit me at the age of 20. I was heartbroken to say the least. However, I have high hopes that all will go well for me during the trial run :) I think it's fantastic that you took classes with your wife so you could enjoy dancing with her. Hearing that pulls at my heart strings Mark bravo to you!!!:hug:

I was able to talk to my rep today and found out that he is not from Medtronic but St. Jude..lol...I had thought this whole time that I would be dealing with Medtronic because that is the information packet that my doctor gave me at the time to read up on the subject of SCS. So come to find out the only reason she gave me the Medtronic information packet was because that was all she had at the time. So if all goes well with the trail I will have a ANS EON mini device for permanent implant. We also decided that the device will be implant at my right hip/fanny area..lol since that would be the best choice for me. I was able to see and touch the trial unit and I was also able to see and touch the permanent unit that I will get if the trial is a success. My rep is soooo very nice and has made me feel like I am his top priority. I feel like I am in very good hands with this gentleman and I couldn't be happier. He was able to answer all of my questions and he made it very clear that he is here for me whenever I need him. He told me point blank that during trial or permanent implant that if I needed anything or needed to be reprogrammed that he would meet me anywhere at any time of my choosing. I was shocked with how dedicated he is to helping me. It just made me feel so good because you guys know how hard it is to find good doctors in the pain management field that give us a hard time and are not on our side. So it was really very nice to find another individual like my doctor that actually cares about my well being.

I'll keep you guys posted as we get closer to the trial date Jan 25th. I go in at 1:30 to start my vitals and prep for the procedure and should have the procedure start at 2pm. I'm excited and nervous all at once...eek!:eek:

Hope everyone has a wonderful evening!

Hugs,
Treca

Also, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR KEEPING ME IN YOUR PRAYERS!! IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME:)

helpful hints from a vetran SCS nurse
 

hello my dear and good luck with your trial and per unit! I am currently on my 3rd(YES) unit.
1. keep incision clean and DRY, remember the leads go into your epidural space and infection there is NOT GOOD:(
2. Do not raise your arms above your shoulders, so go through the house and move things you will have to use in the next 6-12 weeks down.
3. No bend, twist. If something falls on the floor, unless you have one of Rraes reachers it stays there until later.
4. Weight limits, some docs will give you a specific limit, mine was 10lbs (about a gallon of milk)
5. To was my hair with all of the above restrictions, I sat on a stool in the tub, wraped an old shower curtain around me an someone would wash my hair with the shower hose (purchase at any store)
6. If you can find out what your doc wants for a bandage over your incisions.
7. Reuseable ice pacs helps the incisional pain. Can make your own need about 3 ziploc bags, put aboyt a dozen large ice cubes into a bag, pour rubbing alcohol about 1 cup over ice, then zip it shut, zip this bag into the next one and zip the 2 into the 3rd, it will eventually leak ,but then pretty cheap to make.
8, get your pain meds filled and stay ahead of the pain (take the darn pills routinely) for the first 3-4 days, set your alarm. If you dont hurt as much you will move more= less chance of pnemonia
9. Now as a personal thing, I flatly refuse to allow them to staple me:eek:. I have found sutures to be much more comfortable then all those sharp pointy ends poking at (in) me:cool:
:grouphug::hug:z

Pooh is SO RIGHT
 

Hi Treca-

EVERYTHING Pooh wrote was clearly on point, especially from her medical background [and that knowledge adds a lot from her perspective]. Especially bear #1 in mind. From reading my thread, you know I wound up with an ugly infection at one of the suture points, and you DO NOT want infection, either from the risk it poses or the definite delay in your timing for permanent implant if it turns out you all agree you are the right candidate for implant after trial.

Additionally, it is kinda strange how we have a parallel path on the switch up deal. I was originally given information on ANS by St Judes, studied the material, talked to the patient ambassadors, and on the day of trial was greeted by my Boston Sci rep. Go figure.....

Prayin,
Mark56:hug:

Thank you pooh and Mark!

After talking with my rep we went over the restrictions that I would have and like you pooh I can not lift anything heavier then a gallon of milk

I'll make sure to ask about the staples and what kind of bandages they will use pooh. Does it make a difference? Or is one better then the other? I do know they will be giving me extra tape and stuff when I go home just in case anything comes loose.

Thats a very good idea about how to wash my hair!I'll make sure I'll get shower hose thing. I also have dry shampoo in hand just in case I'm feeling to bad to sit that long to have my hubby wash my hair..that stuff is a life saver! I've made sure that my meds are all filled and ready. I have one that I'll be getting after procedure but it's just for sleep and my husband will pick that up after he gets me tucked in bed..lol :) I've been writing down all the stuff you guys have suggested so I can go this weekend and pick it all up. So far I have the following:

A hand grabber thingy~ Thanks Rrea :)
body pillow~ Thank you Mark for reminding me about these!
cane
ice packs~ per pooh's instructions! GREAT idea!


Mark~ When I finally met my rep and I asked him how long he had worked for Medtronic and how long he had been doing his job. That's when he let me know "Uh, I don't work for Medtronic I'm St. Jude." My first thought was Oh good grief I'm reliving Marks' story...lol :) I just hope that when the time comes they don't do another switcheroo on me! :D

I hope everyone has a wonderful morning. I know most of us aren't morning people:p so instead of morning I hope everyone has a wonderful DAY! LOL:hug:

Hugs,
Treca

SCS trial feb 8th
 

Hi, I am going in Feb. 8th for a scs trial. I have crps in my hand. I'm reading as much as possible. Scared yet excited at the same time. I have dogs that I show , train, breed etc. I want to be able to get back to running in agility again and showing them again. I found your posts very helpful!

Patty

Hey Patty!
I'm scared and nervous too! I've been reading like crazy on the forum as well and I've been able to find tons of information and everyone is so very helpful! I think it's fantastic you show, train , and breed dogs. I've always found that stuff very interesting. It's actually the way I found out that I wanted a West Highland White Terrier through watching dog shows and lots of episodes on animal planet and the discovery channel. I did lots of research before hand and we got one 10 years ago and she is still even after all this time a very active and happy go lucky dog. She is our first baby :-)


I wish you the best of luck in your trial and hopefully you can get back to your training and agility running and I can get back to my dancing!!:hug:

Treca

Hello Stressed and Treca!
 

Not unusual at all to feel some trepidation and downright fear when it comes to mounting hardware inside you which interacts with your nervous system. For this reason, I put off consideration of the prospect of implant for a while, and at my wife's prodding due to her research finally asked my Physiatrist about the product, process, advantages, disadvantages, success statistics and all of that. He replied that his appraisal of my was I fit his perception of THE right candidate if anyone ever did in his practice, and he had numerous patients previous to me who had taken hold of implant as a viable pain controller.

My fear gave way to the possibility and hope of life without pain meds which along with the pain had pretty much restricted my life to bed far too long. I felt imprisoned. I wanted out. SCS was the ticket IF the trial worked, so in May 2010 we did the trial and finally the remaining permanent implant of my Boston Scientific unit on June 30. I was "activated and programmed" mid- July, and was SO happy to have back the refreshing masking of the overwhelming pain signals through my stim unit. I will admit when it came time for them to pull out my trial leads I feared return to pain. It returned full force and remained with me until the mid-July restoration of control over pain through my permanent unit. I have been thrilled with this blessing ever since and have withdrawn from all pain meds.

Hear is heaps of hope your fear melts away as did mine!
:grouphug:
Mark56

The excitement mounts!
 

Treca, I am very excited for you! As you can see, you'll have PLENTY of support and encouragement along the way!

Pooh, thank you for that great idea for a home made ice pack! I never knew that! Awesome!

Patty! Welcome! I love dogs too (Boxers!)..... and if memory serves me correctly, I think Jackie also has a West Highland White Terrier, Treca. Jackie is from Ireland and she is such a wonderful part of this forum. We're all like family here.

Hugs all around!
I have a feeling this is going to be a very good year for many of us!
Rae
:grouphug:

Countdown 2 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EEK!!!!!:-)
 

Well guys I've got everything on my list that I needed and that was recommended. I'll be doing the "girlie" things today because who the heck knows how I'll feel afterwards...:rolleyes: So doing the nails and getting my roots done!! lol. I've stocked up on tons of books that I've been avoiding to read like the plaque even though it's killed me not to read them I wanted to make sure I had a good stack to read during my recovery. I'm a very fast reader and can read a book a day if I want to if I'm really bored or if the book grabs me and of course if I actually have the TIME and the pain doesn't grab in a choke hold..;-)

I'm nervous and REALLY excited and just wish the days would hurry up and get here already!! I know it's a little optimistic of me but, I've read everyones post that have had this done and I want that void/absence of feeling or the nice tingle that replaces that pain so much I can almost feel it myself. I'm all a flutter by the prospect of that!!:yahoo::trampoline::Dancing-Chilli:

I just want to say thank you to everyone that has answered my questions and that has made me feel so welcome on this forum. I feel really comfortable here and it is my intention to stay on and talk about my journey since there doesn't seem to be to many post about just the Cervical SCS trial/permamant implant. Does everyone think that would be OK if I start my own thread about my journey with this? Let me know your thoughts.


Ok, off to do the "girlie" stuff while I can. I'll be in touch as much as I can since time will be spent getting ready for Tuesday!!! Can't hardly wait!!


Lots of :hug:'s
Treca

Please doooo!
 

Oh how WONDERFUL it would be for you to start a thread documenting your journey!
I wish more people would do this!! I've seen so many come and go and I am ever so grateful to the ones who do stick around for the sake of newcomers with questions and apprehensions!

We remember how 'nervous' we were and for newcomers, it's SO important to get this support. Not only that, but as most of us have found out, the SCS isn't a 'onetime fix'...... it's a 'commitment' which requires maintenance on a regular basis.....and yes, problems can and do arise.

Thank you Treca! Once in a while, a 'one in a million' happens upon this forum....and YOU are it!! :Bow:
You have officially been locked in to 'Hotel California' :D ......"you can check in any time you like, but you can NEVER leeeeeave"........ quoting the haunting melody from the Eagles.....

Do Treca Do
 

We need a well documented Cervical thread, so GO FOR IT!! So cool, and you have my vote.

Two days!! Hope you are gonna love it!! I knew right away. Maybe you too!

Prayin for ya,
Mark56:smileypray::yahoo::circlelove:

Hi Treca!
 

Rrae sent me your way! I have both a cervical and lumbar stimulator. I see your original thread was questioning the difference between Boston and Medtronic devices. Unfortunately, I cannot help you in that area because i have ANS St. Jude implants (which I love!!!!!). I wish you luck on your decision making. You are smart to research and in the end, I say go with your 'gut'. What I can help you with is suggestions while going through the trial and/or implantation surgery. Healing from the cervical implant had some differences from recovery of the lumbar.

Best of Luck to you!!! :hug: Vanna

Actually Vanna I AM getting the ANS St. Jude Implant!!...lol...My story is simular to Mark's I was given the Medtronic information packet and there fore assumed that that was what I would be getting but come to find out last Weds. that I will be getting the ANS from St. Jude and I have a wonderful rep from there that will be helping me throughout the whole process.

If you can give me your experience with your unit and how your trial went I would GREATLY APPRECIATE IT!! :D

Thank you so much for posting. I look forward to hearing how your trial went for you and how the implant has helped.
:hug:'s
Treca

Well Ive finally found some of you who are getting the ANS St Judes stimulator.

I too have one in my left butt, so to speak:D.....Trial was over before I knew it and the staff(I am in Dublin, Ireland so Im sure its TOTALLY different here to the States) but they were just fantastic. I had the Rep come over from the UK and she stayed with me all through the trial and then when it was to be implanted, the Rep returned and again was with me all through the actual operation for the implant.
I find my unit great too. At times I have to turn it up way high to cover the aggravating pain I get in my back...Im hoping that on Thurs 27th I will be reprogrammed with one that addresses all the areas I need covering.

Good luck with the trial Treca

Jackie:hug:

Hi!
 

Hi all,

I've read through these threads a number of times looking for some personal stories of recoveries from the SCS permanent surgery and this site has been great. I recently turned 27 and developed CRPS in my left hand/arm after a snowboarding accident and surgery.

I have a wonderful PM and he also has an in house SCS programmer, one of the only I'm told. That was an invaluable tool during my SCS trial. I will be going with the Boston Scientific mini rechargeable unit, actually getting my surgery next week. I've got a good idea what to expect recovery wise from reading up and a little experience with the trial.

My thing has been the pain in between the trial and waiting for my permanent has been even more excruciating than it was before. All the nervey-burns are back in full force and it's making it pretty rough. Any advice on this, beyond loading up on more pain meds? I've cut out my multivitamins due to the surges I've been having the past few months, but thought I'd ask... and also say hi!

I appreciate you all telling your stories, it has helped me navigate through this tough time!

-colorado

Well HI Colorado Snow!!
 

Boston Sci????? That is music to my ears! I have the little Blessing and have been using it non-stop since June 2010! Frankly, it has given me my life back, and the absolute best part was the fact of being allowed to program myself..... Jatana Spine was my surgery practice, and HOW GREAT THEY ARE!!!!!

OK, here are the disclaimers... no I do not receive commissions from Boston Sci.... no I do not get any kickers for plugging my doc... I just feel BLESSINGS for having had the benefit of their wise intervention in my pain management case.

Best of all.. I was able to withdraw completely from pain management meds!!
So, does anyone have a clue why I feel Blessed?
I thought so,
Mark56:D :D :D :grouphug:

P.S. Prayin for ya Colorado! And, my snow finally melted off the hatchback of my car today.... I guess things are a warmin up!

Hello Snow!
 

Welcome Aboard!

It's great to have you!
Oh yes, the interim between taking out the trial and waiting for the permanent can be very daunting. I'm so glad to hear you will be getting it done next week!

I'm so sorry you are battling that nasty crps, at your young age especially. Hopefully the SCS will be a smashing success in your pain management so you can get your quality of life back!

Please keep us posted!

Caring,
Rae
:grouphug:

I have an ans/st. Jude implant and I love mine. I don't even limp anymore. Well I get a little drag if I walk for long periods. I have rsd in all four extremities and my back incision, but it's med controlled in hands and back by topomax and legs are controlled by good ol Sheldon. (my scs) I, too am weaning down from opioids. I am 6 weeks post revision due to a nasty fall at work that dislodged my lead. My original implant was on 7/10/12. I still take robaxin and norco a couple of times of day, but just heading back to work has caused a spike in pain. Anyway, everyone's tips are great! I've been twice as careful this time due to the fall. I was very nervous, but I was fine. The pain is pretty much gone, and that was worth two surgeries and the pulmonary emboli!

TK

How long is recovery?
 

Hi all, I'm seriously thinking of getting the Boston Scientific SCS device implanted within a couple of months. I have a paralized (and very painful) right arm from a motorcycle accident MANY years ago -- a brachial plexus injury. After reading many of your posts, I'm concerned about the recovery time, and especially the time immediately after the operation. My wife is planning to travel and I'm wondering how many days (weeks??) after the operation will I be able to do the basics of making meals etc? Or put another way, should I plan to be totally dependent on someone for a while?
I believe I would be getting leads and not a saddle as some of you have described and the device would be placed below thew waist somewhere in the buttocks (not sure if that's the best place???). Anyway, I would appreciate any past experience and advice that you might share with me.

Hi Robert!
 

Mine is implanted in the thoracic spine at T8/T9, paddle leads laid in through laminectomy to the space near the spinal cord. Since leads or paddles are needful of electric current to function at all, a wire harness is laid through my muscle tissue along the spine from that position to the below waist hip location of my generator.

The generator location takes advantage of body fat to cushion its presence [a good thing if you want a bit of comfort], and it is thus easily accessible to the recharge sequence so I can apply the recharge unit to my skin and receive the charge necessary transdermally to keep the unit running mighty fine.

Immediate post surgery recovery was 2 to 4 weeks. For the first 2 weeks I was very careful about Doing Things. Pain from surgery lessened, and as time progressed, I was able to do More through that 4 week marker.

Thank you for asking,
Ask away if there are more questions,
Yup, :hug: :)