I've noticed that when my stim is on that my skin feels 'itchy' at times
Like last night I was lying on couch when I noticed I had this odd sensation of itching. Like from the vibrations of the stim?! Very odd!!
Does anyone else notice that?

Jackie

Well, Jackie, the onlly itch suffered here has been the itch of incision healing. The sensation of stim use for me tends to be a profound buzz like that Tens unit on steroids except from deep within me, depending of course upon the strength of signal I adopt in use. You present a new perspective to me. Maybe someone else??

Calling all Butt Buzzers,
Mark56

MarkMarkMark
What we do without you?

I was gonna say pretty much what Mark said (regarding the incision sites),
but there are times when the stimulation simply gets to be too much and my skin feels like it wants to start crawling and then I get a slight anxiety-ridden feeling of wanting to crawl OUT of my skin .......so i have to turn off the unit for awhile.
This doesn't happen often, only if I've had it on most of the day at a high setting. I try to give it a rest for a few hours (out of a 24-hour period) for the sake of not wanting my body to get too used to the buzzing and then maybe grow some sort of tolerance to it.....(I've heard of this happening, but not sure if it happens to a lot of people or if this is mainly folklore...)
Still learnin as we go.....

Yes Rae now that you say it, maybe its more a 'crawling' feeling it is....its just a bit 'unpleasant' . I had it on very high, (well as high as it would go for now) and it was becoming annoying I was shifting and turning the whole time to try to stop it........

Im now over my surgery 3 weeks and I do find that Ive gotten 'used' to the buzzing in my body. In the first week or so I though I would go mad!!!. Because one of the feelings that I have with my pain, is tingling, burning, throbbing, and when this was tingling/buzzing I though OH NO!!!! how am I going to survive. But then I checked out some of the settings etc and Ive now become more accustomed to it. In fact today, I was sitting out in the garden with my husband and the sun was shining(a rarity here in Ireland in Summer ) and my husband was asking how I was feeling. I said that I felt like I was in a jaccuzzi. Thats what the buzzing in my legs/back felt like SOOOOOOO relaxing!!!! .......good times ahead I feel

This is wonderful to hear Jackie!
PLUS, once you hook up with your Rep to get tweeked, make sure you tell him that you are using the highest settings........he'll be able to program even better options than what you have as the 'best' so far!

I was amazed when i went for my first tweak and found out that my amplitude can be set WAY higher than the one I was using! Only down side to this, of course, is that is sucks up more of your battery juice quicker.
But no complaints from me. I just need to be aware not to let my battery get too low.

Make it count when you get with your Rep! Communicate EVERYthing! They've heard it all, and the only mistake you can possibly make is not communicating EXACTLY what you are feeling and what you would like to feel improved!
You GO girl!

Why is it I keep missing you all. Earlier today I went to the chat room. I saw Mark was 'there' but alas I had to leave without even saying hello.
Hope you all enjoy the rest of ur sat evening. I've just had a beautiful night babysitting my granddaughter with my husband and youngest daughter Nicola. She ADORED it as we all did. Heaven!!!! Rae you have SO much to look forward to


Nite all

G'nite! Arghhhh..... I just entered chat a moment ago, alas, missing your ship.
Mark56

Hi jackiekennedy! I just wanted to comment about what you were saying and tell you a funny story about settings. I know about the itchy feeling you are talking about and I think it was when my incisions were healing and then after that happened, I did not feel my stim battery being there at all! But, if it is sore or feels weird you should tell your rep and doctor because I always talk to them or used to because it made me feel better to understand what exactly was happening in my body When I had mine implanted I did not know what to expect and I also did not know of anyone in my life or on the computer that had it done so there were a lot of new sensations and experiences to get used to.
Okay, now a funny story. When I had mine implanted I went back to school as soon as my healing time was up. I was not used to the settings yet and I turned mine up way too high and ended up walking into a wall! It did not hurt but I was embarassed because it was during school on a college campus! I also have to turn my settings down when I am in the theater because surround sound sometimes affects mine, but I never have it shut off. Also when people push the heavy carts at school around me it bothers me a little but its okay cause I just turn it down. I also have to have it turned way down if I have to lay down at the doctor or when I go to bed because it is not comfortable for me and can be kind of jarring. And usually I know when I have it up to high because it is not helpful and kind of hurts so then I turn it back down again. The only time it is off is when it is in sleeper mode because the battery needed charged up again. Also, when you get reprogrammed don't hesitate to call your rep everytime you need it changed because I used to think I was bothering him but he said I was not and as our bodies heal and get used to our stim we may need stim levels adjusted also the more active I become the more stimulation I need. I think I also walked into the wall because I was so inactive during recovery that my body and brain were not used to it and went it was turned up to high my legs just wanted to keep going lol. You do get used to your settings but they will probably continue to change and fluctuate as time goes on. take care! Tara

Hi Tara

Thanks for the giggle (oops I shouldnt really) but I know what you mean about the funny sensations!!!.

At present my rep is based in Great Britain, I live in Ireland. So although my rep did say to me when he was in the hospital showing me how to use it, to call him anytime and he would 'hop' on a plane over! now somehow I find that a bit hard to believe. Ive only my stim in just over 3 weeks now and I do find the more active Im getting that I definitely do need adjusting. While I'm lying down I get great relief and although I have my stim turned up to the max, which isnt a lot really, I get about 60% relief in my legs and upper legs, but not so much in my lower back, which at times is excruciating......however, Im hopeful that when I do see my rep, (my Consultant said he was coming over in Sept,) he will be able to move the sensations UP and around etc I have an appointment for a wound review on 3rd Sept...Im hoping that I will get some answers then.

My concern I suppose is that now as Im lying here recuperating after my surgery and will be for the next 5 weeks!!!! yes I have relief, but then IM DOING NOTHING (or at least not much). Will I still get that relief when Im more mobile.....when Im doing my little bit of gardening, (oh how Id love all those acres that Rae has, my garden is the size of a postage stamp) but I love it......so you see thats why I want all my settings UP UP UP........Im sure it will all be tweaked and working wonderfully if what Im experiencing now is anything to go by WOOHOOOOOOOOOO..........

And you know.........the downside to the 80 acre thing...is.....
i think THAT is how i ruined my knees and the PN set in!!!
I got so overly ambitious, I HAND planted 275 trees!!!

Hauling 5 gallon buckets in each hand, crawling up and down from my truck to water the baby trees! I was 35 and had the world by a string!!
NOW look at me!!
oh well. the trees are happy
and the horses have shade