[Deidre Duron]

I'm new to this group here, but am excited to see so many people with stimulators. Up here in Alaska its rare to meet or run into some one with one, as I have yet to do so. It helps to read comments from people and is supportive.
Five yrs ago I broke rib head T5-T7 and had hairline fractures that followed the ribs around to the side on two levels. They never healed right and I ended up w/chronic nerve, sensory and motor skill deprevation. Nothing helped or touched the pain in a flare up. They eventually ended up doing the trial run, then the single lead placement last Sep. About 4mo. after that we discovered that the lead had migrated so they had to remove it and ended up placing the perm. one in. I have yet to recover from this.
Jan. I had the double paddle lead 16 electrode stim put in. This required a small laminectomy to insert it. Talk about more invasive and painful than the first single lead. Its been a little over two months and I'm still recovering big time from the surgery. I'm still on pain meds and the stim. seems to be working in that it reduces the length of my spasms.
If anyone else here has this or similar situation in place, I'd love to know your experiences and how long its taken you to recover. The doc said would be about 2-4 months before the surgery pain is gone and about 11 months for my body to return to somewhat normal activities.
Sadly I've ended up gaining a ton of weight after this surgery. Have other people with this gained weight too?
Thank you for any responses pertaining to this.

[Rrae]

Glad you have found this wonderful forum full of caring, loving folks who really 'understand' what you are going thru! Most of us have found that, without the support here, we feel somewhat 'isolated' from even the most loving caring families and friends......it really takes true understanding and KNOWING what all we've gone thru to get to this place of making the decision to get these units implanted! It's a big step to take!

There are several here who've had the laminectomy. Read thru other's testimonies and respond to their threads, ask questions,.....meanwhile you'll be getting replies to your new thread. Keep updates on your procedure/recovery.
I'm amazed how many people have come here asking about these units!
Any input you give will be very valuable.....this SCS/Pain Pump forum is pretty new, so we need as many testimonies as possible! This is such a huge help for all the folks coming to NT looking for other's experiences!

AGain, Good Luck and hope to see you around !

Rae

[kzlrogue]

Originally Posted by Deidre Duron

I'm new to this group here, but am excited to see so many people with stimulators. Up here in Alaska its rare to meet or run into some one with one, as I have yet to do so. It helps to read comments from people and is supportive.
Five yrs ago I broke rib head T5-T7 and had hairline fractures that followed the ribs around to the side on two levels. They never healed right and I ended up w/chronic nerve, sensory and motor skill deprevation. Nothing helped or touched the pain in a flare up. They eventually ended up doing the trial run, then the single lead placement last Sep. About 4mo. after that we discovered that the lead had migrated so they had to remove it and ended up placing the perm. one in. I have yet to recover from this.
Jan. I had the double paddle lead 16 electrode stim put in. This required a small laminectomy to insert it. Talk about more invasive and painful than the first single lead. Its been a little over two months and I'm still recovering big time from the surgery. I'm still on pain meds and the stim. seems to be working in that it reduces the length of my spasms.
If anyone else here has this or similar situation in place, I'd love to know your experiences and how long its taken you to recover. The doc said would be about 2-4 months before the surgery pain is gone and about 11 months for my body to return to somewhat normal activities.
Sadly I've ended up gaining a ton of weight after this surgery. Have other people with this gained weight too?
Thank you for any responses pertaining to this.

Deidre,

I am so sorry that you have had to go through all this!!! But know that you have come to the right place for AWESOME support! Everyone here is fantastic about sharing their story and offering the needed support that only someone who's walked in your shoes can give. If you get a chance, why don't you PM me. It sounds like we have a lot in common both with the surgery and the recovery. I'm 6 1/2 weeks out from the implant and am still having a lot of pain from the surgery. I haven't been on any of the "good" pain meds since hours after the surgery because they make me very nauseated so it's been OTC since. However, they too make me sick but not as bad. It's crazy but I'd rather deal with the pain because that's what I'm used to......not nausea. Anyway, I'm so glad that you are here and please PM me if you get a chance. I would love to talk with you!!

[Deidre Duron]

Thank you for the kind note. Yes, I so understand you pain. I have the radicular pain that flares up to where I can were a bra, its right on my bra line. It literally feels like a boa constrictor suffocating me. Its fatigueing, you can't explain it to where anybody really conseives your pain..and then to learn how to deal with it day in and day out...mine took place Aug. 2004. I'm affraid that (being that this surgery was so much bigger and more invasive) that I will never be the same. But, I am back to work full time, thankfully I work at a law firm and upon my return they hired me my own assistant to help me do the things I can't do for quite a while. What is your first name? I ache just hearing you can't take pain meds...thats excruciating right there...I'm so so sorry. Have they tried giving you Phenagren for nausea on top of something like percocet or demorol? The Phenagren would put you to sleep I think. What type of work are you limited to now? Bottom line..isn't this not only frustrating for us as we have no control and it's so HUMBLING. I'm on Cymbalta as the pain was never ending and so awful that with two sons and a great husband I still wanted to escape this type of lifestyle. I don't know to what extent your pain levels hit, they said mine were at a 15 on the 1-10 pain scale..I was borderline going into shock, I'd shake and get cold sweats etc. I can only expect in the region of your back you've experienced the same. I am so tickled that you have replied and yes it does sound like so far you and I can truly compare life changing similarities. I'm new here so I don't know how to PM you, can you tell me what you mean by that? I anxiously await your reply. I'm in Anchorage Alaska so it is currently 9:30 p.m. here and thus I will be going to bed shortly and while I'm there charging my generator. Question: You still feel the same pain, or the incision pain, or both? I have what I believe is incision/healing pain, but its also sharp (very sharp) and along the side as if it were back to the radicular thing again...I'm just waiting for another month or so, atleast until the 4 month point before I address my concerns to the doctors. I'm so affraid that my back is never going to be fixed and will have to face another surgery, therefore, I'm praying like crazy that this goes away soon.
Again, thanks for replying. God Bless you as you are in my thoughts. This is strange that I've never met you , but the sympathy I/we feel is only bc we've been there.

[kzlrogue]

Originally Posted by Deidre Duron

Thank you for the kind note. Yes, I so understand you pain. I have the radicular pain that flares up to where I can were a bra, its right on my bra line. It literally feels like a boa constrictor suffocating me. Its fatigueing, you can't explain it to where anybody really conseives your pain..and then to learn how to deal with it day in and day out...mine took place Aug. 2004. I'm affraid that (being that this surgery was so much bigger and more invasive) that I will never be the same. But, I am back to work full time, thankfully I work at a law firm and upon my return they hired me my own assistant to help me do the things I can't do for quite a while. What is your first name? I ache just hearing you can't take pain meds...thats excruciating right there...I'm so so sorry. Have they tried giving you Phenagren for nausea on top of something like percocet or demorol? The Phenagren would put you to sleep I think. What type of work are you limited to now? Bottom line..isn't this not only frustrating for us as we have no control and it's so HUMBLING. I'm on Cymbalta as the pain was never ending and so awful that with two sons and a great husband I still wanted to escape this type of lifestyle. I don't know to what extent your pain levels hit, they said mine were at a 15 on the 1-10 pain scale..I was borderline going into shock, I'd shake and get cold sweats etc. I can only expect in the region of your back you've experienced the same. I am so tickled that you have replied and yes it does sound like so far you and I can truly compare life changing similarities. I'm new here so I don't know how to PM you, can you tell me what you mean by that? I anxiously await your reply. I'm in Anchorage Alaska so it is currently 9:30 p.m. here and thus I will be going to bed shortly and while I'm there charging my generator. Question: You still feel the same pain, or the incision pain, or both? I have what I believe is incision/healing pain, but its also sharp (very sharp) and along the side as if it were back to the radicular thing again...I'm just waiting for another month or so, atleast until the 4 month point before I address my concerns to the doctors. I'm so affraid that my back is never going to be fixed and will have to face another surgery, therefore, I'm praying like crazy that this goes away soon.
Again, thanks for replying. God Bless you as you are in my thoughts. This is strange that I've never met you , but the sympathy I/we feel is only bc we've been there.

Deidre,

I sent you a private message so once you're logged in, it should pop up that you have one. If not, let me know.

Kim

[Deidre Duron]

Here it is coming up on two 1/2 months after surgery and I am still feeling shooting pains from what I hope are muscles healing around the incision site. I constantly get reminders that it was a major surgery and that it could take any where from 2-4 mo. to stop feeling the pain. How long has it taken you to stop feeling incision pain? This is inclusive of the laminectomy w/paddle lead insertion.

[Mark56]

I am grateful to those who have posted on this thread, as one who has been through a few surgeries previously and am now facing the SCS implant procedure. I was injured in a high speed car wreck 5 years ago. A few things were messed up as a result of that event and I have been in an operating room more than I care to remember. Among the most major have been the discectomy/laminectomy/fusion in my lumbar spine followed a few months later with another major invasion of my spine to remove a bone growth medium spur which protruded against one of those lovely pain producing nerve roots.

Having striven to be the good patient and follow all doctor prescriptions and recommendations, I am now heavily invested into the process of attaining SCS implant procedures. Sure, I went through all of the post surgical physical therapy [all of it and then some], deep tissue massage, acupuncture, and, of course the confounding and constipating courses of prescribed medications. Right now, I still use the prescribed morphine, neurontin, and restoril along with much use of my interferential neuro stim unit and its sticky electrodes on my skin with those wires which dangle from my pocket and will remind me RIGHT NOW of their presence if I walk too close to a kitchen cabinet handle. JERK! That stops me!

My physiatrist finally said I fit the profile of one who is the perfect patient for the SCS procedures. I meet with the surgeon tomorrow. The psychiatrist a few days later. And I wait. Kinda tired of the burning pain in my sciatic nerve arena and the ever present spasms.

I have been through the healing process of deep penetration back surgery and the insertion of rods and pedicle screws, and I have dreaded EVER again going through such surgery to address my issues. Family and friends chimed in lovingly and with wisdom helping me to understand there is this last resort means out there to maybe, just MAYBE remediate some of this awful pain.

So, I have had discussions with Patient Ambassadors for St Judes Medical, the manufacturer of the EON unit we are considering. They have told me of their experience with results based perspective. I have discussed and researched the procedures and believe I have a grasp for the post surgical pain associated with the implant. My doctor is looking at a T8/T9 laminectomy to be able to suture the paddles to the spinal cord, the routing of the leads down the cord to a lumbar exposure where the stim unit will be buried in my upper hip. It sounds like a lot of ouch.

Reading of your experiences with the surgeries and the follow on recovery, I am heartened that, if allowed to proceed, I can do this. For five years I have wanted to get some of my life back, and you are among those helping me know that is possible.

Thank you so very much, Mark56

[Deidre Duron]

[QUOTE=Mark56;637730]I am grateful to those who have posted on this thread, as one who has been through a few surgeries previously and am now facing the SCS implant procedure. I was injured in a high speed car wreck 5 years ago. A few things were messed up as a result of that event and I have been in an operating room more than I care to remember. Among the most major have been the discectomy/laminectomy/fusion in my lumbar spine followed a few months later with another major invasion of my spine to remove a bone growth medium spur which protruded against one of those lovely pain producing nerve roots.

Having striven to be the good patient and follow all doctor prescriptions and recommendations, I am now heavily invested into the process of attaining SCS implant procedures. Sure, I went through all of the post surgical physical therapy [all of it and then some], deep tissue massage, acupuncture, and, of course the confounding and constipating courses of prescribed medications. Right now, I still use the prescribed morphine, neurontin, and restoril along with much use of my interferential neuro stim unit and its sticky electrodes on my skin with those wires which dangle from my pocket and will remind me RIGHT NOW of their presence if I walk too close to a kitchen cabinet handle. JERK! That stops me!

My physiatrist finally said I fit the profile of one who is the perfect patient for the SCS procedures. I meet with the surgeon tomorrow. The psychiatrist a few days later. And I wait. Kinda tired of the burning pain in my sciatic nerve arena and the ever present spasms.

I have been through the healing process of deep penetration back surgery and the insertion of rods and pedicle screws, and I have dreaded EVER again going through such surgery to address my issues. Family and friends chimed in lovingly and with wisdom helping me to understand there is this last resort means out there to maybe, just MAYBE remediate some of this awful pain.

So, I have had discussions with Patient Ambassadors for St Judes Medical, the manufacturer of the EON unit we are considering. They have told me of their experience with results based perspective. I have discussed and researched the procedures and believe I have a grasp for the post surgical pain associated with the implant. My doctor is looking at a T8/T9 laminectomy to be able to suture the paddles to the spinal cord, the routing of the leads down the cord to a lumbar exposure where the stim unit will be buried in my upper hip. It sounds like a lot of ouch.

Reading of your experiences with the surgeries and the follow on recovery, I am heartened that, if allowed to proceed, I can do this. For five years I have wanted to get some of my life back, and you are among those helping me know that is possible.

Thank you so very much, Mark56 [/QUOTE




Mark wow what a painful experience you've been through. My injury took place by an abusive ex-boyfriend who didn't like the fact that I was leaving him coming up on six years ago in Aug. My full body weight was thrown on the ground and the impact hit right on the underside of my right arm at an angle and caused the ribs to jam back into my spine and split from the pressure of the impact. It never healed back right, and I too have a spur pushing on a nerve root, but they say it's not big enough to do the surgery to clean it up at my age. Like I told Mrs. KRouge, I deeply ache and sympathize for anyone who lives with this humbling uncontrolable lifestyle. I used to run 2 miles a day at 4:00 a.m. and do a total of 2 hour work outs a day, I was tone and felt great, this eventually took over..I've failed PT bc they can't do anything with me that wouldn't create a flare up. I've cried my tears, but Mark, the most important thing...I wasn't afraid. I wasn't afraid of the procedure for the SCS, maybe that is foolish but I looked at it as even though its not going to fix your problem, it may help you cope with the pain a bit better and therefore we can gain just a bit back of our once very active lives. I'm afraid now only bc the major procedure that this was for me I don't want to have to experience again...but Mark,..wow, you've been through so much, you most definitely are a perfect candidate for this. I so hope this will help you in lowering the pain your in. You always hear that saying that someone else out there is worse off than you, you certainly fit the bill there. I can't imagine how hard it must be for you to cope, bless you for being so strong. Stay positive and strong, there is a ton of support and caring here.

[Mark56]

I do thank you, Deidre- I marked my mood as inspired, because upon reaching this site and marvelling at the range of folks who, like me, are here either having had SCS procedures or in contemplation seeking information. Yesterday marked my first real opportunity to delve into deep reading regarding the workup, surgery, and recovery. What a great help it is to learn of the paths taken by those who have gone before me.

I know anytime someone's fingers are in there pulling muscle aside to remove a section of bone, insert some body foreign hardware, and then reassemble Humpty Dumpty once more there is bound to be post surgical pain of recovery. In this there is certain to be a follow on period of weeks to restore function and resume strengthening. You all have helped me gain perspective in this as once more the surgeon's scalpel is contemplated.

This morning, I meet at the orthopedic surgeon's office, this time to review EMG and MRI results. Not many days later, I get to meet a psychiatrist to pursue the mandatory pre-implant evaluation. Questions about this latter topic drove me here in the first place, and wow, I learned more, much more than the welcome information regarding mentally intrusive psych probing.

I feel more at peace with the decision to move forward on this path, and your remarks are among those aiding my restful mind. Sure, I can do this again! I deserve it. My wife and children deserve it. Attaining some better measure of control over pain through the device is my goal. I am reaching for it. Mark56

[kzlrogue]

Originally Posted by Deidre Duron

Here it is coming up on two 1/2 months after surgery and I am still feeling shooting pains from what I hope are muscles healing around the incision site. I constantly get reminders that it was a major surgery and that it could take any where from 2-4 mo. to stop feeling the pain. How long has it taken you to stop feeling incision pain? This is inclusive of the laminectomy w/paddle lead insertion.

I'm still feeling the incision pain and it's been 6 1/2 weeks since surgery. I still get the sharp shooting pain (as if someone is stabbing me) as well as the constant aching and feeling as if someone is squeezing my ribs tightly. I had to laugh at an article I read about how doctors recommend that the patient start walking as soon as possible and they'd like to see the patient walking up to 1 - 2 miles by the 2nd week after surgery. I haven't had a good chuckle in a long time because just last week I finally made it around the block for the first time! (And it wasn't my normal pain that was causing me NOT to walk and get around easily.) I, too, am hoping that the stabbing pains are just my muscles healing. Time will tell I guess.