RE: Re: A ? from me/SCS Pros and Cons

[Guest guest]

Mine is implanted in the cervical area which makes it so it can cover

anything from that spinal area on down.

Hi All,

Greybeard here and ready to put Barbara on the spot. I am due to have the

lead implanted in my neck this Friday, and I was wondering if you could clue

me in on what to expect. They said that I will be sedated, but not put out.

Starting to get the nerves twitching about it, and any comforting words

would ease the mind. The truth won't hurt that bad either. I am just hoping

that when it is all said and done, I have the praise for the device like I

seem to hear from you.

Hope everybody is having a great day as has been near 70 out here for about

the last week. By the way : in order to not be kept out of a discussion,

RSD/CRPS has no effect on beards. I haven't noticed it getting any thinner,

or having it fall out in clumps....Maybe one day I will post a picture and

you will no longer have to wonder where I came up with Greybeard....My hair

is still on my head too..There I got my two cents in by only exposing myself

to everyone's laughter. I do hope that you had a great day because I did,

even with the pain.

Love ya All!!

Greybeard

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[Guest guest]

Thanks Barbara. I go and see my Pain Doc again on the 17th....and if this pain in the back of my shoulders isn't any better....mainly my left one, since I swear, the pain gets worse each day.....I may just suggest this to my doctor.

I really don't want to keep being a pin cushion and having to keep getting blocks that either aren't working, or are making things worse!

Ok.....Thanks for letting me butt in Rhonda!

Tonia

-------Original Message-------

Yes. Check my note again, Tonia. Mine is implanted in the cervical area which makes it so it can cover anything from that spinal area on down. Wired for sound here and they have programmed the SCS to cover my left arm and leg and my right lower arm. Through the programming, they can make all kinds of adjustments so that the signals are sent to different areas of your body. As i've mentioned before, though, implanting an SCS in the cervical (neck) area is a bit trickier. Given that the neck/head can move in so many different directions, resulting in the SCS tending to be "positional," the implantation is more complicated. That's why they had to remove my old SCS last month even though it had just been put in three months ago. The one that they replaced it with was implanted using a more invasive procedure and it's working just fine. Barbara

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[Guest guest]

Hey, Mark.....I know about those nerves that come on those last few days before implantation. I'm glad to answer your questions here, but will also email you privately with my phone number just in case you want to call for a blow by blow of what they will be doing and what you can expect.

For my first implantation, I too was just lightly sedated. Unfortunately they can't put you out because they need for you to alert enough to answer their questions. Uncomfortable? Yes, at times. If the surgical approach that they do is the same that they did with me, and I assume things are pretty standard here, they will have you in a face down position. They will then inject local anesthetic at various points along the area in which they will be making the incision. For a cervical implantation, the incision is not actually in the neck, but in the upper thoracic area instead. At points along the way, they will inject with more local anesthetic if needed as they work towards the area where they will implant the electrodes. (Think about it as being at the dentist when you say "Hey, I need another shot" and they stop and inject more local. They will fiddle a bit with the programmer while you are still in the OR just to

make sure that the electrodes are placed correctly.

Since this is the first step of the two step process, they will then (again using a local to numb the area) feed the leads (that are attached to the electrodes) under the skin and have them come out some place on your back, depending on where you will have your battery pack implanted at a later point. they will then bandage both the incision near your spine and the little area where the leads come through your skin. You now,being pretty fed up with having to be face-down for so long) will be ready to "git yer butt" to the recovery area. You will chill out there for a short while and then the folks from ANS or Medtronics (depending on the brand of your SCS) will arrive......You probably will just want them to leave cuz you're not feel pooped and kind of fed up with things. They will set your up with several programs into the programmer (Them...."Do you feel this? How about this? Can you tell which feels better?"

You..."Yeah. No. A little....Ah cr@p, would you guys just leave me alone?!?!??") Now you get to go home. They will give you something for pain coverage. Take it and know that the first night is the toughest. You're not going to want to sleep on your back.....Sleep on your side. Each day, as you heal, you will feel better.

Over the course of the following week, they are going to want you to test out each program that they have programmed in, having you makes notes each day in this little diary thingy (regarding where you're feeling the sensations, level of pain relief, etc.) My docs called me everyday to check in with me (although we've kinda developed a rather "personal" relationship as well as a "professional" one I assume that you go back in approximately a week's time for the final implantation. The folks from ANS called frequently as well. We can talk later about the final implantation. Will email you now with my phone number and please feel free to call me tonight. I have a couple of evening sessions tonight, but will be home by 8PM EST at the latest. I'm usually up until at least 11PM and am really fine about your calling me. Breathe......don't forget to breathe. You're gonna get through this. Hope to hear from

you. Barbara

Mark D Boone wrote:Greybeard here and ready to put Barbara on the spot. I am due to have the lead implanted in my neck this Friday, and I was wondering if you could clue me in on what to expect. They said that I will be sedated, but not put out. Starting to get the nerves twitching about it, and any comforting words would ease the mind. The truth won't hurt that bad either. I am just hoping that when it is all said and done, I have the praise for the device like Iseem to hear from you.

[Guest guest]

Tonia - I can't keep track of who has what? Do you have an SCS and, if so, where is it implanted? Wish you weren't feeling so punk. BarbaraTonia wrote:

Thanks Barbara. I go and see my Pain Doc again on the 17th....and if this pain in the back of my shoulders isn't any better....mainly my left one, since I swear, the pain gets worse each day.....I may just suggest this to my doctor.

I really don't want to keep being a pin cushion and having to keep getting blocks that either aren't working, or are making things worse!

Ok.....Thanks for letting me butt in Rhonda!

Tonia

-------Original Message-------

Yes. Check my note again, Tonia. Mine is implanted in the cervical area which makes it so it can cover anything from that spinal area on down. Wired for sound here and they have programmed the SCS to cover my left arm and leg and my right lower arm. Through the programming, they can make all kinds of adjustments so that the signals are sent to different areas of your body. As i've mentioned before, though, implanting an SCS in the cervical (neck) area is a bit trickier. Given that the neck/head can move in so many different directions, resulting in the SCS tending to be "positional," the implantation is more complicated. That's why they had to remove my old SCS last month even though it had just been put in three months ago. The one that they replaced it with was implanted using a more invasive procedure and it's working just fine. Barbara

____________________________________________________ IncrediMail - Email has finally evolved - Click Here

[Guest guest]

lol Mark, you always make me laugh, it is so good to know you. I'm glad to hear your beard is not falling out!! Were you sedated for any of your blocks, if you had blocks? I'm only asking because for the one block I had I was supposed to be "a little sedated, a little relaxed" but I was completely knocked out, I don't remember a thing. Afterwards they told me that alot of people react that way the first few times. I'm sure yours is completely different but I just wanted to let you know that sometimes you do fall completely asleep, which I prefer, I don't like to know what is going on or feel anything! I hope it all goes well for you and that it works...always thinking of you! Lori