[MDinpain]

Set for Medtronic Adaptive Stim likely with dual octad leads next Tuesday. Part of me curious about Bos Sci dual 16's that were just FDA approved, but the Medtronic trial was so good that I don't feel highly motivated to brand shop. My guess is that there are stories of poor IPG's and issues with all companies. Hopefully I don't wind up with a dud.

Where are your IPGs? I have a low belt line and small "love handles" above so hoping to get it shoved in there with a short tunnel on my back. Don't know if there is quite enough "meat", but I saw a photo on project 3x5 tumblr with that same placement and that woman is thin (& not unattractive). If it worked for her, then should be ok on me. Hard time getting psyched about sitting on the thing if the Pain MD wants to tunnel that way.

Just disclosed my situation to a few people at work. One of my colleagues from work / old ski buddy inferred RSD. I said yep. His eyes grew wide. You see, my people have heard of this beast. I told the others "bad neuropathy" and let em guess. I'm guessing that my IQ 150 boss has already figured it out. They were all shocked. It is amazing how easy it is to cover up something this hardcore if you are committed to doing so. I told my boss I said nothing because I didn't want to be on the radar unless I earned it. He now needed to know. I don't want everybody to know about this, so with help of friends trying to create cover story. As we all know, pain patients have a stigma. I suffer. No analgesics save motrin for headaches. Unless you fell off a 60 foot ladder or got pulverized in a car like Marc56, most people can't get it. (Ironically, my tree collsion was at Vail, probably not far from his crash.)

Freaked about 2 things:

1) that the permanent will be placed just right like that trial was
2) not to overdo it after - my functional status is high - high enough that people don't know. I think the only thing has changed is that I am not Mr. Mellow / It's all good anymore. With CRPS, it's not all good! I am going back into a non-desk job. Not serious labor, but maneuverability is required. Off work for two weeks and seriously paranoid about the BLAST deal at work. My MD says bend at hips / knees. Kind of freaks me out. Trying to generate a mellow schedule for myself, but it will be tough.

Also, my boy's school camping trip is 10 days post op. I will go hell or high water. Last year I went on this trip and "was normal" - that was the hardest 2 nights of my entire life. I flared so badly by standing / hiking most of the day that I felt like my brain had been plugged into the wall socket! Luckily there are cabins with cots at the site that I will use. My boy can stay in a tent with buds if it bums him out too much. If I can get good coverage in legs, it's worth a pain in the handle!