How exciting!!! yes, just make sure your body rests before you try pushing it. I rested and rested probably for 4 weeks... with light little activities... and then I woke up one day doing wow... I have more energy to do things. Once your body gets relief from the stim on I am SURE your body will start to rest and relax. Its a strange feeling let me tell ya. Then your body will rest with pain relief and you will be on your way. It kind of all just makes sense. Have a wonderful day.

I agree with Hannah about waking up and realizing you have more energy. For me, it was actually in the evening when I reflected on my day.....it all of a sudden hit me that I had been more active than I had been in a REALLY long time.......both physically or mentally!! The best part is I would have never realized it if it weren't for me reflecting on the day. As Hannah says...it's hard to explain the feeling but you will get there, Mark!!!

To Hannah,

In high school and college, I was an outside hitter and defensive specialist (they didn't have Libero's when I played really competitive ball- yes, I'm just that old!!! hahahaha! No rally scoring...just the plain old boring play!!!) As I found my way to co-ed sand and court ball, I was forced into becoming a setter (they didn't call me stone hands for nothing!! Hahaha!) which I learned to love. Yes, I would have to say I really liked playing co-ed because of the quicks and the fakes. My favorite part of setting was tricking the blocker into thinking it was going to a certain hitter. The blocker, of course, would start taking off in that direction and then I'd set in the opposite direction. It was always such a beautiful kill with no blocker!! Ahhhhhh!! I LOVE it still!!!! They have the occasional reverse 4's tourney's that are a hoot!! The guys are required to set and the girls get to hit. It's loads of fun!!!

OMG, you have no idea how glad i am to be able to be on here again!!



My laptop at home broke, so the only way I can get here is at my office and I've been off work for the past week! I feel like I've been a MILLION miles away from my peeps!!!

It took me a whole HOUR to read back thru all the posts I've missed since I was on here last. You are ALL so AMAZING!!!

I am just so HAPPY!!! don't even know WHERE to start!!!
The support here is beyond comprehension. We truly are like one big bionic FAMILY here !!

Those pics BMW posted made me gain 5 pounds just by LOOKING at them!!
Cheryl Here's to you for keeping everyone updated throughout the whole surgery. You are awesome! OH! and i was so touched to realize what the 'ASAP' means!
Too cool!
Kzlrogue! Here's to you and your passion for golfing!!! 36 holes!! yes~!!

Fiona! You always put smiles on our faces!! What would we do without you!!

Hannah! The love you spread is so contageous!

Pooh! You keep our little world together!!

And Marshmallow!!! LOOK what i found in my OTHER pocket!!!

It is truly touching to see how everyone pulls together at such an important time!
I hope Cleo sees this ! Thank you for 'sharing' your wonderful husband with all of us!! ....how does that saying go.....'behind every good man, there is a wonderful woman...' somthing like that!! Well, anyway, I'm sure by now you've realized what a very special place Mark has here at NT!

I've never seen so much faith so tightly knit together...here in our little cyber world!!
Thank you everyone for all the prayers and support!
Just reading thru all these posts has built me back up out of the 'pit' I was sinking into.....

BY THE WAY!! Mark!! in case no one else noticed!! YOU hit the #200 post to this awesome thread, which in my humble opinion will go down in history!!

I've missed you all and I hope to be on here as soon as I can!

Get your rest, Mark! Hannah gave you some VERY important pointers on how NOT to overdo it!! She is so very correct!! It's too easy to accidentally cross a line thinking you're feeling better, but.......PLEASE do the 'baby steps' and whatever else it takes to make your healing process go smoothly!

Love and Hugs to ALL

Rae

You are so funny. I just loved how you put it together. Makes the pain less when you can read an interesting post. Thank you for mine. You are so kind. So sorry about your computer. Isn't it funny how we get so attached to them which keeps us attached to each other. Can you imagine all of our pain if we did not have each other to talk to about it. It makes it so much easier.

take care of yourself and will write soon....got to go to bed. My face is on fire.
Love ya
Cheryl

In the sage words of Rae "OMG!" I awakened today to the one week anniversary of the lumbar implant surgery. What a "Cause celebre!" Time to party...... well, not quite. Still exhausted although walking a bit more and reducing the pain meds. I have slept much of the day away.

The wounds are healing very well it seems. Down to Steri Strips on the throacic wound and a heavy duty bandaid on the hip wound. A little seepage on the hip wound, and BRUISING. Maybe the bruising at the hip is from the bore and pull through of the leads to connect paddles and generator. I don't know. I was asleep, you know. One thing is for sure, I can definitely feel the works in there and trailing down from the upper back I have sensation of SOMETHING, likely the wire leads. Still not pushing and prodding on myself, and I am just trying to leave it all alone until the post surgical appt this Friday for programming the generator.

So GLAD to see Rae return after her computer hiatus. THAT HAS TO BE HARD, not having the ready access to these threads in which you have built participation, Rae.

Here we are, waiting for the program session. Trying VERY HARD to be good and not damage the works. Walking has been limited to hard firm stable surfaces [floors, the earth, stairs, and the like]. Gonna wait until the professionals let me move forward on strength restorative work.

Thank you for ALL of the JUBILATION!!
Oh, and Rae, I showed it all to Cleo- she appreciates all this group has brought to us through our participation and Cheryl for keeping it up in my absence!
Mark56

:
Well that about sums it up for me

Glad to hear you're getting slowly better, Mark. Praying your appt. to get your stim. working will go good, and you will get mucho mucho pain relief.

By the way, I've decided to name my implants "the twins". Seems appropriate since they'll be in my "two" cheeks

Yesterday I tried decreasing gradually the pain meds prescribed by my surgeon..... well, frankly, because they confound me so much when taken, as prescribed, in addition to my other pain management meds. So, I halved the dose, you know, because it has been a week after all. I found out right away WHY so much pain med was prescribed!

My surgeon had spoken with us about using the meds he prescribed and "staying ahead" of the pain curve. His words were embellished with the reasoning behind the prescribed use; namely, that I was going to hurt A LOT from the creation of the channel from my thoracic spine down to the hip generator placement. Since that particular pain had been masked by the host of meds I am prescribed, I had not truly gained an appreciation of the pain level from running that ROD under my skin to create the channel for the leads. OH BOY did I get a lesson in take ALL of the meds as prescribed! That area hurts like hades, well more a harsh ache than a burn. Let the doctor on Friday give me further instruction on reducing the prescription use but stay the course in the meantime. Thus, I am rendered drowsy all of the time and I sleep much of the day away, interspersed with some walking as my exercise of the moment.

Some regularity has returned to my bowel/bladder system, finally achieving a goal after using Miralax in addition to the prunes. Prunes are great as far as they go, and I have used MANY prunes during my life with morphine to keep things working sort of..... but jump starting the works after surgery took several days. At last!! Ahhhhh.....! Some relief in that arena. Still working on regularity but not overly concerned, because I know it works.

Well, guess what? It is time for more pills. I am sure to nod off....
More Later!! z
ASAP,
a sleepy Mark56 P.J.

<<<----the 'fortitude fairies'

Glad to hear your 'plumbing' is working!

And wow. i realize how much more intense your procedure has been compared to my li'l percutaneous bionicization (?) <<---did i really say that?

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!! sleeeeep and rest.

Anxious to hear how your appt goes on Friday.

Here we are!! Today we get with the PROGRAM! Looking forward to it! Happy to be this far down the path and hoping the next bit of life brings better pain management through bionics.

Did Rae really say "percutaneous bionicization?" That is more along the lines of my "morphinization" term.

Going for the bionics full bore. It will be definitely interesting to see whether we meet or exceed our expectations from the Trial! Yep.

More later
Asap,
Mark56 P.J.