[chaos]

I'm going to go back to my doc today to talk about getting the pain pump installed. I had my trial and my feet felt so good for quite a few hours.

What does your stomach actually look like? I can't find any pics online, just like tummy tucks when I put in a search. Is the catheter totally inside you or does it stick out at all? How much of the device can you see? A big block or just a little?

How long did it take before you were back at work? I see there is a 2 week driving ban. Is it possible to work from home at all, all propped up? Or will I just be dealing with pain over a couple weeks and just need to rest?

[Rrae]

Welcome Aboard!
How did your appt go? Have you and your doctor decided to go thru with the implant?

I'm not sure how much the unit sticks out (if any). You ask some excellent questions. I have an SCS and am not real familiar with the pump, other than what these links have shared.

Check out these posts from some of our pumpsters here at NT:

Pain Pump member references:

Here is the testimony of Bobinjeffmo's pain pump:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post701979-14.html

Here are some post references, both good and bad, to hopefully give you a realistic array of experiences:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread144925.html

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...945#post841945

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post778075-7.html

Another thing you can do is use the "Search" feature near the top of the page in the bar that runs across the screen (3rd option from right). Type in 'pain pump' and it will bring up prior posts and discussions on these.

Please keep us posted!
Rae

[chaos]

Yes, my doc is working on setting everything up. I don't have a date yet for the implant, but assume it takes a little time to get the approval from insurance.

She said I probably would only be out of work for one week, max. Most people feel pretty good within a couple days. I do work at a desk all day.

I have no idea where to put the thing. I'm thinking above my waistline would better. Doc thought maybe below. I'm curvy and it seems the only place in my clothing that would have extra room is above my waist. My pants are usually tight-ish already. I'm about 150 lbs, size 10-12 and 34DD if that helps.

I keep thinking about how much it helped. OMG was it nice!

Doc said one of her clients that came in that same day got hers recently and was off all oral meds in one week. *squee* I would love to save my stomach from all the cr*p that I have to put in it!

[Rrae]

From what I have heard, it seems to make sense to put it above the waistline (on one side or the other), especially since you are in a sitting position most of the time (your job).
I know it's a big decision to make regarding the location. Ask your doc why she recommends putting it below waist. Perhaps she can share from her patients' experiences what the pros and cons are.
Hopefully someone with a pain pump will see this and give some input.

How wonderful that your trial went so well! Please keep us posted on your progress! Your input would be very valuable!

I feel your excitement. Sounds like you have a wonderful doctor and it Looks as tho all is in your favor for this!

Rae

[ALASKA MIKE]

I have mine above the waist on the right side of my belly because I sleep mostly on my left side. The 40 and 80 are the 2 sizes to choose from. I took the larger because I don't want to be refilled constantly but it does stick out more than the 40. They both are the size of a hockey puck with the 40 being half as thick as a puck and the 80 is about the same thickness as a puck. If you don't have a puck, try a sporting goods store. Put the puck under your shirt to see what it looks like. To be honest, most people can't tell you have it.

I had 3 previous scs implants and I hated the battery pack was placed in my lower back about waist line high so I had constant irritation from clothing and I couldn't lay on my back since it felt like I was laying on the tv remote control. I wish they would of placed my battery where my pump is now but nobody told me that at the time. Choose wisely for pump placement because once its in, they only change it every 5-7 years when the battery needs replacing.

You can't feel or see the cath so don't worry about that.

As far as driving goes, you will have to ask your doc. I got my freedom back by having a pump put in because I was allowed to drive again. I was on heavy heavy heavy meds. I gained back some memory after about 6 months on the pump which was a bonus too.

You will be sore for a week or so after the surgery. The hardest part in the first few weeks is getting the dosage correct. You probably want to lay around for a few days to heal and make sure everyone you know does not touch your pump because you only have less than a 1/4" of skin over the pump so it hurts when somebody bumps it or you bump a table. You will learn over time that your arm knows kunfu now and it will defend your pump to the death but your arm starts out as a white belt so you still get hurt here and there. It takes time to get a black belt in defending a pain pump but you will get there. Lol.

You should be able to sit up and do work from the bed just protect those stitches. The more you move, the more they stretch.

Changing your dosage is simple. They will pull out a hand held device and put it right over your pump. It will detect your dosage and tell you how many days before your next refill. They simply punch in a number on the device to change how much you get each day. It takes just a few minutes. It detects over clothing but since this is your first time, they will want to inspect your stitches/scar for the first few months.

Make sure to get the ptm so you can give yourself a bolus when needed through out the day. Insurance is a pain in the *** if you don't get it the same day as surgery. It's $800-900 cash is what you save by getting that ptm on the same day.

I don't check back to neurotalk often so if I missed something, I will get it the next time I'm on.

Good luck