NeuroTalk Support Groups - Battery issues

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NeuroTalk Support Groups (https://www.neurotalk.org/)

- SCS & Pain Pumps (https://www.neurotalk.org/scs-and-pain-pumps/)

- - Battery issues (https://www.neurotalk.org/scs-and-pain-pumps/208154-battery-issues.html)

zookester

08-23-2014 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by booklover (Post 1091186)

Hi Tessa,

Glad you dropped by. You’re the first person I've ever met with CRPS 2, like me. My specialist calls us “atypical”. Thanks for explaining how you manage to push your battery and pain pump in with tape. I was interested to hear that having a device in the front also causes the same problem for you, as I have the option of moving battery to the front when I need to replace it. I have also noticed that if I hold the top of the battery in that relieves the pain, but I can't do that all night! Unfortunately, I react to any sport tapes with rashes, welts and skin breakdown, not what's needed over my battery! Nevertheless you’ve made me think, I may be able to achieve the same effect with elastic binding without affecting the skin.

I will look into this further,

Booklover

Hey Booklover - nice to meet you,

I'm sorry you also deal with CRPS II. I wanted to mention that I don't actually push the battery or pump in - I just apply the tape with some tension so that it reduces the internal friction from the device more like adding support for it. Pushing it in may cause additional discomfort as you would be pushing it against the internal scarring and creating more pressure/pain. With them gently supported, I don't notice them as much and the pain is much less.

Tape of any kind usually causes me to blister etc., but this particular tape doesn't.. I hope that it works for you also.

Wishing you the best day possible,
Tessa

1luckylady

09-05-2014 12:17 AM

Just a question?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jackiey (Post 1089881)

Hi
I had my unit implanted in Aug 2008 and since then I too lost weight. My battery is in my left buttock also up near the waistband of my trousers.
In February 2009 I had a new battery inserted as the old battery was faulty. It was unpleasant but necessary.

A couple of months ago I went to my Dr. As like you I had more weight loss and I was concerned that the battery had migrated to the top layer of my skin and was 'working its way out'.

My Dr examined me and then did some X-rays to show me that all was well. Yes the battery was very close to the surface but that it was better there than deeper as the remote might not pick up the signal as well as it was. He told me it was well anchored in and it was going nowhere.

He did ask me if I wanted to have it moved but I said absolutely not I dont want more surgery, another surgical site,more scar tissue etc I have gotten used to it now and I'm just careful when I'm doing things not to bang it off anything. And also in what clothes I'm wearing.

To me the less surgery the better and after 7 ops I don't want any more. Try not to worry and I'm sure it will be fine. Any surgery is a risk and each time you are building up scar tissue which itself is another issue.

Take care

Jackie :)

I wore my jeans to my surgery and they marked me with my jeans on. Although I do intend to lose weight at some point, they assured me that they made the "pocket" deep enough that it shouldn't be an issue. Was that the same with any of you all?

ger715

09-06-2014 10:29 PM

Becky,

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrelsey (Post 1089537)

Hi Booklover! Welcome to the forum! I hope you'll pull up a chair and get comfy - this is a great group of people - they are helpful, encouraging, witty, and just an all-around fun bunch! :sunchair:

First, congrats on the weight loss! That is a huge accomplishment, and I applaud you! :You-Rock:

I, too, have a Medtronic's unit. My permanent implant surgery was on December 24th of last year, and in mid-January I began a diet and lost almost 30 pounds, which got me to my goal weight. Like you, I also noticed that my battery pack - which had once been well-hidden inside a pocket of "extra me" was now sticking out, was very sensitive, and slightly uncomfortable. Then in April we discovered that my percutaneous leads had migrated, and in June I had revision surgery for the laminectomy and paddle leads. Since I knew my Neurosurgeon was going to have to take the battery out to disconnect the old and connect the new leads, I thought that would be a good opportunity to relocate my little friend so that it would be less conspicuous. Wrong. As it turned out, my NS felt that because of the amount of scar tissue that was already formed in the "pocket," it would be better to leave it where it was.

My advice is to really, really, REALLY let your surgeon know what you would like done and why. I wish I had been more vocal with my NS. I know that he felt like he was taking the least-invasive approach for me, but I would have preferred to have the short-term pain of a new pocket healing, rather than the long-term uncomfortableness of having my battery sticking out. I don't think I emphasized that with him enough.

But as you had mentioned - and as my husband has often joked - I could simply put all of the "extra me" back on and the problem would be solved! Hmmmmm . . . now that I think about it, a month or two of eating all the Mexican food, pizza, ice cream, etc. that I want wouldn't be a bad thing, right? :pizza: :icecream: Just kidding! I'm really enjoying being able to wear my jeans that had previously been relegated to the "doesn't fit me anymore closet!"

Best of luck on your journey, and keep us posted!

=Becky

Has the revision surgery you had in June; laminectomy and paddle leads, improved your pain? If I recall correctly; since you had so much scar tissue you had been limited to one lead which had migrated. Has the revision surgery you had in June; laminectomy and paddle leads been successful? Is the SCS now helping to lessen your pain?

Gerry

chrelsey

09-07-2014 07:48 AM

Gerry

Hi! Thanks for checking in on me!

My revision surgery recovery has continued to go well, and as of my latest programming session this past week, I am getting AMAZING coverage - from the middle of my back all the way to my toes. I can't tell you how happy this has made me!

Now, to be sure, I'm not pain free - because we all know that's not going to happen - but my pain is greatly reduced. That is definitely one for the "win" column!

However, I am having a problem that has the Medtronic's tech people and engineers stumped. This happened with my percutaneous leads, as well as with my new paddle leads, so they don't think it is a "lead" issue. The problem occurs when I go to bed at night. Now - picture this - I sleep propped up on seven pillows - three behind my head, two under my knees, and one on each side of me. This keeps me in a position similar to my recliner, and is the only way I can stay in bed all night. And, with all of those pillows, I don't move an inch during the night. What is happening is that when I go to bed and lie down, I can feel my stim just fine. In fact, I have it turned up a little bit higher because I know what's coming next. As I lie there, it's like someone is slowly turning my setting down, down, down. After about an hour, I'm feeling probably 50% less stimulation. After three hours, it's like my stim is turned off - I can't feel it at all. When I get up in the morning, similarly, it's like someone slowly turns the settings back up - after a couple of hours I feel the normal sensation.

Medtronic's techs and engineers said they have never heard of this happening before. The engineers asked my rep to get a separate card for her reader so that she can download two-weeks worth of everything my battery does on it, and then to send it to them. At the same time, I kept a two-week log of all the different times, settings, etc. When I saw her this past week, she had tech on the phone and was going through all the various steps to save all the reports to the card so she could overnight it to them. Unfortunately her machine messed up towards the end of that process and erased all of my data. So now I am once again keeping my log, and in a couple of weeks she'll try to download the data again and send it to them.

But, in the meantime, I am LOVING my new setting, and just feel very blessed to be getting the coverage that I'm getting!

Wishing you much joy and a blessed week ahead!

=Becky

ger715

09-09-2014 12:57 AM

Becky,

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrelsey (Post 1094721)

I am glad it worked out well. I had been concerned when you had the ordinal lead put in since there was a a lot of scar tissue limiting you to only one lead. I was surprised the rep told the doctor to go ahead and put it in any way. Did't know how long before the paddles could be installed and if it was worth going thru another surgery. So as mentioned; I really glad this worked out.

Strange about the night gradually lessening; seems like the battery in the lay position with a little movement does not complete connect.Hope its just a minor adjustment.

Gerry

booklover

09-09-2014 06:54 AM

Hi Becky,
Any chance the reduction in stimulation in sleep could be occurring due to change of position as body relaxes? I also can only sleep in reclined position. I have noticed with the old medtronic as body relaxes neck tends to go into extension or to the side (even when you use pillows/brace to restrict it). Spoke to Nevro Rep he said this variation in stimulation is a real problem for people with leads in neck even with the newer models of low freq batteries such as medtronic.

Less likely to be the cause further down because ribcage already restricts movement.

Just a thought...

Booklover

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrelsey (Post 1094721)

Terin2002

10-20-2014 10:38 PM

Needing help what to do

I have a spinal cord stimulator through Boston scientific I have had it over three years for chronic pain and cancer I'm 32 I had prolong pain from chemo when I had cancer when I was 28 breast cancer , I'm having trouble being able to charge mine to get. A full charge if takes me two days to charge it and I can't charge it when I'm up and moving I have to be in bed in order to get a good charge without moving for four hours to get it charged , then I have to charge the pack and go back at charging it the second day I'm hoping I can get some answers tomorrow of what to do I'm so tired of this I'm to the point of having it removed I hope to hear from some of you at what problems you have had ,
Thanks sincerely terin:grouphug:

Kitt	10-21-2014 09:08 AM

Welcome Terin2002. :Tip-Hat:

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