BS SCS and General Pain Issues

(This is in response to the discussion on the BS SCS Thread).

Wanted to say thank you to everyone for all of the wonderful information on here.

My name is Kirstenmarie and I was born in Juneau, AK in 1970. My first back (lumbar and sacrum) injury was when I was 8, caused by a severe beating from my step dad, (with a wood cutting hatchet, the blunt side)- then when I was 14, I had a horse flip over while rearing and land on top of me. Years later, I drove long haul with my Husband for almost 7 years, this is when my problems really began. Driving truck made my lumbar and sacrum go bad very fast, it seemed. In 2006/2007, I was diagnosed with severe degenerative disk disease, severe spinal stenosis and a herniated disk (L5/S1). I've been in and out of all kinds of therapy over the years, nothing has worked, then in 2012, I was diagnosed with Osteoporosis in my spine, and other areas; I'm only 43 now...

My PMS gave me the literature/CD on BS SCS yesterday (right after the 2nd round of injections, Sept. 6th), and I'm def. going to do the trial procedure. I'm so sick and tired of pain, heck, I can't even clean my house correctly and it drives me nuts. I've put off surgery and put it off.......just too scary. Even if the SCS could provide "some" relief, I'd be over the moon happy. Again, thank you all so much, I'm so happy I found this place.

~Kirstenmarie

Thank you very much, it helps to talk, it's a form of therapy, for sure!

Hello Kirstenmarie and welcome to the forum. So sorry to read you have back issues too, many of us suffer with back problems.

We do have some people with SCS units an they will pop n some time today I am betting.I am not sure what type of unit such as the maker but hopefully they will be posting before long. You can also use our search feature here at the forum & type in SCS units and you will find a lot of info on them as they have been talked about a lot here at the forum. I do hope you will have a successful trial.

I think I would ask the dr about riding with an SCS unit. I am thinking probably not because they need for scar tissue to form on the leads to help hold them in place and that take a good bit of time.The leads can come loose and migrate.

Please let us know how your trial goes too. As far as becoming addicted to your pain meds that rarely happens. Studies have shown that a very small percentage of PM patient ever become addicted to their meds. Now, if a person abuses their meds and takes more than they are suppose to yes, they could become addicted. As long as you take them like the dr writes you should be ok. Keep us posted....Susie

Hello Kirsten and welcome to CP. We have some things in common! Im also an avid pet rescuer and currently have 3 cats of my own and a Foster cat whose owner was offering anyone on Craigslist a $100 to take her off his hands. Who knows what fate awaited her as times are hard and that's a lot to an unknown source who only had to show up and take her. I will never understand people like that. Also Foster any newborn animals requiring bottle feedings.

Im also on methadone and recently was able to lower my dose and the key with this Med is to stay low or problems tend to surface.

You will fit right in and hopefully enjoy the support and compassion of having a place where others just know!

So glad you found some useful info. I think you will find many of us are animals lovers here at the forum. I have to spoiled brats that I would taken nothing for, lol. I have a 5 yr golden retriever a female. The lady who bought her had her 3 months and was giving her away. Said she has no idea she would be a big dog, please what was she expecting a weenie dog. We had our minds made up before seeing her that would take her. My other little brat is 6 yr old Brittany Spaniel that is a pistol, he is a mess. This house would be mighty boring if it were not for those two, lol.

Keep us posted on how you are doing......Susie

Hi kirstenmarie Welcome to our chronic pain forum. I have back issues as well, and I'm an animal lover as well. We have two cockateils. We would have more if we owned our own house, but we have to be careful while renting. I'm sure you'll find all the support and information that you're looking for. There are so many wonderful people here. Take care.

hugs
Loretta

Wow, German Shepherds 8- ) I truly love all animals, but I'm a sucker for German Breeds. The problems with these types of dogs is that they require people who have a solid background in raising dogs to begin with. They are more intelligent than we are, for sure!!!! Some people call it willfulness, but it's strictly an intelligence issue, and when the breed is smarter than you, most ignorant people are going to see a willful animal, not the intelligent one that it is. SO happy to hear that you're doing the right thing, it makes me very happy to hear it, is the pain worth it, (as you said)- well, yes, although it can be so darn frustrating to deal with!!!

I love Cockateils! I had one, many, many years ago, and I also had (while living in Anchorage, Alaska) White Ringneck Doves (my little loves). I miss them so much, I couldn't bring my last one with me when I came down South (we ended up in Spokane Valley, WA via Alexandria, LA- LONG story!) her name was Pandora. She would get into everything if you let her out, her curiosity was insatiable! I want another Dove, we shall have to see how it goes 8- )

Yes, I understand what you mean, having an abusive parent, guardian, step parent, whatever the case might be, is completely miserable.....I could tell you so many horror stories about what that man did to my Mom and I, but......that's what I have a journal for, and I still need to go in and see a Psychologist for my issues.

Thank you all for the responses, it makes me very happy! My next step in this process is to go in and have a Psychological Eval. done to see if I'm mentally sound enough to have an SCS. As my PMS put it. "We need to make sure you're not going to be standing about, with the remote strapped to your forehead, trying your best to contact aliens"!!!!! LOL

By the way, if anyone wishes to add me on Face Book, it's Kirstenmarie Hagerman

~Kirstenmarie

Post Edited (Stenosis Wise) : 9/11/2013 8:27:24 AM (GMT-6)

Hi CRPS, it's wonderful to hear from you. I'm so awesome to meet yet another person from the rescue industry. Donkeys are wonderful animals, albeit a tad stubborn (laughs).
I had a Black Lab Brindle Pit named Flashman years ago, He was one of the best dogs I ever had, for sure!

As of yesterday I accepted the fact that these latest round of injections has not worked 8- ( This was the 2nd set, first one was done on July 9th. Both done on right side L5/S1- First set was done without sedation, and I'm telling you, it was the single most painful experience of my life!!! I told them, straight up, you will sedate me next time, and you will give me plenty of pain killers, or I simply will not do it. The problem was that Dr. Wilson, who specifically handles ESI's had never done one with a patient under sedation, so He talked me out of it, saying I really didn't need it. The nerve roots at L5/S1 were and still are so incredibly painful and swollen that when He hit them, I could barely breathe at all, and just went rigid as I was sobbing into my pillow, I didn't tell Him to stop though, knowing full well that I had to get through it....but I was crying for hours afterwards, it just felt like there was no numbing agent at all! This most recent experience was quite relaxing and wonderful, when I woke up that morning of the 6th, my pain was a solid 9/10...so when I got there, once again, I told them, lots of pain meds and good sedation, lord I'm glad I did!

As of yesterday my Methadone wasn't working as well, with lots of breakthrough pain (I'm also on Etodolac, 400mg, every 12ish hours)..so I called my PMS and asked them about the possibility of increasing to one more pill a day, from 1 5mg pill a day to 2, spaced every 12 hours. They said yes, so last night was one of the most relaxing ones I've had in years. I refuse to go above 10mg a day though, I can and will just suck it up, I'm too scared of narcotics.

I'm going in for my psych. eval. asap! I need to get this ball rolling, I was trying to explain to my Husband how I feel, and I told Him it's kind of like being inside of a dark bubble, the world goes on outside around you, but you're not really a part of it, it's hard for Him to imagine, but He's very supportive.

~Kirstenmarie

Kirstenmarie I have an implanted pain pump & had to have a psych eval before the final implant. My dr says the purpose of this is to make sure the patient has reasonable expectations as to what the device can do to lower the pain. Also need to make sure the person does not have problems with the thought of having a device implanted. I think the reason these evaluations are now required as there has been litigation in the past against the makers of the products and also the drs implanting them.

Something along the lines of I was told this device would take all of my pain away and it has not so I will sue everyone involved type of thing.

These devices do not make people pain free, they are not designed to do that, they are designed to lower your pain level that is it nothing more.

I had to do a written test, think its called an MMPI, the psych dr went over my answers. It was a two day test. Then I saw the dr after he has reviewed my answers. It was no big deal doing any of the psych stuff.

Susie

I'm curious; I've been doing a lot of research on the internet about MRI's and it seems most people agree that they aren't 100% accurate......(of course, not much is)...I'm super curious because my last MRI was in January, back in Alexandria, LA...and all it showed was a "mildly" bulging disc, though obviously much more is wrong because of the severity of my pain, and how bad it has gotten over the last 10 months.

Keep in mind that in 2007 I was diagnosed with Degenerative Disk Disease, a fully herniated disk and moderate to severe spinal stenosis. Now, these aren't things that just up and vanish......so this is why I'm so curious about the accuracy of MRI's.

I've developed an issue since my last injections on Sept. 6, as the days wore on, I started to lack feeling when my bladder needed relieving.....I simply can't feel when it is "time" to go pee. It has gotten so bad that I've started wetting the bed at night, which is needless to say, completely abnormal. I called my PMS this morning and they are sending me in for another MRI asap.

So, I guess my question in this convoluted post is....does anyone here have or have had in the past, MRI's that were inaccurate.....?

~Kirstenmarie

hi kristenmarie, i'm new here also. welcome aboard. i am currently going through the motion of getting a pain pump implanted. i just had the psyc eval. a week ago. as was mentioned earlier it was a two visit test. took about three hours going over the test results and talking with the doctor. well i passed with flying colors.(LOL) oct.14th i have an appt. for the medication trail and if that goes well i can make an appt. to have the surgery. i'm positive (thinking) that it will work out for me.

over the past 7 yrs. i've had (2) laminectomies and (2) fusions on L-4/L-5 and L-4/S-1. the first fusion failed,i think the second one fused ok just have the stabbing pain and spasms. the big issue now is what the EMG results. i found yesterday i have neuropathy. she said i have damaged motor and sensory nerves caused from my back. i currently take morphine 30mg ER x 2 daily, flexeril 30 mg x3 daily, motrion 800 mg x3 daily, and nurottin 600 mg x2 and 900 mg at night. i also take a couple of psyc meds, for moods and also to help me sleep which doesn't really seem to help. so actually in a way i'm looking forward to having the surgery. i try to keep a positive attitude about things.

well again welcome to the forum. hope you find some relive with your pains.

BS? Not sure, I tried to find it in the previous post, couldn't find it (I'm half asleep here though). SCS is a Spinal Cord Stimulator Implant type therapy.

mallardmark said...
what is bs and scs?? thank you in advance...

Was your surgeon from the Alaska Spine Institute by chance? I had a Dr. Shawn Johnston there while my Husband and I lived there. We lived up there for abut 8 years.

White Beard said...
Hi Kirstenmarie, you know allot of things in your spine can change since this past January and it is especially worrisome that you have lost feeling in your bladder! It is an indication that something is going on, and it needs to be checked out. Especially if they already know you have lumbar spinal problems! As for the accuracy, they MRI's are still the gold standard for showing soft tissue, Xrays and Cat Scans are good for bone structures, but to show the soft tissues, such as the spinal cord and cartilage and nerve roots, the MRI with contrast is still about the best we have. Reading the MRI, now that is a different story, many surgeons especially neurosurgeons want to see the MRI and go over it themselves, and not rely on a Radiologist report. I know for every back surgery I have had except the one I had in Anchorage Alaska, the neurosurgeon sat down with me and reviewed the MRI with me, on the computer, and showed me the things that were wrong and what he could do to fix it. Literally we went frame by frame, and as he reviewed each thing he asked me questions about my symptoms and then explained what was on the MRI that was causing them.
Anyway I am not surprised that they want a new MRI ASAP and I do hope you can get it done as soon as possible, your symptoms are of real concern! If you start having any problems with walking or using your legs contact your doctor immediately and go to the ER!

I wish you well!

White Beard