Spinal Cord Stimulator

[Cervical_Fusion]

Battery level is still fine. The battery level in the body is just strting to drop a little as of last night. So it could not of been the battery. Remote only showed me that it was not making communication with the internal stimulator. Will try it again in a few days when I actually start driving. I have been useing it mostly 24 hours a day. Battery life has just started to drop I am not sure I will make it 3 weeks before it is all depleted and needs a full recharge. According to the Medtronics lady the first 3 weeks that it is in the body I can not recharge it. Something about it can set up an infection. I was reading in my manuals on it and it says if the incesion is not fully healed then the recharge belt can cause an infection. That must be her reason for not wanting me to recharge the first 3 weeks. Also I am noticeing there is movement of the lead as the stimulation is changeing some times when I move or sit or reach or lay down. Again the manual says this will happen while the body is healing. I see the Ortho next Wed. and will discuss all this with him. I am not doing anything unsual to make it move. All I do is try to walk 3 times daily for a couple blocks. and lay around and watch TV. I try to watch how I bend and move and not make any sudden body changes. We will see. Anyways the bandages will be taken off this morning (when my wife gets home from work). I Get to have a shower today. With the 3 weeks thing I am going to try to turn it off some each day and not run it 24 hrs a day, untill I see the dr next week. That will make it close to being in the body 2 weeks and see his fill on rechageing it.
thanx and take care

[AQA]

C_F, I would question the PM dr. and ask if the lead was stiched in place. Mine were. Depending on my movements depends on the effects of the SCS. A word of causion, do not have it set to high if you have a cold. You will completely understand what I mean if you sneeze.

[Cervical_Fusion]

I am finding that also. when i move different ways i get a different feel. I am trying to turn it down low when i turn it off. so i do not get a zap when i turn it back on. i see dr wed. next week and will find out how he secured it to my spine. I do know he took out some bone around my spine to secure it.

[AQA]

Yoy will have to play with the setting before you turn it off. As you are finding out. Depending how our spine bends depends on what the electrodes come in contact with. I will be calling on monday to have mine reprogramed. I am afraid that the left lead quit working. Only time will tell.

Take Care

[bangbang]

Cervical_Fusion Wrote:Tomorrow I have and appointment with the Ortho to go over the plans and procedure for the final implant. Friday I will be checking myself into the hospital very early as we will be doing the surgrey this Friday at 8:30 am. I will be staying at the hospital over night and will be released to come home on Sat. I do hope I am doing the right thing for my body.

good luck and best wishes!!! I hope I can get surgery as well and I am working on it. Thank God that we have the internet and this forum to find useful information instead of trying to track down our lawyer who just want their cut of the pie. I will pray for youl.

[Cervical_Fusion]

AQA reading the Medtronics manuals I understand that it is possible to move up and down one electrode for maximum feeling from the electrodes. I believe this option must be turned on by the Rep. From what I read u can move up and down the electrodes to see which ones make better contact with the spine on stimulator. Since Medtronics will be at the Ortho appt. Wed. I am going to bring this up with her. Hey she kept pushing the day she turned it on after the surgrey that I have the newest one with all the whistles and bells. I want to see that cadillac work to it's fullest and see all of it's whistles and bells. Body is still healing and I am taking it easy and trying to watch my moves steps and everythings as I want that lead to stay in place and not move much on me. I look forward to next week end heading to the beach to lay around there for a week of relaxation and healing.

[bangbang]

Cervical_Fusion Wrote:Tomorrow I have and appointment with the Ortho to go over the plans and procedure for the final implant. Friday I will be checking myself into the hospital very early as we will be doing the surgrey this Friday at 8:30 am. I will be staying at the hospital over night and will be released to come home on Sat. I do hope I am doing the right thing for my body.

good luck, I wish you the best and know what your going through.

[Cervical_Fusion]

Today I saw the Ortho Surgeon for a follow up. SCS Implanted on 9-12-08. Incesions are helaing well. He did 2 x-rays and the Lead Wire (Paddle Type) are still in place and have not moved. That is a good thing. Also Medtronic Rep was there. She set up 2 more programs for me. She taught me how to recharge the stimulator. I rode home with the recharger on so now I am about 75% recharged. I want to take this stimulator to the max and see what It will actually do for me and for others that are considering it. Ortho released me from his care today. Do not have to see him agian. He has refered me back to the pain Mgnt. Center who did my trial stim. I will call them and schedule an appointment with them. Do hope WC will pay for the visits for me at the Pain Center as tho they are not my POR currently. So everyone knows my POR refered me to the Pain Center for the trial and the Pain Center refered me to the Ortho Surgeon for the final Implant. So now I guess I back track going throuhg the Dr's before I get a return to work. But Ortho says I will need to be off work somewhere between 4 to 6 weeks. This is week 2. Heading to the beach this week end and hope to enjoy a week of being pain free. I see my POR this Friday. I will see him for a separateWC claim as I have 2 separate claims. I am going to see if we can start weaning me off of some meds. Like Duragesic Patches to start with. I will say as of right now this SCS Implant has been the best decision I have made since getting hurt at work. It has taken me 4 years to get to this point of relief. I want it to work and not screw it. I want to be pain free and off as many meds as possible. But the true test will come when I return and am on my feet for 10 hours days. Will keep posting as I hope this may helo someone with their decisions in the pain life that we live.

[Cervical_Fusion]

I received a statement from the hospital today. What a shock I got. I can now see why WC would want to fight paying for a SCS. With what it cost I don't understand why whey would want to push a person back to work. For the cost of them I would think they would want a person to properly heal before going back to work, so they would not damage the investment, and them have to spend out more on it. Boy was that hospital statement a real shocker.

[oblivyous]

Cervical_Fusion Wrote:I received a statement from the hospital today. What a shock I got. I can now see why WC would want to fight paying for a SCS. With what it cost I don't understand why whey would want to push a person back to work. For the cost of them I would think they would want a person to properly heal before going back to work, so they would not damage the investment, and them have to spend out more on it. Boy was that hospital statement a real shocker.

Hi ya cervical_fusion, I have just been approved for my 2nd SCS trial with my original pain dr. The first one didnt go well with my 2nd pain dr (i now know that the dr is a complete IDIOT ). I moved from one state to another is the reason why i wasnt going to my original pain dr and ended up with an IDIOT .. Im hoping the pain will be controllable with the SCS . Nothing has helped yet. Im tired of all these drugs. A handful 4 times a day doesnt keep the pain away . God bless All