Does anyone have one? I am scheduled for an implant soon and was wondering about the recovery? If I'll need help at all at home afterwards?

Hi Jane,
I don't have one but was chosen for one. I just wanted to wish you luck in whatever you decide and hope you find relief...

Hi Hannajane,

You could also ask over on the
SCS & Pain Pumps Forum

There are also useful links and resources in the Sticky threads at the top of the forum.

As Lara suggested; there is quite a bit of info on SCS Forum regarding stim implants.


Gerry

I had a spinal stimulator implanted in 2007. It was the best decision I ever made. My beautiful son would not be here had I not gotten it. I will say it does not get rid of all the pain but makes it tolerable. Always make sure you get a trial run first before you have it permanently implanted as it does not work for everybody. I had already undergone 13 surgeries before I had the implant on my ankle and leg so the surgery was pretty simple for me compared to what I had already been through. I do know they make them much smaller now. Only advice I can give you is be careful when leaning back in a chair because it can get caught on the battery and that hurts. They place it under a muscle. Mine is in the lower part of my back where it bends so I can sleep on my back without any discomfort. Wishing you lots of luck and if you have anymore questions, please feel free to ask me. I am due for a battery change so I will probably have another lead put in because they only had to use 1 to get my pain spot. You can have up to 4. Then again that was in 2007.

Thank you everyone. I did the trial and had some relief. I have the implant scheduled for March 6th. I just hope it makes it so most days I want to be alive. I know it's not a cure but some relief will be welcomed. My dr said its that or a morphine pump

I have had my stimulator since July 31, 2014. It worked great at first but after 2 months it stopped being effective. One side effect that the doctors don't warn you of that is rare but can happen is that it can cause you to randomly fall. I had that happen from day one when the stimulator was put in. I am now having it removed on Wednesday Feb. 4th. This is just my experience with it. I know some one who has had theirs for years and it is very effective, each person is different. As for the recovery I found it to be pretty easy of course you can't get the site wet, and my doctors had me where a brace to keep me from bending and twisting for 6-8 weeks afterwards. I would recommend having some help at home for a bit because we never realize how much we bend and twist each day.

I have had mine for almost 4 years. Depending on where the implant is placed depends on your recovery. Mine is a single lead up my spine to the base of my neck. The battery is implanted in my right hip. I had to wear a neck brace for 6-8 weeks to be sure I didn't move my neck too much so the lead would heal in the proper place. The battery site was tender and actually looked much worse than it felt.