Jackiey- Hoping your recharger is replaced.
 

Well..... or repaired, if that is an issue, but you know, if the recharger has gone and won't coimmunicate, maybe they will replace it as it very likely could be faulty.

Here's prayin your reprogramme and charger BOTH turn out for the best!!
Mark56:hug:

I dont believe it!!!!!
 

I got to the hospital today at 10.45am and went in straight away. I had my charger, programmer, paddles, belt, magnet the lot with me. My Rep is a lovely lady and so patient, dont know how they do it!!!.

I explained to her that on Monday I had a trouble with the charger finding my stim battery. But after about a minute the orange light went green...phew I thought.....but after about 5 minutes it said I was done. Now normally it can take maybe half to three quarters of an hour to charge, so I knew it wasnt finished. So I turned it on again and yes this time it took the usual time.

Then last night I had to charge again and as I was going into the Rep today I wanted to make sure I was fully charged. But again as I went to recharge, the light was orange, and stayed orange, now this time it wasnt connecting at all. I spent over an hour trying every position to see if maybe I wasnt placing it in the proper place, but no it didnt work. Again this morning I tried but still no luck.

So the Rep had a new one with her as another patient is being implanted today. So she said well lets try this one. BUT that didnt work either:eek:Now we were baffled. Because I was fully sure that my charger was at fault. Afterall my stim was still functioning with me being able to turn it up or down or off/on too. So this was a puzzle. She then took my charger and fiddled with the paddle and the leads and the buttons. Again nothing. We were all just puzzled. As my Doctor wasnt present, the nurse rang him to see if he could shed some light on it. He ordered some xrays. So I headed to the Xray dept and I had 5 xrays done. The Rep thought that maybe part of a lead was crossing the battery:eek: She told me when they are placing the battery into its pocket they generally loop some excess lead under the battery so that it isnt too taut and it gives the patient some leeway with bending etc.

So after having my xrays done I went back to the Pain Clinic and the nurse told me that the Doctor had a clinic starting at 1pm......it was only 12pm then, and would I just wait for the Doctor? Well of course I would wait what choice did I have. The Doctor arrived and he looked at my xrays. It was amazing to see the box and the lead. Well all was present and correct. It appeared that nothing had moved and no lead was across the battery. So I stood there while my Doctor and the Rep played a blaming game. As far as he was concerned the op was a success and it was the unit. BUT the Rep said that as the unit it working but not charging, she was at a loss as to what to do next. She said to me later that its typical the Doctor blaming the unit. But obviously she was working for the Company and the Doctor had proof all was in place. There was a standoff for a few minutes!!! So then it was decided to order another charger just to see if that would work. Well I thought if it wasnt working with another new one, its hardly going to do it with ANOTHER one, but then who am I:confused:

I was getting a bit fed up by now, so I said....'ok if the new charger doesnt work, WHAT HAPPENS THEN!!!!...' my Doctor said, well we have a problem. He said in that case the battery MUST be faulty. He said he would have to go back in and change the battery, but not the leads. He said it was something he didnt want to do but it meant that the scar tissue has developed and it was the last thing he wanted to do.

So......here I am this evening, waiting on my Rep to get in touch with St Jude Medical in the STates to find out 'what to do'.....and I am left in LIMBO!!!!
I have enough power until Saturday and thats it:eek:....

I am just so annoyed now. I did everything right all along . I was worried I had a lead migration but thankfully not, its not my fault. ...I dread to know what lies ahead if the stim stops ...I will be back in the land of hell.
Im hoping this wont take long to sort it out. But dont worry Im not a woman to sit around and wait I will be on that phone PRONTO!!!

Sorry this has been a LONG post but I need to get it off my chest, so to speak. Do you know if this has happened to any one else? Battery not charging but stim does. I know Tara had a problem with charging but cant recall if her lead had migrated.....although she did have paddles put in too.

I will keep you all updated if and when I know....just pray that something works instead of me having to go back in and be opened up again.....

Jackie:(

Prayin as you asked
 

Hi Jackiey- Sounds like the child's game of hot potato, no one wants to be caught holding it when the time is up. Something is definitely wrong. It is going to be a time of taking logical and least invasive steps before having to go the route of opening the pocket again.

So on to trying a new charging unit to determine whether it works. One would think there was testing equipment which could affirm whether the current charger was compliant or faulty, but then, who am I to wonder?

Similarly, one would think there was a way to determine whether the internal battery unit was functioning or faulty without having to remove it. After all, with my Boston Sci unit, the remote display gives a regular read of the functioning of the internal unit and its charge, the strength of signal, the program and the whole lot. Seems if such information would be available remotely other information could be similarly available with a testing unit.

I do believe it was Tara who went from percutaneous leads to paddles, but her paddle implant was only recent.

Sending BIG :hug:Z to you through the waves, and hoping you make it through the weekend OK. I just cannot imagine a sudden return to pain because the unit stopped functioning:eek:, but then that is a risk every single user faces as we embark on our SCS journey. I am learning about that first hand as the Work Comp insuror is trying to come up with a proposal for a medical savings account which will take into account the likelihood that my unit will need work or replacement between now and the actuarial end of my life so we can start to discuss how to bring my case to an end. It is pretty hard, I guess, to come up with such projections.

Caring for you dear friend,
Mark56 :grouphug:

Whaaaaaat ? ? ! !
 

Jackie!!
Oh my LORD!! :eek:

I read your post 3 times......and I'm still pretty 'fuzzy' from yesterday's sedation and I probably have no business even trying to type because I can't type worth a @#$%^!!! I did end up typing out a pretty decent post and then I don't know WHAT the heck I did, but I pushed SOMEthing and the post deleted!! :eek::mad::eek:

This is unbelievable! I'm so sorry. I can only imagine how frustrated and upset you must be feeling right now!!

I sure was holding my breath as I read about them doing the xray!
THANK GOD everything is where it should be! NO lead migration!! No broken leads! This is fantastic! At least you don't have to 'wonder what ifs'. Everything is where it should be, at least as far as the hardware is concerned.

And, like you Jackie, I'm thinking, well what good is it going to do to bring in another charger when the others aren't having any effect. It almost appears obvious that this has to do with the battery unit, in WHICH CASE wouldn't be the end of the world at all......your Dr is making this sound like it would be, but ALL this would mean, would be to open the pocket incision to replace the battery......which is the very same procedure that we ALL know is coming sooner or later as we have to get our battery's changed out. I don't think your Dr should have made it sound so 'awful'.....
Heck, this sure beats having to go in and dig out a bad lead or replace a migrated or broken one......
Your Rep has done her part!

Of course, the 'best' news would have been to know that it was the charger and simply replace it and be done. But from what I'm comprehending, your Dr isn't stepping up to the plate the way a doctor SHOULD! He did order the xrays, which was a good call, so hat's off to him for that.....but it just seems like you are being put off for no reason.

Like Mark said, they should have diagnostic tools on hand to be able to tell if the unit is holding a charge or not.

Forgive me if I'm not making a whole lot of sense.....I really do feel loopy. I've been in bed ALL day. I talked to Mark and Cleo yesterday after my procedure and I sounded fine at that time, but MAN, some sort of strange 'exhaustion' set in and I need to be in bed I guess. Just have to rest this off. But I couldn't read your update without responding! This is really something Jackie!
For whatever this may be worth, I still have a great sense of inner peace about your situation. I just know this is all going to be fine. Worst case scenerio might be that you get your pocket incision re-opened to replace the battery....and if so, I'm sittin here with that very same incision and it's FINE.
It won't be ANYthing like the first time around because he won't have to create a new pocket for the battery. The battery pocket is already there. It would just mean that he has to open the top part and slip a new battery in.

I'll type out details of my ordeal on my thread, but it's all so VERY good...better than I even imagined it could be. All I have to do is put ice on the incision for a couple of days and it's all fine and good.

I'll be very curious (as we all are) to find out why your battey konked out on you sooner than it ought to have. And they better not hold this off! There should be no reason why they can't get it replaced pronto, if this is what needs done. I honestly don't see you having to contend with alot of horrid pain.
My heart is with you dear friend. This will be rectified in no time.

Rae
:grouphug::grouphug:

So sorry to hear you're having problems. As I was reading through your post and others' responses, I was reminded that I was told upfront that my batteries have a certain life span and it'd be a given that at some point they'd need changed out. They said the stronger the strength you need from a battery, the quicker it gives up the ghost. So, for me my lumbar battery will be replaced before my cervical battery.

I got the impression that getting a replacement battery put in was part of the journey of having a SCS. As my batteries are only supposed to last 5-7 years, and if I live until I'm 82, I'll be getting another 5 or 6 batteries replaced.

Maybe your dr. just overreacted because he doesn't want the hassle of replacing a battery but doesn't he know that battery replacement comes with having a SCS:confused: Granted yours may have died sooner than is usual (could have been a faulty one, hence the warranties they come with...at least mine did), but to act like it's such a big deal is rather overdramatic in my opinion and does nothing but scare the patient rather than saying, hey looks like you may have gotten a bad one and we need to give you a new one.

Do you have any pain meds. to fall back on if you need them while this is getting figured out? Will be praying for you.:smileypray::smileypray:

Hmmm
 

Jackie,
When I was having charging issues last year I went round and round with my Medtronic rep. She was however able to check my battery, "impeadance" (sp), lead integrity etc. I did eventually get an entire new charging unit and at times still have issues with charging.:confused:
As far as battery life I am on my 3rd unit and my 1st rechargable unit. I use ALOT of "juice" and killed my 1st one about in about 1.5 years. I really would like to get the 10 years out of this unit but if it "croaks":thud: I will get another unit. I will be stuck with Medtronic until my leads need replaced again (on my 2nd set). My doc encourages me to research other companies and units and has asked me what company I would feel comfortable using "next time" already.
Anyhew, dont let your reps or your docs give you the run around, during this last episode I reminded my rep about the followup I see here and other sites. I also did call and talked to customer service at the company. Mayhaps this is where you want or need to go:cool:
TC
:hug:

Thank you all
 

:hug:Thank you all so much for your words of encouragement.

I know that the battery has a certain amount of life in it and I was expecting to change it I suppose maybe in 7/8 years...well I was told initially 15 years......but Ive mine in now just over 5 months:eek: Its obviously a faulty one and I think my Doctor was making more out of it because he was annoyed with the Rep as she kept insisting that maybe it was something to do with the wires. But I could see on the xrays the battery, its pouch and the leads perfectly and you could see that everything was in its place too.
The Rep did do some tests also on the leads. She went through some diagnostics with her equipment and could tell that all the leads were working perfectly. But I had known this also as Ive got all the stimulation Ive had since day one and nothing has decreased.

My Doctor was more annoyed with her, and making it out worse that it should be I suppose, because he said to her that this was the SECOND time they have come across a problem with this. He did say that the other patient couldnt recharge but then suddenly lost the stimulation too.

Since I last posted I have been speaking with my Rep again. She got an email back from the people in ST Judes in the States and apparently the person she needs to speak with is away until Monday, :rolleyes:so she cant do anything until she hears from them. I know she is trying her best but she is starting to annoy me now. She is constantly asking me...'did you fall, or bang it maybe' I say no......I certainly would have known if I had fallen.
She asked me if I had put on or lost weight...I said well Ive lost about 7lbs in the past 4 weeks....(the Christmas splurge:D is disappearing) but I said that shouldnt matter because I would have been that weight when I first had it implanted back In August. Also my Doctor commented that the battery was literally under my skin in a pocket, rather than in deep.

She also asked me if I had 'bulked' it out while charging. Have to say I was at a bit of a loss when she said this, because as far as I knew I only put the paddle from the charger into its pouch on the belt and put it to my skin and it always worked ok......so I said, 'bulk'??....so she said yes put about 3 inches of bulk, ie towelling, jumper etc, between you and the recharger and see if that works.......it didnt!!:rolleyes:

She said well maybe we should order a new one....as I had said to her the day before, whats the point in wasting time, as her new one worked perfectly on two other patients!!.....then I told her that if you think of it logically it MUST be the battery is faulty in the recharging part of it. She was slowly coming around. I said..'look this isnt a broken TV or a car part that I can wait around for you to 'figure' it out........this is my life'
So then she said well I was speaking with your Consultant before I left and he assured her that he will be doing a replacement the week of the 7th Feb!! so fingers crossed they hurry up and get their act together, because this is one angry woman!!!

Thankfully I have pain meds...and plenty of them , plus my Lidocaine patches too so they will be getting the cobwebs wiped off them as soon as my juice runs out..which I reckon will be tomorrow:(

Hope you are all keeping well and pain/or relatively pain free

Jackie

They better believe IT
 

Hi Jackie-

So glad you got your point across about your faulty equipment!!!! Now to the fix it up/replace it phase. You are in my thoughts and prayers as you wait this out.

Mark56:hug:

So glad to hear you have the pain meds. and patches to fall back on. While they probably won't give you the pain relief you'd like, hopefully they'll help you hobble through until they can get their act together and give you a new implant, which it sure does sound like is the problem. I hate when professionals get into the blaming game because the one who loses out is the poor patient. Make sure you have enough pain meds. to last, and go out and stock up on the prunes :D

Praying for ya'!!:hug:

Update on my battery situation!!
 

Its Monday and thankfully the weekend is over as I need to get things moving FAST!!!!

Spoke with my Rep today and with the time difference with the States and UK(thats where she is based) she was waiting for the tech team to come back to her to see if they knew why my battery doesnt charge but my unit still works. They told her that they hadnt come across this before but hopefully would have some news for her by the end of the day. She said it does look like it will be a replacement:eek:of the battery.

I spoke with my Consultant also. He said medically everything is perfect, no lead migration or damage to the unit. He said I wasnt to blame either that it appears to be a technical problem, which means the battery needs to be replaced. He said that he wasnt happy to have to put me through all that pain and stress again. He was very anxious though about replacing the battery as it can be susceptible to infection also the leads have to be reconnected and the danger of migration during the process. But he said that when he does do it he will put me out!!! yay!! something going my way at long last.

When I go back into hospital I have an excess on my Private Health Insurance which means I have to pay €200 each time Im treated for my back problem.....be it in Day Therapy or as an In Patient and also €275 by the hospital. My policy is a good one but doesnt cover these expenses. So I asked my Consultant who will cover my excesses as its not my fault the battery is faulty nor is it his. So he said he would expect the company to be footing the bill. So I asked my Rep the same thing and she said 'oh not too sure if the company would pay that' . I said that if its not my fault nor the Doctors fault, but the companies fault, surely it was up to the company to cover my costs!!! Am still waiting for an answer from the Rep on that one;) Either way it has to be done. She also told me I need to TURN OFF my stim now. Its just out of juice anyway, but that she was asked my the tech team in the States to make sure there was some left so they can 'interrogate' the battery when they receive it back. ewwwwwwwww

So thats where Im at at the moment. The thoughts of another operation is so daunting. I cant believe Im in this situation!!! It would JUST HAVE TO BE BE!!!!!!:rolleyes:

Hope you are all well tonight!!

Take Care

Jackie :grouphug: