Cliff

[Guest guest]

Thanks Cliff. I appreciate it

In a message dated 11/10/2004 3:07:35 AM Eastern Standard Time, RSD-CRPSofAmerica writes:

Hi -I don't have anything even remotely helpful or comforting to say to you...the best thing I know how to do for you is pray. I have been and will continue to keep praying for you and yours, that you might get some relief.Love, Cliff

[Guest guest]

Cliff - God love ya !!! I knew that you wouldn't let me down. Every fiber in my body sensed that if I threw out the concept of PSQ to you, that you would come up with a response that would tickle me. Thanks !!

Now, down to the serious stuff. Bag the chainsaw therapy and the hang from the rafters thinking and go for the SCS.....You're right, the recovery is a bit of a b*tch, but it's not a big deal. Pretty much just like any post-op pain. For so many folks the SCS has made a dramatic reduction in their pain level and I genuinely hope that it offers the same to you. I am one of the less fortunate cases for whom it did not work. Apparently the anatomy of the epidural space of my cervical area (where both of mine were implanted) was too large ("capacious," as they so eloquently and diplomatically put it) so the electrode plate just ended up floating around in there. The only time the dratted thing would "cut in" was when I had my head up my butt (a surprisingly uncommon body position for me, so don't even go there with your fresh comments).

After 13 years of this garbage, I have had to go the narcotic route and that is what has compromised my ability to work, drive, and function. I'm restricted to driving in my "immediate local area for trips of absolute necessity when I feel at my best"....Instructions that are open to fairly subjective interpretation, don'tcha think? IOnce they decide that my mind is "clear" enough," I will have to go to driving school to be trained in driving a modified car, then have to pass a road test with a state trouper before having the modifications made to my steering wheel and directional signals (all at my cost, thank you very much......Ticked, you ask? You betcha !!). I haven't given up but they still haven't been able to come up with the right combo of narcotics and meds (psychostimulants and anti-emetics) to counteract the side effects to bring me back to my otherwise bright, cogent, non-throwing up, and titillating self. Given that my

work as a psychotherapist to a particularly gnarly but lovable group of little boys requires me to be on my toes and without my head in the toilet bowl, I've had to temporarily throw up the white flag until the docs can improve my "mentition." They have ruled out the option of an epidural pump in my case because it would have to be implanted at such a high level (again cervical) that increased likelihood of my breathing being compromised contraindicates the procedure. Until last week, when the catheter became infected and had to be yanked out, I had a continuous brachial plexus catheter with pump in place since June. I now will have to rely on oral meds since they can't re-implant one for at least a month after infection. The next step, and not too far around the corner, is for me to learn how to give myself injections of narcotics, thus by-passing the stomach entirely. Discouraging for me and, yes, it has raised my own PSQ....but

definitely workable in bigger scheme of things. I am going to go back to work. Wild horses couldn't stop me.

Please keep me posted about the timeline for your surgery and the like. Your posts are a delight and often put a smile on this typically grimacing face.

Barbara (aka PeSQy....pronounced similarly to the word 'pesky')Cliff Huber wrote:

> I'm all for it. Hey, Cliff, what's the most irritating thing we can do to increase our PSQ (personal suckiness quotient) ? BarbHi, Barbara and all!!!First, to answer your question...Fortunately, none of us here in our little RSD cyberworld have an PSQ that averages higher or lower than anyone elses! I think for me to increase my own PSQ, I'd do 3 things: 1. Be negative, 24/7...that really irritates people.2. Be narcissicistic...the damn world revolves around me and my pain.3. Give up on myself, medical science, hope for a cure and the world around me. That's actually a combination of the first two, but deserves it's own mention. These are the things I do when I'm recto-cranially inverted. Someone will come along

eventually and force me to correct that condition. When you hear the loud "POP" and the loud sucking sound, that's me pulling my head out.Secondly, dear Barbara and others with SCS...I saw my pain doc today and we're moving forward. He's instructed me to abandon suicidal thoughts and informed me that no matter how much I beg him, he won't amputate my leg...so, onward with SCS after my insurance okays the procedure which won't be an issue. I'm looking forward to it, even though there will be quite a bit of "restrictive time" during which I won't be able to do a lot of things...a small price to pay I guess! My doc also informed me that this was the next to final frontier as far as pain management is concerned...if this doesn't work, then it's on to the hard drugs and a life of stonedness...are any of you on morphine pumps and the like? If so, can you drive/work/function??? If you can't please lie to me and tell me that

you can!Peace, love and pain relief!!!Cliff