Guest guest Posted March 25, 2006 Report Share Posted March 25, 2006 Hi Sonya, Yes I have had both the trial and the implantation, and I am the poster child for success. I have also had one battery change at this point, but am told by the next time i need one they will have a rechargeable one. But to be honest the batter change wasn't bad at all as far as minor surgery goes. The brand of stimulator I have is Medtronics, the same that Jerry has. They have a great web site with lots of information to read up on, and your doc should also have a booklet you can read. I was a candidate because I am allergic to most high end narcotics, and it was sort of my last resort. Thank god my trial went well. The reason they do a trial is, it is not the solution for everyone. Some folks they cant get the electrodes properly placed and they get ;little effect, some just cant stand the buzzing feeling. I found that the first couple of days the buzzing sensation bothered me a bit, but it was SO worth it to be out of so much pain, and these days I dont even notice it. I had mine put in in sept of 01. It only took about a week to be able to ignore the buzz. I really like mine, and dont even notice the " brain " of it. Mine is implanted in my upper buttock, but many are implanted in your side as well. And no, you can't see it under your clothes or a bathing suit. The only time I even know its there is if I sit in a straight backed metal or wooden chair and a rung rests right against it. That's not too often. The quality of my life is so MUCH better since having it implanted and the amount of pain medication I take is WAY down. I can actually function and have a life. The surgery for both the trial and the full implant is done as an out patient. You will feel pretty sore after the full implant and the spot where the brain was put in remained sore the longest. But in a few weeks I was feeling just fine in general. The one thing I can not stress enough and my Doc warned me about repeatedly is this..... you will feel much better and want to do all sorts of things that you haven't been able to do in ages. but you MUST follow the protocols about lifting twisting and putting your arms over your head for the full 6 months even if you feel wonderful. the reason is.. it takes time for scar tissue to form and anchor those leads firmly in your spinal column. During that time if you get over zealous and forget you can shift those leads, and thus loose your pain contol effectiveness. Once some tissue has begun to form it can be dang near impossible for the doc to reposition those leads to get the same initial pain relief. Before the surgery I prepared for this. I moved dishes I use a lot to lower cabinets. I added length to the pull chains for ceiling fans. I made sure I had clothing that buttoned or zipped so i didn't have to pull it on over my head. Trust me, living without T-shirts for one summer was well worth the hassle. I already have weight restrictions from a back injury, but I made darn sure i didnt pick up ANYTHING over a gallon of milk. If you can manage to follow those instructions for the 6 months, you have it made in the shade. I am very happy with the outcome of my impantation and cant imagine life wihtout it. I wish you the best of luck in making the choices. I am tickled I have the pain releif without being drugged to the teeth. And if you choose to go forward with implantation, i wish you the best of success. feel free to email me off list if you have any questions. the bionic woman PS my husbands only complaint is.. the doc could not install a MUTE button on my remote control... lololol Sonya wrote: I was wondering if any of you have ever tried the trial neurostimulation or have the implanted stimulator? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 25, 2006 Report Share Posted March 25, 2006 What is the difference betw. the neurostimulater and biofeedback? > > Hey Guys, > I was wondering if any of you have ever tried the trial neurostimulation or have the implanted stimulator? > Hugs, > Sonya > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 26, 2006 Report Share Posted March 26, 2006 The stimulator is a device that is implanted in your body, it uses electicity to confuse the nerves and keep pain signals from registering in the brain. Biofeed back is a mental exercise that you perform. When you are being trained on a biofeedback machine they will attach little electrodes, much like when they do a heart test reading, to muscles . Mine were in my back and shoulders. They give a reading about muscle tension etc, and you mentallypractice making those muscles relax. You can watch a graph ona monitor, or even hear a sound that lets you know when you are relaxing or tensing. This can also be used with bloodpressure, heart rate, even body temp, using differnt devices to monitor those functions. I use my biofeed back to release juscle tension, pain cause the tension or stress, and it causes your pain levels to go higher. So learning to relax when you are in pain really does lessen you pain levels. Hope this makes sense, What is the difference betw. the neurostimulater and biofeedback? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 27, 2006 Report Share Posted March 27, 2006 Thanks for the info. Is the neurostimulater painful? How long may it take before results are noticed? Take care, LaDonna > The stimulator is a device that is implanted in your body, it uses > electicity to confuse the nerves and keep pain signals from > registering in the brain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 28, 2006 Report Share Posted March 28, 2006 Hi LaDonna I dont find it painful . It feels to me, sort of like the pins and needles sensation when your foot goes to sleep, but very mild. It was easy to learn to ignore it. Some people it drives em crazy and they dont like the stimulator. the effects are INSTANT, as soon as its turned on, there is about a 2 second delay and then AHHHHHHHHH relief. Canidce Thanks for the info. Is the neurostimulater painful? > How long may it take before results are noticed? > > Take care, LaDonna > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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