Hello Everyone! Lucinda here. My health issues are as follows. In 2008 I had anterior/posterior spinal fusion of L3-S1. Prior to this, I had some slight pain and after an MRI was told I had a bulging disc but nothing that should be causing the constant pain I was having. For 18 months, I had MRI after MRI with each showing some slight degenerative discs. I was put on Cymbalta because as my doctor put it, "it was all in my head". After 18 months of this and 7 transferamal injections into my back (which did nothing to relieve my pain), I woke up one morning unable to bare any weight on my left side, incontinent, and in such horrible pain that when my husband got home from work, I made him take me to the ER where I told them to find what was wrong with my back or put me in the psych ward. The wonderful doctor and nurse who worked with me, who we still see to this day, admitted me and gave me pain meds that for the first time in months gave me a few moments away from the pain. The orthopedic doctor assigned to me, for the FIRST time orderes x-rays along with an MRI and saw immediately that two of my vertebrate were completely cracked and moving 6 milimeters out of place. Thus, the drastic surgery that followed 6 days later. I was not even able to leave the hospital until after the surgery for fear I would sever my spinal chord stepping off a step.

Now, 4 years later and after dealing with the pain associated with the surgery and working 16 hour days, last Spring after being side swiped by a semi truck, my pain went from bad to worse and on May 11th, my last day of a 20 year teaching career, I developed a sudden and severe onset of neuropathy so bad, I could not return to my job. I was told by all my doctors, family, surgeon, pain, that I should apply for disability because the EMG showed I had nerves pinched and attached to the fusion site. So after being bedridden for 6 weeks, I started therapy, drug resuscitation, attempted relief by steroid injuections (which were unsuccessful due to all of the hardware and scar tissue), and numerous trips to all of my doctors to figure out what to do next. I even had a second opinion at Rush in Chicago. The bottom line is this, I will need to have a neurostim or a pain pump.

The research I have done in peer reviewed medical journals says that for my condition (faild spinal fusion syndrome and lower extremity neuropathy), I am a good candidate for the pump, however, my surgeon and Pain Control Specialists say that the pumps are very dangerous and I should have the stimulator. I have been cleared by psych for either with the words "you are a very intelligent person who is capable of weighing the pros and cons of each and making a decision based on that". NOW...I need your help. I need to talk to real people who have had either one of these and who have problems similiar to mine.

I have done some research on my own and have read many of your stories which has made ev erything as clear as mud.

SO...... I am open to any and all information, links, stories of success/failure, and thank you for welcoming me into your group. It looks friendly and a place where support is truly shared.