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Neuro-stimulator
Has anyone had any experience with a neuro-stimulator implanted in the back? I am supposed to have a test in January where probes will be put near my spine; the wires will come out of my back for the test and if the stimulator doesn't help, then that's the end of that possiblity. If the test is successful in controlling my pain they will remove everything and wait three to four weeks until I'm completely healed; then they will implant the stimulator and wires and probes permanently. According to my pain doc the success rate is greater than 80%. I would sure love to hear from people who have had experience with the device. thanks
I am sorry I got you guys mixed up my comments were for the person asking about them. I was told not to drive with them on.
also a warning DO NOT LET LITTLE HANDS gets your remote, they can blackmail you.
yeah I noticed just from sitting down to standing the difference in strength, but I adjust it.
I go into a court often, doing an internship, and I always set the alarm off it is a hand held one
So Sorry to mix you guys up I don't know how that happen I guess thatis lack of sleep
good luck Jerry
also a warning DO NOT LET LITTLE HANDS gets your remote, they can blackmail you.
yeah I noticed just from sitting down to standing the difference in strength, but I adjust it.
I go into a court often, doing an internship, and I always set the alarm off it is a hand held one
So Sorry to mix you guys up I don't know how that happen I guess thatis lack of sleep
good luck Jerry
Hi Michelle,
I know about the MRI and CAT scans and the airport problems you can have Im a goverment contractor so I fly alot, but I do have to say that I only had the detector go off one time in a rather small airport, but I had my implant card and every thing was ok. As far as driving ( I still drive ) and my unit is on almost all the time. My bigest thing to tell people that are looking at getting the unit implanted is this : During a normal day of work you might have to raise the levels to get more or better coverage of the pain areas while working. Now when you go home and rest these levels can be not so good. and Example that I have done myself was that I had worked a 9hr day and my unit was at about max, I cam home and went to lay down on my bed to relax a little bit before getting up to do things around the house. Well when I layed down the feeling or shock from the unin went up about 50X I was totally unable to do anything, I was lucky that my wife came in to see how I was doing and noticed me laying on the bed red faced and crying , I could not even scream for help every nerve was getting shocked. She knew how to turn the unit off and did. Then I knew that I would have to have another setting to change to when i got home or to turn off the unit if i was going from a standing to sitting or laying down.
Michelle and Jerry,
Michelle I am happy to hear you are getting 60% reduction I was at about 70-80 at first but now im at about 40 but it still is nice and knowing that I have 16 nodes that we can turn on and off gives me hope to find a better spot.
Jerry,
I know that when you have the trial unit done it will be a little bit of a pain becuse its external and the wire moves more than with the unstalled unit lead. With the trial I would feel change in amp and location by just turning my head a little to the left or right. but I was still able to see that it was going to help me alot. So I do hope that it works for you and if it does not that you are able to find somethingelse to will
R/
Adam
I know about the MRI and CAT scans and the airport problems you can have Im a goverment contractor so I fly alot, but I do have to say that I only had the detector go off one time in a rather small airport, but I had my implant card and every thing was ok. As far as driving ( I still drive ) and my unit is on almost all the time. My bigest thing to tell people that are looking at getting the unit implanted is this : During a normal day of work you might have to raise the levels to get more or better coverage of the pain areas while working. Now when you go home and rest these levels can be not so good. and Example that I have done myself was that I had worked a 9hr day and my unit was at about max, I cam home and went to lay down on my bed to relax a little bit before getting up to do things around the house. Well when I layed down the feeling or shock from the unin went up about 50X I was totally unable to do anything, I was lucky that my wife came in to see how I was doing and noticed me laying on the bed red faced and crying , I could not even scream for help every nerve was getting shocked. She knew how to turn the unit off and did. Then I knew that I would have to have another setting to change to when i got home or to turn off the unit if i was going from a standing to sitting or laying down.
Michelle and Jerry,
Michelle I am happy to hear you are getting 60% reduction I was at about 70-80 at first but now im at about 40 but it still is nice and knowing that I have 16 nodes that we can turn on and off gives me hope to find a better spot.
Jerry,
I know that when you have the trial unit done it will be a little bit of a pain becuse its external and the wire moves more than with the unstalled unit lead. With the trial I would feel change in amp and location by just turning my head a little to the left or right. but I was still able to see that it was going to help me alot. So I do hope that it works for you and if it does not that you are able to find somethingelse to will
R/
Adam
i also should add that you can not have MRI's or CAT scans done once this is in. also you have to be careful with going through metal detectors like at airports or going onto courts. the day you have it implanted they will give you a temp card for your wallet and then a final one will come in the mail
good luck and I really do hope this works for you
michelle
good luck and I really do hope this works for you
michelle
Hi Adam
I just saw your post I have a spinal nerve stimulator in my spine.. I had a temp one put in and it was pulled out with in 3 hours of having it implanted (DO NOT put your hands over your head) I can give you more information on the no no's later.
I had the final one put in on July 3 and I would say my pain is aobut 60% percent better. The healing rots but I think it is worth it. I tried so many drugs to help my pain. I have tumors in my foot that are wrapped around the nerve and they take them out but they grow back.
The people from Boston Scientific are great. they are the ones who control the device. you are awake during the procedure (well tehy give you stuff to "make you groggy" while they are implanting the wires and doing the spinal. they you come to and the people from Boston Scienctific are htere and ask you where you feel the stimulation. and you go from there. the first proceedure can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours, depends on how fast they hit the nail on the head. I will tell you I wasn't very hopefully but I had to try and I am glad I did.
Now for the no no's you can't bend you can't raise your arms over your head so wear a button down shirt. you can lift (I didn't have to do any house cleaning ya hoo) you can't take a shower while you have the wires exposed or a bath. not even to bend to wash your heal for like 10 days, I made a few hair appts to get it washed. when the final one is in it takes 10 weeks for this to heal then some.
Oh you can't drive with it on.
Now charging is fun you have a thing to charge like a cell phone and then you have to place the charger on your buttocks to charge the implant mine takes 3 hours aweek to charge and you can't charge it over night, you don't have to charge it all at once. fore warning I was wearing s very light pair of pants while charging and you could see a green light on my butt. (Not Funny no wonder so many peole are staring at my butt)
I recommend that either you get some pillows or something so when you haveit done you are sleeping upwards, like in the hospital so you don't have a hard time getting out of bed.
Oh they set it, my puling up so it feels like a chopy thing and they can adjust it so it a a smoother feeling.
Also it seems weird, you think everyone can hear it vibrate and see it vibrate however they can't. I don't even realize half the time I have it on since it is a smooth feeling not a chopy feeling.
I do have to admit, I feel in July and yanked it out of my spine and they have to go in and put it in place with paddles, lets hope that doesn't happen to you. the recoup is longer, but still worth it.
If you have any more questions don't hesitate to ask I love my stimulator.
good luck
Michelle
I just saw your post I have a spinal nerve stimulator in my spine.. I had a temp one put in and it was pulled out with in 3 hours of having it implanted (DO NOT put your hands over your head) I can give you more information on the no no's later.
I had the final one put in on July 3 and I would say my pain is aobut 60% percent better. The healing rots but I think it is worth it. I tried so many drugs to help my pain. I have tumors in my foot that are wrapped around the nerve and they take them out but they grow back.
The people from Boston Scientific are great. they are the ones who control the device. you are awake during the procedure (well tehy give you stuff to "make you groggy" while they are implanting the wires and doing the spinal. they you come to and the people from Boston Scienctific are htere and ask you where you feel the stimulation. and you go from there. the first proceedure can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours, depends on how fast they hit the nail on the head. I will tell you I wasn't very hopefully but I had to try and I am glad I did.
Now for the no no's you can't bend you can't raise your arms over your head so wear a button down shirt. you can lift (I didn't have to do any house cleaning ya hoo) you can't take a shower while you have the wires exposed or a bath. not even to bend to wash your heal for like 10 days, I made a few hair appts to get it washed. when the final one is in it takes 10 weeks for this to heal then some.
Oh you can't drive with it on.
Now charging is fun you have a thing to charge like a cell phone and then you have to place the charger on your buttocks to charge the implant mine takes 3 hours aweek to charge and you can't charge it over night, you don't have to charge it all at once. fore warning I was wearing s very light pair of pants while charging and you could see a green light on my butt. (Not Funny no wonder so many peole are staring at my butt)
I recommend that either you get some pillows or something so when you haveit done you are sleeping upwards, like in the hospital so you don't have a hard time getting out of bed.
Oh they set it, my puling up so it feels like a chopy thing and they can adjust it so it a a smoother feeling.
Also it seems weird, you think everyone can hear it vibrate and see it vibrate however they can't. I don't even realize half the time I have it on since it is a smooth feeling not a chopy feeling.
I do have to admit, I feel in July and yanked it out of my spine and they have to go in and put it in place with paddles, lets hope that doesn't happen to you. the recoup is longer, but still worth it.
If you have any more questions don't hesitate to ask I love my stimulator.
good luck
Michelle
Hi Jerry,
No my pain is atc going up right now not down. I think that the scar tissue from my first 3 surgeries is starting to wrap around my other nerves, but I cant have a MRI again to see what is going on. I have an appointment on the 7th with the medtronics tech to make some adjustments on my unit to see if we can find a better location to help with the pain. I am waiting on a call from my PMP to see why he lowered my pain meds insted of raising them. I also take lyrica and it does help some but just not enough, I will prob find a new PMP soon if this one keeps messing with me. I just hope that with the adjustments on the SCS unit that I might get some more releife from the pain. I still hope that your trial goes good and they can help you with your pain. I'll keep intouch as much as I can.
R/
Adam
No my pain is atc going up right now not down. I think that the scar tissue from my first 3 surgeries is starting to wrap around my other nerves, but I cant have a MRI again to see what is going on. I have an appointment on the 7th with the medtronics tech to make some adjustments on my unit to see if we can find a better location to help with the pain. I am waiting on a call from my PMP to see why he lowered my pain meds insted of raising them. I also take lyrica and it does help some but just not enough, I will prob find a new PMP soon if this one keeps messing with me. I just hope that with the adjustments on the SCS unit that I might get some more releife from the pain. I still hope that your trial goes good and they can help you with your pain. I'll keep intouch as much as I can.
R/
Adam
1 Comments
I have had the neurostimulator implanted today. I had the trial and it was a success. I'm having some surgical pains tonight like sharp pains from one incision to the other ones. I had have 3 laminecties and one big back fusion from l1 to s1. I had bones spurs when he put in the stimulator. Maybe that's what is causing my sharp pains now
Hey Adam,
You were so kind to follow up with me; how are YOU doing? Is your pain under control? I hope you are doing well.
Jerry
You were so kind to follow up with me; how are YOU doing? Is your pain under control? I hope you are doing well.
Jerry
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