[Rrae]

........ok, so I take my x-rays of my lumbar in to my Pain Doc.....
and he said, "Well, no WONDER you've been having the lower back pain and muscle spasms.......one of your leads has completely migrated OUT of your dorsal column!"

Joy Joy. SO now I have the wonderful privilege of getting a revision done and of course he's booked thru the end of the year, so my deductible will start all over again............@#$%*^(@!!

........................................

[pooh_ac]

Originally Posted by Rrae

........ok, so I take my x-rays of my lumbar in to my Pain Doc.....
and he said, "Well, no WONDER you've been having the lower back pain and muscle spasms.......one of your leads has completely migrated OUT of your dorsal column!"

Joy Joy. SO now I have the wonderful privilege of getting a revision done and of course he's booked thru the end of the year, so my deductible will start all over again............@#$%*^(@!!

........................................

Oh Rrae
z

RaeIm in shock here. I cant believe that has happened to you. Tell me why you went again to the Doctor to get xrayed, sorry I just cant remember. Did you notice that the stimulation was less or had moved? gosh thats awful for you.

So you are to have a revision, to re-do it I assume? What do you mean your 'deductible' sorry I think Im a bit DUH today!!!!..

Im so sorry to hear that I really am. After all the good news we have had from you over the past few weeks. I do hope you can have your revision done as soon as possible and get back to what you had when it was first implanted.

Am thinking of you Rae

Jackie

[irljenn]

oh poor Rae I am so sorry to hear this news. I hope you will get this revision done soon and that you will be back to "normal" soon. Do these wires tend to move easily? my dr has advised i do nothing for 3 months which is along time to not bend, stretch etc ..

[Leesa]

Jeez ~ I wonder how in the heck THAT happened! I doubt that you twisted, or did any acrobatics or twisted yourself into a pretzel. LOL That's weird.

After I healed up, I went about my normal business and had no trouble at all. Scar tissue formed and held things in place. Maybe you don't form enough scar tissue???

Anyway I'm sorry about this ~ I sure you don't want to go thru that again. Prayers being sent your way. Take care. Hugs, Lee

[Saffy]

I guess we are all different and it could quite easily have happened in a stretch that you can't remember doing .. or perhaps it was just being plain damn awkward .. whatever, I am really sorry to hear this ... ((hug)) - keep smiley .. x

[Rrae]

Well, this is proof positive of why getting the laminectomy paddle lead implant is the BETTER way to go, as the leads probably won't migrate! I had the simple percutaneous lead implant, which means the leads were 'anchored'
in to the dura flesh which leaves a much higher risk for lead migration, of which I seem to have fallen victim to .........and all along I was under the impression that this is something that happens to 'other' people!!

This probably happened well over 6 months ago and I just didn't realize it. The only thing that I knew to be 'wrong' was that I was unable to use the other 2 programs I have because when I would ramp them up, it would feel like a horrible bee sting/pulling sensation.......so evidentally those other two programs were being shared off the lead that had migrated.
The ONE program that I've been using and that works perfectly fine must just be running off of the 'good' lead........so I figured I'd leave well enough alone and be happy with my ONE program.

The only thing that I can recollect doing wrong might have been last winter when my pond froze and I was using an AXE yes....call me stupid .
BUT there's a good chance that this isn't all 'my' fault, as part of this could be that the doctor didn't anchor down this lead very well.....because really.
WHY would I have only pulled ONE lead loose if the axe swinging was the culprit.? And, mind you, I was being as careful as possible.....but will be the first to admit that I probably DID overdo during my recovery time.

He said the recovery time from the revision won't be near as bad as the initial surgery, but he will have to make the incision in the back to pull the lead back up to where it should be.....and also a small incision at the pocket site, but it won't be as intense because he doesn't have to create a whole new pocket.

I should have had this checked out MONTHs ago!! I had NO idea the one lead had completely migrated OUT!!! I was floored when he showed me the xray!!

And to answer Jackie's questions.....
I went for the xray because my lower back was giving me fits and the flares just seemed to be getting worse, so I recently asked for an xray and that's when this was discovered.
If I WOULD have found this out months ago, it would have been paid under my insurance plan because the deductible (out of pocket portion) of my insurance plan had been met.....but it starts all over again at the beginning of the new year, so I'll have to meet the $2,000 deductible all over again.

Oh well. This isn't the end of the world. Others have had to go through many revisions.
Just make a note of this and let it be known that LEAD MIGRATION happens even if we are none the wiser!!!

I am very grateful for the lead that is doing it's job and the program it runs off of covers the lower extremity burning pain.
After I get this other lead where it should be, then I'll have other programs I can choose from and have more variaton in the coverage I get.

No more swinging axes for me.......or giving bales of hay to the horses.....
I have 16yr old twin boys to do this!!

Well thats something for us all to think about isnt it.

I would have thought at this stage Rae that you would be WELL over the healing process and 'anchored' to the extent that they NEVER move. I thought 6/8 weeks was long

At my last tweaking session I got two new programmes but I cant use them because I get a pulling sensation in my left side of my tummyGosh I hope nothing has gone astray!. I can use one programme which is great and seems to be 'settling' in, well I hope it isand isnt planning on taking a little walk!!!

Im sure Rae the bales of hay and the axe werent the culprit. I must say at this stage as Im getting a bit more active I do forget that I have this implant and that maybe , just maybe I should stop bending over etc etc

I will definitely take on board all this information and start maybe taking things a bit slower 'just in case'

I hope the revision comes around soon for you Rae. I think your deductibles are the same as our 'excesses' which is the part that we would have to pay which our insurance company dont pay for......ah yes these insurance companies do make a HUGE profit dont they!

Take care and I do hope it all works out for you very soon

Jackie

[doghot]

Originally Posted by Rrae

Well, this is proof positive of why getting the laminectomy paddle lead implant is the BETTER way to go, as the leads probably won't migrate! I had the simple percutaneous lead implant, which means the leads were 'anchored'
in to the dura flesh which leaves a much higher risk for lead migration, of which I seem to have fallen victim to .........and all along I was under the impression that this is something that happens to 'other' people!!

This probably happened well over 6 months ago and I just didn't realize it. The only thing that I knew to be 'wrong' was that I was unable to use the other 2 programs I have because when I would ramp them up, it would feel like a horrible bee sting/pulling sensation.......so evidentally those other two programs were being shared off the lead that had migrated.
The ONE program that I've been using and that works perfectly fine must just be running off of the 'good' lead........so I figured I'd leave well enough alone and be happy with my ONE program.

The only thing that I can recollect doing wrong might have been last winter when my pond froze and I was using an AXE yes....call me stupid .
BUT there's a good chance that this isn't all 'my' fault, as part of this could be that the doctor didn't anchor down this lead very well.....because really.
WHY would I have only pulled ONE lead loose if the axe swinging was the culprit.? And, mind you, I was being as careful as possible.....but will be the first to admit that I probably DID overdo during my recovery time.

He said the recovery time from the revision won't be near as bad as the initial surgery, but he will have to make the incision in the back to pull the lead back up to where it should be.....and also a small incision at the pocket site, but it won't be as intense because he doesn't have to create a whole new pocket.

I should have had this checked out MONTHs ago!! I had NO idea the one lead had completely migrated OUT!!! I was floored when he showed me the xray!!

And to answer Jackie's questions.....
I went for the xray because my lower back was giving me fits and the flares just seemed to be getting worse, so I recently asked for an xray and that's when this was discovered.
If I WOULD have found this out months ago, it would have been paid under my insurance plan because the deductible (out of pocket portion) of my insurance plan had been met.....but it starts all over again at the beginning of the new year, so I'll have to meet the $2,000 deductible all over again.

Oh well. This isn't the end of the world. Others have had to go through many revisions.
Just make a note of this and let it be known that LEAD MIGRATION happens even if we are none the wiser!!!

I am very grateful for the lead that is doing it's job and the program it runs off of covers the lower extremity burning pain.
After I get this other lead where it should be, then I'll have other programs I can choose from and have more variaton in the coverage I get.

No more swinging axes for me.......or giving bales of hay to the horses.....
I have 16yr old twin boys to do this!!

Rae,
So sorry about your leads. You just told me about the possibility of them migrating a couple of weeks ago when explaining that possibility and now this. You sound like a trooper though so I'm sure you will handle it. Since they are going back in though wouldn't it be better to replace this with the paddles? Just wondering. - Lonnie

[Rrae]

Originally Posted by doghot

Rae,
So sorry about your leads. You just told me about the possibility of them migrating a couple of weeks ago when explaining that possibility and now this. You sound like a trooper though so I'm sure you will handle it. Since they are going back in though wouldn't it be better to replace this with the paddles? Just wondering. - Lonnie

Lonnie!
That is a VERY good question!!!
When I was discussing the revision with my Dr, he said that if he has to do 2 revisions on a patient, then he will go in and do the more involved Laminectomy Paddle leads......
BUT, it is my understanding that it requires a neurosurgeon to do this and I don't think this Dr has those credentials (but not sure).......
Once I absorb all this information, I may ask him point blank about the paddles.
Since the laminectomy requires removing a small piece of bone from the spine, perhaps this is why he drags his feet on this procedure.
And to be honest, I was in too much 'shock' from seeing my x-ray, that I didn't really process this to the full extent.
I have this 'down' time to consider these issues and am checking around on this.
Very smart of you (and logical!) to ask this question!

From my interpretation, he thinks he can go in and use extra 'sutures' and 'anchors' to the good lead, so it won't migrate and then re-do the lead that slipped down using better techniques. He noted that I am a much more 'active' person than he first thought...... ? ? ?
Yes, this would raise the obvious question of WHY didn't he do this in the FIRST place!!
He said it's been a long time since he's had to do a revision, because he is so
'Goooood' at what he does.... I have referred to him as my 'cocky doctor' on several occassions

And like Jackie brings up.....the time for scarring in has long since passed, so I still have several things to get straight from this Dr.....
Good LORD! I hope that the migrated lead hasn't SCARRED IN to the position it is currently in!!!

Yes, I will need to 'collect' myself and go in for another 'visit' with this cocky doctor......

Thanks for bringing up a very logical point, Lonnie......
And I hope things are going well with you!

Rae