New to this website...hello
 

I came across this forum recently. I've had the lumbar SCS trial and am waiting ins. approval for the cervical SCS trial. If the cervical trial goes well, I'll be getting both the lumbar and cervical SCS's implanted. Dr. says he'll do it in one surgery and I'll probably have two batteries. He said he implants the batteries below the waistline in the buttock area, so will have one in each butt cheek :eek:

Any advice you can give me? I'm fairly new to all this and trying to educate myself. Fortunately I think I have a good dr. as he also trains other doctors in how to implant the SCS devices. He used to be at Cleveland Clinic until he moved here to Columbus.

Well Hello!
 

WELCOME!!
SO glad you've found us!! You'll soon see that we're becomming quite the 'fun' little bunch of 'Bionic-Butts' :p
Sharing our ordeals is very therapeutic and we'll all be glad to get to know you and share what we can, and will no doubt be inspired by YOU as well!

Can't stay on long at the moment, but wanted to welcome you since I saw your post! I've got company coming, so must log off for now....
I hope you are having a good Memorial weekend!
Others will be along shortly!

Rae
:grouphug:

Hi fionab
 

Hello fionab-

I don't remember reading of a member posting with both cervical and lumbar implant results and effects. What I recall reading have been postings of one or the other. Hopefully if I have missed a dual implant recipient along the way, they will chime in SOON for you. I am a post Trial patient waiting, well as patiently as possible, more like on pins and needles as we seek a calendar date for my lumbar implant to address bilateral leg neuropathic pain, numbness, BURNING, oh, and the spasms, can't forget them.

I was ecstatic once the Trial proved successful. It is SO hard to wait for the real deal. If you wind up with a battery in each glute I wonder about your charging/recharging. One thing that caused my docs to persuade my change from ANS to Boston Scientific was that the BF unit recharges without wires, a recharging unit is worn around the waist when needed and it sits in a charging cradle otherwise. But, like you wrote :eek:, that may take some effort to become accustomed.

May you find ALL of the input and answers you sought in posting, and as you approach the surgery, you have my every hope and prayer that it procedes to success and without ANY infection. :hug:

Blessings,
Mark56 :)

Right on!
 

There is a member here who had both cervical and lumbar. Her name is "Vannafeelbetter"..... She hasn't been on for a few months and I miss her :(

She had some very wonderful informative input and was happy with hers. If you do a search and find her profile page you could look back thru her prior posts. I think of her often and hope she is doing ok...... She would be such a wonderful contributer here, as this forum was just created a few months ago and she hasn't been on here since the SCS/PP forum has been created.

The only negative thing I recall her saying was that the pressure of having 2 batteries weighed on her lower back.

TTYS
Rae
:hug:

I spent some time and went thru Vannafeelbetter's postings. Makes me feel better to know that there is someone out there that had success with getting two implants. Glad I found this forum. Will read as much as I can to educate myself. Any advice on what to do/not do after I get the permanent implants? I have a vacation planned two months after I get the permanent implants...is this realistic? Thanks:)

have you asked your doc about your planned vacation? You nhave 2 be kind 2 your sites for about 8 weeks so.....:hug:

Well, hmmmm. That is a good question. Your Dr should make that judgment call for sure. It depends on what all your vacation will involve. Flying?
Driving long distance? Getting 2 units at the same time is gonna put quite a demand on your body.
I'm 3 months out from getting my lumbar implant and it's doing a good job of covering the pain. I'm still pretty 'protective' of the battery site and don't want to take ANY chance of getting infections. My Dr has given me the 'ok' to start swimming again.
I dunno, fionab, that seems to be cutting it pretty close.....

I guess, depending on what your Dr says, you'll have to really 'listen' to your body. I personally wouldn't feel in any condition to do any amount of walking, site-seeing, or riding for extended periods of time at this point. My back muscles are very weak and vulnerable to stress, which easily causes a pain trigger.....but if you are just going to be visiting someone and be in an atmosphere of comfort and 'pampering', then maybe it'll do you a world of good.
Let us know how this goes! Keep sending us updates here to your thread along the way so we can 'follow along' with your journey. It'll be a good learning experience and also will help those who come to NT looking for advice and experiences we share.

I wish you the best and am praying for successful outcome for you!
I'm glad you've got a Dr you feel confident about. That's one of the most important part of the process....is having a very skilled Dr.

Please stick around and let us get to know more about your pain battle which brought you to the point of getting the SCS.
We are like family here and we build off each other's experiences.
This is such a caring community

So glad you're here!
Rae
:hug:

Have a Conflab with your Dr
 

Yep Fionab-

Along the lines of Pooh and Rae, you need to share your intentions and hopes clearly with your Dr. While they will not go the distance of counselling you whether to make plane reservations and the like [involves laying out money on their advice] they will counsel you regarding the likelihood of physical limitations which may affect you at that time. Be candid with your doc about your plans and ask their thoughts, then be prepared to listen and react in a way that will take into account what they share and your knowledge about your own body. Especially if you have been through any major surgery in prior times, you would have a feeling for how your body reacts and recovers.

I hope and pray for you the best. Two implants at once! I certainly hope they work in the ways each of you and your docs intend.

All the best,
Mark56 :)

You guys are making me pretty nervous:eek:I didn't realize that getting two implants at once was such a big deal. I figured it would be like having one surgery, just that they would put in two batteries at one time. If I could tolerate the pain, I'd just wait until after vacation to have the surgery. This is a pretty important vacation as we're taking my dad on vacation to try to cheer him up because my mom and my sister passed away a few months ago. He's really excited about going and I'd hate to disappoint him as he needs the distraction from all the grieving he's been having to deal with. Thanks for the input...will have to give this some serious thought.

Nervousness not prescribed
 

Hi Fionab-

I don't think any have a desire to inspire a nervous reaction so much as merely to say "put it all out in front of your doctor" for their honest appraisal and reaction. There is deep deep merit in your family need for the trip. That is well understood. Even so, the surgery you contemplate is serious business, gosh, I had nothing planned to get in the way, and they have dragged me along now five full months of "you know, this is serious stuff don't you?" style caution. Given such a reaction from my medical group, I just imagined your doctors would want to know your travel intentions as they may affect their medical thoughts.

All will work out,
Mark56 :)