Your Trial sounds much like mine complete with the immediate return of agony once the leads of the Trial were withdrawn. I had come to the Doc's office prepared with pain meds to take just then, and I did because agony is agony.... we ALL know it too well. If you received what you believe was total relief, I will tell you my Trial was similar and having had the permanent implant, I was able to fully withdraw from the pain meds. FULLY. I am a rare bird. If I don't shut up about this, I might one day be visited by scientists who want to study my nervous system.... remember the tests on animals? [bad joke, but given societal quirks from time to time, one could have concern].

I hope you feel led to make what turns out to be the best decision for you.
Prayin,
Mark56

Yeah that deflation feeling ending the trial after the high of finding stim (read pain relief) is a huge bother.

Question
How long was it for you guys between the trial and perm implant?

I am going on 2 months now waiting for the NS consults and now insurance approval so I can schedule. I am going to follow up with the NS today, but it kinda strikes me as odd that there would be such a huge time lag where the Dr.s put you back the way you were and let you just stay status quo.

I am back to the same level of med intake as pre-trial. I had such a horrible time with detox while on my trial I swore I wouldn't go back to the same level and experience the detox again. ... fast forward a month later, and I am fully back on the meds again, just to maintain some sanity through my pain and be able to get to and through a work day. I just hope maybe my PM can help wean me off a bit more gently this time to avoid the weeks of only crackers and water.

Brent

A 2 month wait seems average (mine was something like that). Others have waited many months, others actually get the permanent right away. I don't know why there would have to be such a long interim. Some Drs worry about infection (as did mine) and wants the body to fully recoup from the trial before making more incisions for the battery pack and laminectomy. I didn't get the laminectomy, yet my doc still took all precautions.
Sometimes the insurance company is the culprit for the delay.

Yes, it can be maddening having to wait when you desperately want that pain relief BACK! I'm sorry you had to go thru such horrid withdrawal. I'm surprised he had you do that. Like you said, you'll have to do it again for the permanent.

I hope you are able to stay on top of the pain as you wait.

Rae

My trial was the end of April 2011 and implant was Aug. 5, 2011. There was a two week delay with scheduling due to insurance covering only certain surgery centers. My Dr. Said he waits two months to allow for healing to avoid infection. So glad you found relief and hope your pm helps with withdrawal issues.

Sending good thoughts and prayers your way.
Sandy K

My trial to implant took over four months

That was due to the fact that my Dr went on holidays plus he wanted to wait 6 weeks post trialFor the area to heal BEFORE he would open it all up again Yep very confusing. His take was he wanted to be sure there was no infection!!!!

It was a long wait but worth it in the end

Jackie


.

I had to name this comment Charlie Brown and Lucy because of the trials and the wait for the permanent stem. They give us the promise of relief and then snatch it away. We flip and fall.

I have apparently been blessed so far. A wait of only two weeks for surgery and then another week before my tech turns me on. It has been the tech who has worked with me all along. The surgeon doing the permanent install and his nurse kept mentioning some guy named Travis. They told me he is the rep for Boston Sci.

It's fine by me but I may never even meet the rep. I'll take my tech any day. She does turn me on (her phrase).

Please hang in there. Dealing with insurance is maddening. My experience with insurance has been very interesting. I will post about that later.

[quote=Paulb_47;850187]
It's fine by me but I may never even meet the rep. I'll take my tech any day. She does turn me on (her phrase).

Ok, that got a grin outta me.....tee hee

I counted Brent, began to cook up some neat and weird conspiracy theory about why it would be delayed...... like if we wait long enough, the patient will go away, or maybe be involvled in another traffic accident and we can claim allocation of benefits if not out and out subrogation due some possible new "stuff" which would be diagnosed. In the end it was a "this just takes tis long stretch OK and I had a wicked infection from the Trial surgery highway to my spinal cord which, truth be told, had to be cared for first. The hilarity of it all was the DITZ at the insurance company ARGUED about a necessity for antibiotics for a spine patient. Thinking "Aha, I have caught a patient willfully trying to slide an antibiotic for a sinus infection through on Work Comp..... those nasty no good work comp patients who commit all kinds of fraud you know..." I began to HOPE the infection would spread, kill me, then have the insurance company make my wife and children millionaires many times over for the BAD FAITH CLAIM... i HAD EVEN STARTED WRITING THE PLEADINGS IN CASE THESE JERKS LET ME DIE FROM AN INFECTION FROM THE STIM tRIAL SURGERY.

Faith in anyone handling my case... it takes a lot to earn my trust, and my pain management doc with his ortho surgeon and my neuro surgeon very close seconds.... yes indeedy.

I love these guys in a guy kind of way.......
Praying for you Brent,
Mark56