Welcome to the group!

How long have you had your stim? I'm glad to see that you are doing well with it. I feel the same way you do. Some days good, some not so good, but all in all I'm very thankful for it. That horrible pain was about to do me in, as many here would say the same.

It's great to have you!

Rae

I've had it for about 3 years now. i'm a very shy person i'm around regular psycentral.com mostly.

Thanks for your response back! I'm not too far behind you with the stim. I wonder how long our batteries will last.

No need to be shy here with the buzzing buddies! We're a down to earth bunch of bionic peeps here in our little corner of the world wide web. Hmmmm, maybe WE are the shy ones!
Actually I'm registered over at PsychCentral too, but it seems so overwhelming to me....it is a VERY busy forum! I'm just a small town hick

It's great to have you here!

Rae

I don't have experience with back problems, but it does seem odd to me that your doctor is saying that this is your only option. Having an implant inside of you is a big deal, and it is a decision that you should make, on your own, after coming to terms with it. I don't think it's something that anyone should be forced into, because they could end up miserable. Additionally, and I don't know if your doctor talked to about this, but while spinal cord stimulation provides great relief for some people, it does not work for others. There is no guarantee that this treatment will work, unfortunately, which is troubling because what will your doctor do for you if it doesn't? Mark's reply is way more detailed and very helpful, but I think getting a second opinion from another doctor would be a good idea. If after finding more information about the SCS you decide that you'd like to go forth with the trial then that is great, but it needs to be a decision you make.

Could be doc is being misunderstood. The following link http://spine.uams.edu/?id=8069&sid=7 shows the U of Arkansas respects patient rights. Seems unlikely it would be different elsewhere in the state.

Yup,
Mark56