Hi All! I'm so happy to have found a place where people can relate to me and my chronic pain. I'm a young mom, newly-wed, disabled (yet denied SS disability), and in constant pain in my lower back down my entire L leg. I had my fusion May 2009, after many other attempts at pain relief: medial branch blocks, epidurels, trigger point injections, PT, narcotics, etc. Unfortunately, the fusion felt great for 6 months, then the pain came back and worsened, now my upper back above gets super sore from time-time. I'm sinking back into depression as my SS disability was denied, my year of state disability ran out, and I can't sit or stand long enough to work. I have no financial backup's at all, and I can't offer my daughter or husband any financial income at all. Anyway, after the fusion stopped working, my spinal Dr. said he didn't want to "go in searching anymore" or something like that. He passed me onto the UCSD Pain clinic again for alternate pain relief. Now Dr. Mark Wallace at the Pain Clinic says my only hope for my exact case is a SCS (spinal cord stimulator). I'm extremely fearful and need others stories for more opinions of how it has / or has not worked for you...I want to go back to work, but don't see that happening anytime soon. I want to have another child, has anyone had a child after the SCS? I want to get off all these yucky narcotics (I'm on 120 mg morphine daily) and percocet (as needed), has anyone gotten 100% off meds, too? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INFO AND ADVICE in advance!

Hi, I am so sorry to hear about your pain and everything that you have been through! This community is really good and everyone understands what you are going through, we are really more like a family I understand that you are scared to have the scs or stim put in because I was the same way when I got mine back in 2008. Prior to that, I was injured in a car accident and in constant pain in my back and down my leg to the point I would have trouble walking. I was on alot of meds and they tried different procedures and I even had a part of a herniated disk removed but things kept getting worse. Finally, I had the trial scs and it went so good that I went ahead and had the permanent one. Now I have had 3 surgeries for my stim and I am so glad that I did. After surgery I ended up off all my medicines and could walk without using my walker or cane, I was able to walk all over campus and resume my classes again. I actually did a presentation about it because it had helped me so much and people could not believe the transformation! It worked so great that I was even able to exercise and do all my normal activities again.
I did end up having to have other surgeries because sometimes you have to have revisions due to leads moving (I ended up having a bad fall last year) and I also just had surgery in November to change my leads to paddle leads which was a more involved surgery than the regular per-cutaneous leads are but I am very glad that I did it! After my fall, my stim was not working right and my condition got so bad that I ended up in a wheelchair for most of the time, had to drop out of college for a little while, and was in constant pain in my back and legs. I really believe that having the stim is what gave me my life back and that after I heal up I am going to have my life back again!
I also just got married in May and I was having such problems we had to postpone our wedding. I cannot have any children, so I can't answer that question for you but it would be good to talk to your doctor about. Also, make sure you have a good doctor that you trust and can ask questions because I have had to change my doctors and it turned out so much better in the long run! I hope sharing my experience has helped a little bit and feel free to ask other questions because everyone is very nice and helpful! I have to go now but I check in often so take care and I hope that things get better for you! Tara

Boy have you come to the right place!
Indeed we certainly comprehend and understand the frustrations you are facing! I am so sorry. This just isn't fair at all.....especially you being so young and wanting to have more children.

As you get to know us, you'll soon see that we are a wonderful caring bunch and each of our testimonies represent all different walks of life. So, I would encourage you to sift thru some of our threads and perhaps some of your concerns and questions will be answered.

Some of our younger friends here can probably give you some input regarding having children, but ultimately it'll end up being a good question to discuss between you and your doctor, as no 2 cases are alike.

I recently was having a discussion with a 'cyber friend' who had spinal issues and they brought up a very good point and something you should ask your Dr about. It is in regards to how 'stable' our spine is. As we age, alot of us get normal wear and tear disc degenerative issues....and in my case, I have a mild scoliosis. If a person is 'rushed' into getting the SCS without having addressed the 'problem area' of the spine, this leaves instability and as that area of the spine deteriorates, the stimulator will not be able to 'support' this specific area. In other words.....with instability, comes more damage
IF, however, your spine is stabilized and the odds of further degeneration have been diminished, the better the odds that the SCS will be able to sustain longterm relief.
Those who do NOT have the spine stabilized before getting the implant tend to have it fail to meet their pain management requirements fairly soon after implant, thus they are soon taking more and more meds to counteract it, which basically defeats the purpose of getting the unit, in the hopes of being able to lower the pain medications.

I hope that made sense?

Tara gave you some very excellent pointers! She just recently had her surgery, so she's great to talk to about fears, concerns, and the details involved.
I am currently waiting to get a date set to have a 'revision' done because one of my leads has migrated, so this has been a real eye-opener!

These issues aren't necessarily anything to be fearful of.....but to be AWARE of....and to discuss with your doctor. I'd hate to see you get rushed in to this, if there are still issues that should be addressed. I seem to be noticing more and more patients feel like they are getting the SCS pushed at them and feel put under pressure about it. BUT, on the flip side, the SCS has been a complete God-send to many people!
I was absolutely amazed at what it has done for me......but I wish I would have been more aware of the high rate of lead migration with the percutaneous-placed leads. Patients who go the extra 'mile' and get the laminectomy to place paddle leads seem to be the higher rate of success stories. So, this is also something you should be clear on with your Dr.
I wish my Dr had better communication skills. I guess he assumes some of us just 'know' this stuff.....

Anyway, welcome aboard!
Others will be along to give you their feedback on your thread.

It's good to have you!
Rae

Well, I don't know about the failure or not of the fusion surgery through which I have gone because it seemed that the "back pain" as distinguished with the "nerve pain" which went down my legs was handled by the fusion work. The back was agonizing until the fusion and I "thought", maybe as you did, that I had been fixed. Glory hallelujah! Then the nerve pain showed not only that it was still there, but that it truly had been the worse of the two all along. I was in H E L L [gotta separate some of those words for the censor bots] with burning and this queer numbness. I was wondering "how can I burn SO BAD and be numb at the same time?

My neurosurgeon basically educated me that I had nerve damage, it was severe, time would tell whether it would get better, yada, yada, yada. It was not unusual to have the burning as I do from low back to my knees and the numbness below the knees [can't feel a thing so I use a cane and or a wheelchair depending on how far I have to go]. Give it time, a year, or more, to see if the nerve would regenerate as they supposedly do, and I was sent off to my physiatrist [pain doc] who had referred me for the fusion work in the first place because my whole body below my waist was at that time shutting down and nothing was functioning.

Back at the pain doc, a long time of doing what you have done, PT, meds, tens unit, and nothing worked, NOTHING...... and I hate morphine. So then we finally reached the discussion about Spinal Cord Stimulation. Pain Doc, a very compassionate man, said of any patient he had ever seen, I was the right patient to try the SCS. I feared it. Another SURGERY, and they would be goofing around with my spine again and the cord and nerves and all that. I finally agreed to give the thing a go after long consideration and prayer. My wife was for it. My life was just laying in bed in pain under med therapy......., not a life. So I gave it a go and the Trial Surgery worked wondrously well. I was sold. Get me in NOW! So after the long wait after Trial Surgery I finally had the full paddle laminectomy work done and now I am off of all, that is ALL pain meds and looking for work. Tomorrow at 9 am, I have my second interview with a company, so maybe, just maybe I will get back to work. I pray to God that I do. We need this. I do understand where you are coming from, believe me, I do, and you can read about it on my Boston Scientific Mini thread. I feel blessed.

So, from a fellow fusion mate, there are my two bits and I will gladly chime in on any question you have, anything at all.

Blessings on you,
Mark56

Hi Im sorry to read your post and all the pain that you are suffering and being so young. This is the best place to come to as we are all well aware of the pain and suffering that comes with chronic pain.

I had a spinal fusion on L5/S1 and later on L4/L5 and unfortunately it didnt work on me either. In fact it made me worse. I had them done in 2006 after having a discetomy done the previous April 2005. But the back pain I suffered afterwards was almost worse that when I first went to see the Consultant. Apart from having the constant back pain, and yes I can understand when you say above the fusion is painful too, yep thats they way I am now not before though!! I also had burning, tingling stabbing pain running down my left leg to my foot and part of my right leg. It is so debilitating. I too cant sit/stand for too long. I had to give up my job in the bank because of this

After a LONG history of different treatments, drugs, etc I was referred to a Pain Clinic. It took over 2 years for the Consultant to finally realise that maybe, just MAYBE the SCS might help.

I had it implanted in August 2009. I find the SCS is very good for the actual burning and tingling in my legs. I cant say that its VERY helpful for my actual back, but I do need to get it reprogrammed to see if the sensations can get up higher to cover my back pain. After mentioning this to my Consultant he did say its so much better for neuropathic pain in the legs than it is for actual back pain....Great he told me that AFTER he implanted.
But overall , the SCS is very relaxing for me.....especially when Im lying down it is like someone massaging my legs. But when Im out walking its 'ok'. Im hoping that once the leads scar in fully that then I can get it to work much better. Im hopeful as most people on here seem to have had great results.

This is something you do need to think strongly about. And as Rae said about and unstable spineWell I WISH I had that information before I had my SCS implanted. As Im now 50 and Im sure the wear and tear is well on its way

Make sure that you read as many posts both old and new and you will get lots and lots of information.

Take care

Jackie

I am glad you found this site. I did also last year. Although my issues are cervical, I can relate to you. Ther will be others to help also.
Since you are so young, I would indeed get another opinion. Maybe with two different specialists, with your doctors direction he can help locate another. I asked my current Neurologist for a referral, even though he was the one who did my last surgery.
I was afraid too, to have a second surgery, much more complicated and serious than the first. This last surgery worked for me, and I am in a lot better place. I have less pain and NP, tolerable.
I am being lowered from Morphine right now. Yes it is possible to get off of all medication. I even got rid of my high blood pressure meds. Ask alot of questions, and gather your information, make the best possible informed dicision that you can.
Don't be afraid of another surgery, it can work out OK. You also have youth in your favor.