Visit with the Doctor went well today .. She really wasn't that bothered and just said "Can you do this?" "Do you feel this?" "Where is the pain?" and so on .. almost as though she wanted to be elsewhere. Very nice and chatty - she told me she was going to an emoroidery place after my visit. lol

Wow Saffy- Well, that is one of the more cursuroy final pre-surgery doc visits I have known, and to be told she was going off to an embroidery place, almost, like.... way out there; however, she knows your file, your needs, and must be prepared. Did you get to ask any last minute questions? You know, such as "WHY AM I DOING THIS TO MYSELF?!?" Just kidding.

It truly appears as though you are on the right and ready to go list.

May all be well with you my friend,
Prayin,
Mark56ZZ

Hi Mark ... No this Doctor came because I am claiming state benefit called ESA (Employment Support Allowance) and you either get £70 a week or £90 a week if you are in the so called "Limited Capacity for Work" group which I am being "tested" for.

The more I thought about her visit last night the more uncomfortable I felt, because when I told her I had been on Oxycodone she laughingly called me a junkie. I laughed at the time, but now I think that wasn't really a professional thing to say and I feel quite weepy and ashamed when I think about it.

Anyways ... what's done is done .. I SHALL tell my own Doctor what she said, but other than that, I'll leave it .. I don't need the stress of having to complain to ATOS Healthcare who arranged this home visit, at this time. (I guess too, to be honest, I DID feel like a junkie on the Saturday afternoon when I looked at the Oxynorm and thought "one spoonful will get rid of all these horrible withdrawal feelings" but that's beside the point - she shouldn't have said what she did, no matter if it were in jest).

Line drawn under ...

xx

Dear Saffy- The state sent "so called" Dr should be held to a standard of ethics which would prevent such injurious quips and quotes, ESPECIALLY in the case of a chronic pain patient who approaches a serious surgery for implant. You ran across a person of little to no heart and who spreads injury rather than enabling healing. I ran across one like that in my Social Security appeal hearing very recently [a program very much like your program] where he opined despite my meeting all of the criteria for the classification that "in his opinion" I did not meet the criterion. Now this sounds rahther like an oxymoron presented by one acknowledged by all within hearing distance to have been far below the medical credibility of an expert. The judge sided with us, indicated desire to award benefits, asked for a legal brief of an issue otherwise related. Now it is in his hands to decide.

Try not to worry about the crass remark of a below standard physician and steel yourself for the upcoming surgery..... besides it is people just like you who hold Great Hope that the surgery will work in you much success so that you may reduce or eliminate altogether the need for such meds!!

Prayin for healin,
Mark56

Ok my SCS family .. I went to see the Physio today and what a wonderful guy he was !! He asked me all about my pain .. where it went, when it was worse and so on. He says my posture is all to pot .. though I know that, as I lean to the right to counteract the pain in my left leg and is going to send me some gently exercises I can start to do. He says the back problem is STILL going to be a problem for me, which I knew really already, but I guess I thought the stim would help to some extent.

He answered all our questions ... and guess what .. I CAN wash my hair, so long as I don't put my hand well above my head, just up to my head, and to be gentle. Of course, I've got to get the incisions to heal before I can get in the shower but hey, I'm a good healer. I'm going to type out the information sheet he sent me home with and post on here. (Will prob do that tomorrow)

He's organising hydrotherapy at a nearer hospital to me than Sheffield .. and any physio appointments with him he is going to arrange around my tweaking ones. Am thrilled to bits with the care.

On the sheet it says 12 weeks recovery time .. though he said the first 4 are the most critical ... they say 12, just to cover themselves.

They get you up and about as soon as possible and encourage you to play about with your trial stim controller. He says, depending on what mood my surgeon is in, he may put the permanent one (under general anasthetic) in on the Friday, or leave it till after the weekend and see how I go on. I guess it all depends on me and how I feel.

I'll be getting the leads, not the paddles and a non rechargeable battery.

And .. I've just picked up some holiday brochures for next January .. to the Maldives !!

Physio is a great means to overcome the lack of body strength due to pre-surgery pain and post-surgery tendencies to protect..... hydrotherapy in a warm therapy pool can do wonders for both strengthening and aiding posture.
I do have a thought regarding your leaning to one side which prompted posture problems. I'll PM you regarding this thought.

All of the best to you in this my friend,
Mark56

Hi Saffy,
I'm Sophie a newbie of this forum. I've just been reading through your thread and in some parts you had me laughing and at other parts completely sympathising with you. I had my SCS implanted during Christmas week Dec 2010.
I guess it took me about 6weeks to recover from the surgery but I still took over 4mths to get back to work, my body was so exhausted and tired from years of chronic pain and depression that it decided it wasn't ready so I finally got back to work after Easter, half time.
I've always had a bad back but it wasn't until I was about 16-17 that it got out of hand, I had a discectomy when I was 21, for years afterwards I was great, there wasn't anything I didn't do, 5 years ago the back pain along with the horrid sciatica and muscle spasms in my left side returned. After many Dr's many epidural steroid injections, rhizotomy's and all sorts I finally found a doctor that not only believed me but one that could help me. I had many doctors throughout this period and one of them even told me it was in my head - stupid idiot!
The hydrotheraphy your physio is organising sounds absolutely wonderful, I seriously doubt the HSE in Ireland would have anything like this!
Please God you'll get a date soon and you'll be back in action in no time at all. Do you know where they are treating? Mine was the left leg and left back, i haven't had the results I was hoping for in my back but my leg is very good, my consultant is now considering the Navro system for the other side, I have the medtronic implant at the moment.
Which system are you getting?
During the surgery I have to say that all the doctors, nurses even the porters were fantastic, i think they know you're nervous and anxious and are prepared for this.

the very best of luck,

Sophie xxx

Just wanted you to know that I'm thinkin of you and that I hope you aren't getting too nervous about the upcoming

You've been so wonderful to all of us. I agree with Sophie, you bring the right mixture of laughs and hugs

Good things are headin your way I do believe!

Rae

My step dad Arthur's funeral today .. i's been a long time coming ... 3 weeks since he died. (Funny how both my Dad and step Dad were called Arthur) ...

Our two daughters missed my Dad's funeral as we thought they were too young .. so this will be their first "close family member" funeral .. I feel for them.

Our daughter, Em, was 6 when her step granddad Fred passed, and from that moment on, when she drew pictures something..... something was missing. You see, she love Fred as though her real granddad for he was and our whole family loved him.

She had always drawn pictures with rainbows in the sky, thereafter, the rainbow was missing. We asked her, and her reply "God took the rainbow away [meaning Granddad Fred]."

Since she has matured into a wonderful young lady and her "rainbows" have returned as she now understands better that cycle of life. We are with you all in prayers as your family goes through Arthur's passing, Saffy.

CARING LOTS,
Mark56