My unit is programed much the same. Of course mine is also a Medtronic unit. My last trip to the doc they again asked me about my satisfaction with my unit. I did not see my doc again this visit and I am finding this tiresome. I am not a medical bigot, my primary caregiver is a PA-C. HOWEVER when I drive 200 miles one way.... I am not sure bu am wondering if they are moving to a different company. My unit will shut its self down in a few more years so I am exploing other brands and patient satisfaction

i have the same problem. tech change the program. once they change program you can not get the program back. still waiting on moving leads.
thanks ronh

Ron, Saffy, Sinead I am beyond myself with wonder why the providers of care, the techs who strive to program the units leave the patient out of the loop. YOU, the patients, are the people who KNOW what occurs within you body with each different stimulus. WHY DON'T THE TECHS DO AS MINE DID AND ASK "WILL YOU PLEASE SIT IN FRONT OF THE COMPUTER AND MANIPULATE THE CONTROLS AS I DEMONSTRATE SO AS TO DETERMINE WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU?" Why, why, why NOT!! Is it that Boston Scientific is the only provider out there willing to allow a patient to address their issue since they understand subjectively what is occuring in the affected body from inside the suit we call flesh and blood????

I repeat and challenge any vendor of such devices as to their process when the patient is to respond to a "How is this?" or "How is that?" as the tech taps on the controls. Where is the consideration of the patient, some of whom must drive or be driven hundreds of miles or kilometers in order to achieve a tweak!?!? Goodness sakes, I have not had to experience a tweak in the year my implant has been active. I have openly wondered whether this phenomenon is the result of my technician asking me to manipulate the computer to establish the four programs in my unit. Is it not possible? Why fly repeatedly between the U.S. and patients far removed when if they were more personally involved in the process they might actually receive a greater benefit?

Why?

I am truly baffled by the responses on the issue of tweaking again and again involving a tap to a screen or device in an interrogatory exchange between patient and technician.

Sorry for the rant,
Just baffled,
Mark56

Mark I think it is perhaps that most of us have different units etc. I know u told us that yours dosent include wires etc attached to your unit. Maybe that's why you can sit at a pc and fiddle around with the programmes. Mine is attached to wires etc to the programmer. That's then connected to a little box the rep has and tweaked that way. Maybe some of ours are a bit outdated I dunno!!

I must admit, after two hours of .. "How does this feel compared to the last one?" I put my head in my hands and said .. "I just don't know!" I was so frustrated.

This is my exact stim and the control programmer



The Nurse uses the wee stick to tap onto each electrode and change the settings ...

My thoughts rendered last evening hopefully provoke discussion between patients and techs or nurses inquiring whether a more personal approach to the programming sequence might not prove the better. Just think of the hours of professional time potentially saved because program setting might more personally involve the patient, the frustration avoided and patient satisfaction potentially achieved due to the personal input since all of this is SO subjective.

Imagine.......

Imagine........

Could be a good remedy,
Mark56

Hi guys,

Imagine if there was software on your own computer that could tweek our SCS's. Use a usb connection to connect to our unit, to connect to the software, this software is connected to a central unit the Technician is responsible for and you could work over the computer to tweek your device. Why not, it would save so much time for everyone.

You could do it sitting at your own kitchen table and you wouldn't have to travel hundreds of miles sitting in a car or train or bus that you're not able to do in the first place. If something wasn't working then you could visit the technician.

If someone doesn't have access to a computer, they could do it with a relative or their local health care provider.

I wouldn't mind but the technology exists, it's not new and it isn't rocket science.

Imagine as Mark says...

Sinéad

It may come down to money. If each patient was allowed to do the fine tuning to their scs units maybe the ins. companies would look at this in a way that the co. rep/tech is not needed so the expense cost should go down in price. I am sure the Med companies that make these units may look at this as a liability issue. They know that this should be something that most folks could do them selves and would gladly do it. It is all about the bucks and how much they can charge the ins co each time it needs to be adjusted the first year 5-6-7 times X's $150.00 per on the low side X's a thousand a month. This is big money for the med companies. They need to justify the cost of the rep/tech.

Their are a lot of 10 year old geeks out there that could do the fine tune adjustments without any problems for a pop or burger.

If you own a smart phone and have to download apps. on the phone it is very similar to programming a scs. You just need to take your time the first few times until you feel comfortable doing it.

Just a thought and my 2 cents.

That's very very true hurting, it is all about money, at the end of the day that's what it comes down to and the problem with that alot of time it's poor old Joe Bloogs that suffers when he shouldn't have to.

Sinead