[nanspain]

ok guys so my scs was implanted a week and a day ago. Pain is starting to be more manageable, and i'm showering and dressing with very little assistance, meaning my family is right outside the door. People, I am so glad its over and i'm on the way to recovery. i am running my scs all day and like other's turn it down at night. my steri-strips are hanging on by a thread, my doc says they will fall off by my two week point or they will remove 'em. i am taking short walks outside, i did ride to the pharmacy with my hubby but other than that i lay pretty low. no funny business, no bending, reaching, lifting over 5 lbs., pretty much you gotta be cool. guys, its up to me now cuz my dr's. can't see me, i must follow directions to give myself a fighting chance.

Cons: i have felt some twitches or spasms in my left leg. i have had some discomfort in my back just above my incisions, could be i'm using that area to compensate, not sure. still a bit weak, off and on you feel kinda drained, kinda like you have no umph. all around tired of no real activity, kind of boring when you are not able to go hardly anywhere, but i will endure, because i want the best possible results. thanks for all the support, till next time.

(p.s. sorry for being so wordy, if thats a word.)

[Sophie_]

Hi Nan,
That's fantastic news, i'm thrilled for you, it's great when you can start to feel everything paying off. You'll be able to do a little bit more day by day but I remember my Dr telling me not to try walking for several weeks after the surgery but then when the time came to start walking I was ready to walk.
Please God you will continue to improve over the next few weeks and months.

Take care and good to hear from you.

Sinead xxx

[Mark56]

A Week and a Day- What a sense of accomplishment. Some lingering pain from surgery, whether incisional or near to it is not unusual, and I did feel that stuff. I had to wait to week 2 in order to receive the program and away I went, using it 24/7, turning it down at night typically. Yep.

Lay low, sounds like you are following the care routine of BLAST, no bending, lifting, stretching or twisting. Pretty important, that. With healing will come the reward of more to do by way of physio therapy and such. Be patient, and before you know it, you may even be taking your first sky diving lesson [just kidding].

Praying for pain abatement,
Mark56ZZZZZZ

[nanspain]

yep you guys being very careful and following my docs guidelines. he did say to take short walks as tolerated that may be just a few steps in the driveway, nothin much but as im sure you all remember everything feels so much like an accomplishment so much so you wanna shout it from the roof tops but im no fool. everything in moderation and if in doubt, i just wont do it. Hey, how long does those twinges or spasms in the legs lasts, numbness too? About driving for the first time, was it week 3,4 or 6? thanks for everything.

[irljenn]

Hi Nanspain

Just read through your posts your doing great for so soon after surgery. I had a different type of scs installed so I could drive as soon as I wanted to but I think it was probably week 4 before I felt I could really handle the journey as well as the part of where I was going . what i mean is if you drive to the shops remember you still can't lift out the shopping!! I think it does get harder to remember the no bending stretching thing at about 5 weeks as you really feel better and its easy to forget those leads in our spine but as you said it's up to you now, there are no docs watching but if your anything like me your family will help keep you in check!!

I never had the twitches and spasms and i am sure the other experts on the forum will explain them but in my opinion when you go to get programmed they can probably help to control them or eliminate them for you.

Keep doing what your doing , rest lots and as my doctor said to me when I told him I was sleeping so much as so tired after the scs he explained it to me that for 2 years I only ever slept in Pain which was never for long so my body took a lot of time to catch up on all the sleep and rest it needed.

You seem to have a very supportive family and it is one thing all of us on this forum seem to have been so lucky with partners and children understanding our pain and helping us through.

wishing you a speedy return to hopefully a pain free life!!

xx jenna

[Mark56]

Hmmmmm...... twitches and spasms, anyway the primary pain culprits of that sort went away with the earlier fusions. I used to notice some spasms yet prior to the SCS, but I had to be still in order to feel them, and by using the SCS, no spasm was produced that I have detected. The burning nerve pain is that which has been handily managed with the SCS, and I do use it 24/7, although usually turn it down some at night/bedtime. The numbness of peripheral neuropathy from my knees down is permanent, and has not been affected by the SCS; interestingly, however, my wife and I have noticed that if I am laying on bed without socks..... one can observe my toes moving ever so slightly, apparently from the stim, although I can neither feel them nor produce the movement at will.

Now I reckon you are beyond a week and a day.... and are experiencing some lessening of the surgical pain. Two weeks after the implant surgery I met with the rep for the programming session in which i sat before his computer to actually select the programs for the unit myself. These faithful programs I have used ever since.

Prayin for improvement for you! Oh, and Nan, I waved at you as we drove the 77 down from Charleston, WV, through the narrow waist of Virginia into North Carolina during our recent travels....

Caring Loads,
Mark56

[nanspain]

Yep, its been about 2 weeks and i am continuing to improve. the little twitches i felt are beginning to be few and far apart, i think it may have been my body just adjusting becuz it was never enough to cause any real probs. i just noticed they were there. i will be going in for my tweaking of programs this week, and i cant wait. still walking a bit around and outside my house, taking things very slow, while allowing my body to accept all its new parts. pain from incisions very tolerable with original meds, and starting to feel i did the right thing. I'ts On, and Energizing Me. AWHHH, It Feels Good.

[Mark56]

Originally Posted by nanspain

Yep, its been about 2 weeks and i am continuing to improve. the little twitches i felt are beginning to be few and far apart, i think it may have been my body just adjusting becuz it was never enough to cause any real probs. i just noticed they were there. i will be going in for my tweaking of programs this week, and i cant wait. still walking a bit around and outside my house, taking things very slow, while allowing my body to accept all its new parts. pain from incisions very tolerable with original meds, and starting to feel i did the right thing. I'ts On, and Energizing Me. AWHHH, It Feels Good.

Mark56

[nanspain]

alright, i am well into week 3 and i feel good, you knew that i would...i'm moving a lot better, i still walk right around my house and street, but i feel stronger. i am not needing my old trusty cane at all. pain and me get along fine as long as i don't over do it, meaning a little too much activity be it walking too much, staying at the store for too long, ect. as many of you has said, if you be good to your body and listen to it, it'll be good to me. i had my stimulator programmed this week, the rep separated my legs from my back on two programs so i am able to turn my back up while leaving my legs be, or vice versa, or adjust them both at the same time. that is awesome, to have that kind of control over my scs. i'm really lovin this guys. two questions though, does the vibration cause any of you to itch, mainly hands and feet? second, do you guys turn the scs completely off while driving, cause anytime i turn it off, i hate the pain you instantly deal with....chow for now.

[Mark56]

What more can one express than ? Okay, Okay, seriously, the itching you tend to feel may be unique to you. I have not had such a response, but then due to my permanent nerve injury I am numb below the knees. HOWEVER, and this is a BIG
HOWEVER, you know when I have mentioned using the stim on such a high setting that it will induce a state of complete paralysis below my waist? Well, I noticed a second effect when using the device so high to ride the crest of a pain spike wave, and that is if I turn my head a certain way, I feel electric shock and stim side effects in my Tongue. Weird, eh?

Driving, do you mean piloting a metallic craft with multiple wheels capable of achieving great freedom and speed? Well, I, uh, drive when I use the stim on a low setting so as not to lose control over my thighs through which I manage to work the pedals. If the stim use is, in my judgment, anywhere close to a strength which would impair my control of the pedals, I yield control of the vehicle to someone else, my wife, or one of our children. Not taking chances this way. It was for this reason I did not drive for so long pre-surgery when on such strong nerve meds and opiates, as I never wanted to drive impaired and risk hurting anyone, myself included. Nuff said.

I am SO GLAD for you, we just might have to start a party!!:icon_biggrin :
Mark56