Waiting, waiting waiting.....
 

I am waiting for the Permanant Stim. on April 27....

Just thought I would say Hi..... It's driving me crazy knowing in 3 weeks i will be in more pain than i am now. Temporary surgical pain I know, but I want to have a life again.
:D :D :D :D


I am raising my 3 yr old granddaughter & I babysit my 1 yr old grandson everyday & with summer coming I want to go outside & take them to the park....

The Waiting Seems Long
 

The waiting is also definitely hard! We understand here on this forum. If the Trial went well, we yearn for the permanent that much more. You are SO close to the date though that it will seem to accelerate now..... Did I get this done? Have I made those preparations so they are not last minute? Do I have help lined up with the little ones for that time of healing which will follow the permanent implant? Did I get those yoga pants someone said might be a good idea? And on and on and on until it is the night before and the magic hour of 10 pm rolls around and you are drinkning water like it is going out of style because you want plump veins for the next day. You have a last snack, because there is no breakfast on the big surgery day. You go to bed and try to get some sleep, or at least some rest. Oh, and the REAL BIGGIE- YOU WILL HAVE STOPPED ALL ASPIRIN USE AT LEAST TWO WEEKS BEFORE SURGERY. Big sticky note for that one on your mirror.

Your doc or doc's PA will remind you of all of the pre-surgery instructions, but that aspirin one caught me one time so we had to reschedule one of my procedures because I had taken aspirin one week before surgery. This is because of the care taken to avoid your blood being too thin as they have surely told you.

THEN, it is here. You have it! You carefully heal, and then by Summer may be taking careful walks to the park or just getting out in the back yard to watch the little ones play, being mindful you will still want to have help with them at this time. Then building block by building block and piece by piece your life will begin to re-emerge. Do not be surprised as you have read on here that tweaks may be necessary to your programs. We programmed mine for the first time weeks after surgery to allow me to get beyond surgical pain. Yours may go similarly. Then, taking it easy, you start life after surgery with little steps, therapy, and growth to the point that you hopefully feel as I do, energized by the new management of pain that allows life more fully than you have known it for quite a while!!

Soon, very soon Jan, [This is where Rae would put a clock face smiley]
Mark56:hug:z

....Time....
 

Jan,

Time can be our most precious commodity......AND it can be our biggest enemy.....

My heart goes out to you as you wait this out......knowing that you will have many happy times ahead of you......those grandkids give us the gift of staying 'young' and we want to feel as good as we can during these most precious of times....

April 27th will get here! We'll always be here for you :grouphug:

OH! :D and I sure couldn't let Mark down.....
.................... http://dl8.glitter-graphics.net/pub/...qktdtvatkd.gif Time is on OUR side!

Rae
:hug:

So glad
 

Rae came back with a great clock face smiley for you Jan! So Cool! Further, as she says we are ALL here to help you as you approach this time, and if you would like to go into live chat just to rant real time with one or more of us, send a PM to the person you would like to be online with [Rae, Jackie, Pooh are all good choices] then a chat party could get going under that Chat Rooms hyperlink you see in the top right of your NeuroTalk screen. How about that?

Prayin for ya,
Mark56:hug:Z

Finally!
 

I recieved my Stimulator yesterday morning.. I got to the surgical center at 8 am. prepped by 9 & was in recovery at noon.

I am feeling great, but have a 3 yr old to deal with at the moment, so will come on here later & describe my experience.

Thank you all for this forum..

jan

Jan...YOU HAVE IT
 

I truly hope and pray that this provides the result you sought. Mine has been well and truly a gift from God! I have been striving to even re-enter the workplace, and toward that end my wife, Cleo, and I had dinner with prospective employers last evening. It was a long evening, as we talked and talked and talked. I had my stim and my trusty cushion on which to sit, and felt pretty good. Cleo on the other hand complained that those wooden chairs in the restaurant were too hard on her backside to feel OK for that long..... I guess she should have had one of my cushions.:D

Prayin for you that this provides the relief and freedom you anticipate so you MAY be out and about with the little ones in the real world again.:D:D

Don't overdo!:eek::eek:

Prayerfully,
Mark56:hug::hug::hug:zzzzz

Mark lol
 

Mark :D I laughed out loud when I read the part of your post where Cleo was complaining of the hard seats :D....how funny that must have been, you with your SCS and fantastic cushion for comfort:D and Cleo having to endure such pain!:D fantastic!!!!!

Jan77 I hope you have a speedy recovery and that you get the benefit from this SCS. Please, please take it handy though especially with your little one. Its going to be hard to resist wanting to lift and bend etc but try to be patient and Im sure you will get your reward......

Take care

Jackie :)

Yayyy Jan!
 

SO GLAD the day finally arrived for you to get your implant! :hug:

I hope you have help around the house so you can take it easy the best you can....

INDEED take it slow! Some days we feel better than others and it can even 'trick' us (....believe me i know :rolleyes::o)....... One of my leads migrated down about 6 inches and I ended up getting that one removed. I'm doing pretty good with just one lead......but if I could turn back time, I see where I went wrong.....I 'thought' I could do more - too soon! NOT!
Anxiously awaiting your experience! Update us when you feel up to it!

Rae
:grouphug:

Hmmm .. that's going to be my problem .. not doing things too soon. (After back surgery, I was up and tearing around the Greek Island of Santorini on a quad bike .. which probably explains the failed back surgery now .. *shameful look from me*)

Advice on keep still anyone?

Blast
 

Well Saffy, the thing of it for me came down to BLAST: Do not Bend, Do not Lift, and neither shall you STRETCH, nor Twist. These simple four principles easily remembered on top of be good to yourself, for you have had the surgery which is the end of the line so far as surgeries to attend to your issues...... borne in mind will carry you along a cautious healing path until your doctors begin to allow you to make additions to your regimen and about the same time will prescribe physical therapy as a post surgical means of care to properly take you along the path of restorative care.

THEN after sufficient time you may be allowed to join the likes of KZLRogue, who has been Golfing!

Sound like a plan?
Praying for ya,
Mark56:hug:ZZZZZZ

Saffy
 

Saffy you really need to be careful for the first 6/8 weeks. Each of us are individual and will obviously deal with the pain and discomfort in our own way. But you must be careful in regards, bending, stretching your arms up over your head, so for instance while you want to wash your hair, maybe get your husband/partner to do that for you while you try to lean in over the sink or bath. I used the bath, knelt down and leaned over slightly while my husband washed my hair. You cant shower for about 4 weeks....thats to heal up the incisions and keep it dry. So thats a bit of a 'pain' but you get over that. Also if you drop something, use a grabber if you can, or use the nearest person to you to pick it up for you. Dont carry anything heavier than 5lbs!!! I couldnt even carry the kettle to fill with water because I found it too much of a pull on my back. So I was basically waited on hand and foot!!....mind you after about 3 weeks the novelty was wearing off. Especially when I noticed the dust and fluff meeting me as I came in the door! BUT and thats a BIG BUT, I just had to ignore it and call on someone else to pick it up.

I wont say it was easy, it wasnt, but if you take it handy for those few weeks, then the chances of your leads and battery scarring in and staying put are far greater. Im not a person who likes to sit around I love being up and about, so I found it very hard. But I tried to be quiet as long as possible.

So do whatever you need doing that you think you wont be able to do afterwards....(does that makes sense:D) and then when its all over RELAX!!!! and enjoy being looked after because once that period is over....they forget believe me :D

Good luck

Jackie :hug:

Day 3
 

Today Is day 3 after my surgery.... I am very sore, but the pain meds help alot . The Dr. also prescribed some valium for muscle spasms. This the first time I have every taken them & am very surprised how well they calm my back..

I am not really doing much, just taking it easy. Surprised also how much pain i DON'T have. I need to get out to buy a grabber for picking items up off the floor. It is something i wish i had bought ahead of time..

One thing i have been wondering about , has anyone else had depression following the surgery? It has been only 3 days & things are going wonderfully, but i am so weepy! Like pms. lol.

Thank Goodness for the info. in this forum...:D

Jan 75 degrees today... spring is here!!!!

Congratulations Jan
 

Three days post surgery- wow! May all go well with you my friend. Yes, a grabber is a good thing to have. Those depressive days you are experiencing, I did not experience, and then went into a DEEP depression requiring counselling and medication right after I had fully withdrawn from all of the pain meds. I did not experience a "pms" style depression right after surgery [but, then, I am a guy:winky:].

Prayin for ya,
Mark56:hug::hug:zzz

Jan....
 

I'm so happy to hear you are not feeling the pain as you did prior! :hug:

I've battled depression in all it's various stages it seems.....
I do remember that the anesthesia used (even tho only a twilight daze) had me feeling rather 'strange' for a few days after the procedure and I just wasn't myself at all.
Or maybe the valium has this as a side effect....?
Or could be a little bit of everything, you know...you've been thru an awful lot....and being 'laid up', not able to do much might have your endorphins in low gear.

I watched alot of humor on TV and tried to surround myself with things that make me happy....and of course this forum :hug:

I'm sure you'll have the blues kicked in no time.

Try not to 'isolate' yourself too much....I made that mistake and paid dearly for it. It has a way of drawing a person deeper into that 'dark cloud'....

Mark knows exactly what I mean.....and several others here.
We're always here for ya. Just know that ok!

Rae
:hug::grouphug::hug:

Yes your exactly right.. Probally the antethsisia, or the valium, or just the surgery.. I was too close to see the reason.. You guys have been a great help . thanks

jan

Jan I recently had to have my faulty battery belonging to my SCS replaced in February. The procedure went off as planned but when I got home I was SOOO down in the dumps. Didnt know what was wrong with me. I would cry at the slightest thing. And yes definitely bordering on PMS :D but it lasted with me about 2 weeks. I wasnt feeling great either. I put it down to the medication and the anaestetic also. It takes a while for the anaestetic to wear off. So dont worry Im sure it will pass. Like Rae said, surround yourself with happy stuff.......and take it easy too ;)

Jackie :)

Gosh Jan ... so good of you to get on here and say HELLO.

You think; it's been a huge build up to getting this stim and learning that it indeed helps ... all those emotions you have had prior to the op, the relief of knowing that it's helping .. it's like an almightly comedown in a way. You are emotionally relaxing and lots of stuff can come flooding through your head.

Regarding the Valium .. (Diazepam?) Are you taking this just when needed or so many times a day? They do say not to take for more than 2 weeks as it is very addictive, so be wary. I take it for back spasm and it certainly helps .. but the Doctor put me on 5mg three times a day and I don't stick to that, I just take it if I really need it .. and rest.

I'm having to take Tramadol 100mg every four hours at the moment. I was only taking it when needed, but because of having to drive over to see my Mum and help her out as much as I can (doing things I dont do at home because I know I'll end up having a flare up), I'm having to keep on top of the pain with extra meds. (And off to the Doctor on Wednesday for something stronger to help me keep going whilst my Mum needs me)

Keep coming on here if you feel low .. someone will always be about to help and try and cheer you up .. but sometimes you just may want to cry it out .. do so, it's a release.

I have some apps by an amazing man called Andrew Johnson .. if you have an I Pod or MP3 Player he has a truly excellent relaxation app called "Relax". He's Scottish .. and has the most wonderful relaxing voice I've heard in a long time. Truly recommend him!

http://www.withandrewjohnson.com/

By the way .. no one read my blog .. I have not felt like updating it in an age .. I really must do as I am intending to video myself as I go along through this stim pre op status and so on.

Oh MY, Saffy!
 

((((Saffy)))) That was SUCH good input!
I needed to hear it! Thank you! :hug:

Andrew Johnson! wow! I LOVE 'Scottish-ness' :p
Craig Ferguson is my fave commedian and I record his "Late Late Show" every night on my DVD.

Sometimes I feel like I belong in the UK......and/or Ireland (oh how the greenery shines like an emerald!)
.....Am I saying this because of my friends here? :rolleyes: why yes :D
But I genuinely DO love Brittish humor......all the way back to Monty Python.
When I would get together with my little brother years back.....we would delve into Monty Python silly-ness and act like the biggest KOOKS you ever did see! Oh how I miss that! This is the type of stuff I target on TV when I sit and re-charge my unit.....
.....Guess I should start digging around in my 'left pocket' again.....I feel like I've been such a stick in the mud. Going thru mid-life crisis I guess...:rolleyes:

Rae
:grouphug:

Aww Rrae .. I'm glad I got a smile out of you .. that's reward enough isn't it?!

I've just lit the BBQ (in gale force winds .. go me!) so will pop on tomorrow ... DO look for that guy Rrae .. you will LOVE his voice !

I just wanted to say hi.. I am feeling better today, not as moody. the dr. prescribed valium (diazepam) 5mg x 3 a day, but am only taking one with a ambien a bedtime..

I love this scs....I actually went for a mile walk today without my hips hurting. It felt so good to walk outside and not feel so dragged down with the pain of walking.

I want to get to know all of you but i don't feel like connecting with anybody right now. I am sure you know what i mean. I hope you do, because i don't sometimes.. lol

thanks, jan

Blimey .. you are doing so well ... and once again, thank you for popping on just to tell us bits and bobs - it's very encouraging.

Good for you on the Diazepam .. I think you're doing the right thing (and the right thing for you most importantly).

I'm getting a bit anxious and cold feety about my procedure and you're making me feel lots better. xx

Good for Saffy
 

Jan is giving you inspiration to stick with it. I will admit right up to the night before I felt moments of trepidation..... "what am I doing here? Why am I allowing them to put that in me? What if it does not work?"

They were just moments of last time jitters before the real deal. Phantom worries. Once I had it implanted and then two weeks later started up with programs I set, I KNEW it was the right thing.... knew it in my heart and soul.

Prayin Saffy, that yours goes as well as or better than mine,
Mark56:grouphug:
P.S. Wave Hi to Tootle for me....

Saffy: I asked myself every question in the book.... Especially WHY am i getting this thing inside me that will be there the rest of my life? (hopefully).

After alot of thinking.. I mean going back & forth every day I am glad i did... There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I could not see myself dealing with the pain day in and day out... This little machine gives me hope! I feel so relieved to have made this desicion. I am still extremely sore , but there is a light!!!

My 3yr old granddaughter calls it my "sheen". It's nice to come on here. A very positive outlet indeed!!

Jan

Blessings on you Jan
 

And on your granddaughter, who, in her precious youth helps you giving inspiration to others!!! Now that is a nice name for our devices.... a SHEEN, yeah. Good go!

You help bring the positive to this place of sharing, caring, supporting, and especially with RRae around...... LAUGHTER!! That always helps the world go around better.

Saffy! Almost home!! Almost home, and a good day it will be to have release and relief from pain.

Prayin,
Mark56:grouphug:

You guys are such a help. I'm so glad to hear you both had that "m I doing the right thing" voice, whispering in your ear.

The thing is, with my Step Dad dying (21st April) and our not being able to say our last farewell to him at the funeral until 11th May, my mind is taken up with supporting my Mum and I know I'm doing far too much (and paying for it). I need to sit back and write out questions for Thursday .. I need to sit back and speak to my Doctor tomorrow to ask about extra pain relief for the moment so I can keep the strongest pain at bay and help my Mum with her cleaning - I can't focus on myself till after the funeral I don't think.

My mind's in a buzz !! lol

Jan .. I like the name of your stim - mine is going to be called Felix, after the first pet rabbit we had who brought such joy and smiles to our family.

Mark .. Tootle waves back .. though he's feeling a tad neglected as I've not had him washed for a few days and the sky has been bringing down a fine dust for days. (I shall get to it today and take a pic!!)

Much love and positivity to you all x xx

Just to let you all know .. I got the letter today confirming I am in for the Stim on 18th May at 10.30 am ....

Hooray for SAFFY!!
 

18 May it is them. Soon you will be abuzz in Tootle buzzing around the town, window down waving to all in grand excitement!!

Prayin all goes well,
Mark56:grouphug:

And
 

I posted on your beautiful blog!! How about that?

Cheers!
Mark56:grouphug:

Oh thank you Mark .. hmm, that means I'd best go and update it ! lol

Congrats!
 

To the BOTH of you! :hug:
SAFFY! You've finally got your date! How exciting! I really think you're gonna do well with this and you'll be amazed.

We LOVE the pics you share with us!
.....I'm too embarrassed to admit that I don't really know HOW to post pictures!... :o

Jan - Indeed you are dealing with so much right now....and getting used to your unit, as the surgical pain eases up a little every day.
So - don't push yourself....just take it easy and listen to your body. You are in a very important phaze right now....you'll be having a follow up visit with your Dr sometime soon probably - and it's important to be able to know what issues you may want to address with him.
So, yeah....don't feel pressure to have to 'socialize' right now....Just take this time for YOU. This forum ain't goin nowhere ;) we'll be here.
We rely on one another for support...because the outside world can't really completely 'grasp' every aspect of having this buzzing little unit.
We all speak the same language of being the 'Bionic Buzzers' that we are.

Your grandaughter sounds precious!

Jackie has a precious little girl.....and I too am a first time 'Nana' as of 5 months ago! My little guy has completely taken my heart and turned it to butter! Every time he looks up at me and his eyes get big and that smile! Oh my! For that instant in time - there is NO pain whatsoever!
It seems like magic! I never knew that grandkids could bring THIS much joy!

Thanks for the update!
Send us another one when you feel up to it

Rae
:hug::grouphug::hug: