I'm sooooo happy. The drs. today said I could do the pain pump trial. I'm beyond happy. It took over 2 hrs of talking to drs, nurses, examines, reviewing my records from the other drs. and a floriscope of my back to see if it could be done. I got the ok. the only hitch is that because I throw infections if you even look at me wrong, I've got to get with an infections disease dr. (of which I have one) and start on antibodicts. I should get the trial with in the next 2 wks. I'll be in the hosptial for 4 days attached to a cather in my spine and an external pump. they will be trying several cocktails of meds to try and see what works. Once the perm is in and I've healed, I can go back to horseback riding, almost anything. i see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I want to run as fast as I can to get there.

A pain pump is a device where the resivoire that holds pain meds is implanted into your belly, then you have a very thin flexable tube that is connected to the pump, and that tube runs to your back, under the skin, and is implanted directly into your spinal fluid. the meds that are in there are several types and combinations. It's what works best for you, and it take a bit to find that out. By using the pain pump you only require 1/300's of the dose of meds that you are taking orally. it only is put into your spinal fluid, so it doesn't get to the rest of the body to cause the symptoms that we all suffer from, sleepyness, memory loss, etc. The healing is the same as for the scs, but you don't have the same restrictions later after you heal. You don't have to worry about the leads being pulled out. and the cather is placed low in the spine so you don't have a lot of wires and all that are inflexable. I'm so happy. I'll have an metronics unit. You do have to have the pump refilled which is done with a needle thru the belly to the pump, but it is just directly under the skin. It's not the prettiest thing out there, but I don't care. My activity level is more important then ever wearing a skin tight outfit. I'm to old for that anyway.lllooolll

hugs
Mary