BS SCS- chronic pain-new member

This is my first post, I just registered- hope I'm doing this right. My name is Lisa & I've had chronic pain for almost 7 years now. I had a very bad car accident and was hit in the rear twice by 2 drunk drivers drag racing...one of whom unfortunately died on impact into my car- he was driving at speeds in excess of 125mph when he hit me. I've tried PT, epidurals, radiofrequency for pain relief....i had several surgeries one of which was C2-C5 disc fusion with metal plating & screws which did help a lot......but still in so much pain all over. Right now I'm on oxycodone 30mg (~8 pills a day) and the fentanyl patch (75mcg). I can't take being on all these drugs anymore and being a slave to them. Anyway, I'm scheduled for the trial for the BS SCS this Friday at my pain management doctor in NYC.....I have to admit, I'm very scared about the procedure. I've had such bad experiences....my neck surgery was a disaster, my doctor fused the wrong discs-it was a horrible experience all around. I'm a little gun shy now....but desperate to get my pain level decreased. I was so happy to find this site & read everyone's experiences.....I don't know if my doctor has a lot of experience doing these procedures....how complicated is the trial?....are u under anesthesia for it or are u up? Since my pain is in my upper, middle & lower back......how will that work with the placement of the leads?....and is the procedure more complicated or painful if the leads have to be put up higher in the back?.....I'm soooo nervous......I will gladly accept anyone's advice, comments or input or any kind. is the incision long? & where is it?......how painful is the site, how long is recovery?...sorry for all the questions...thank u for taking ur time to read this & hopefully answer

Wow, 125MPH fatal accident, that's terrible. My neck fusion surgery was horrible too and mine was done by the best at the University of Miami. My 40 minute surgery turned into 3.5 hours as my C5 disc was broken in pieces and they had to pick bone out of my spinal cord for hours. Screamed my head off when I woke up in ICU in the worst pain ever. They couldn't even knock me out with medicine the pain was so bad. I also got MRSA during my surgery and a MRSA cyst formed in my right sinus and was growing. Had to back into surgery to have the cyst removed. It' been a disaster so like you I'm not looking forward to my next surgery anytime soon.

The trial is pretty straight forward. I haven't done it but had the rep explain it to me plus I have the DVD at home. If it doesn't work they just remove the leads and you're done. Hopefully it works because you take quite a few pain meds. Maybe with this thing you can taper off a little. Good luck and let us know if it works.

There is no cure for MRSA so I'll have it forever. My immune system will fight it but when my immune is down I'll get red blotches on my nose and a migraine then I know the MRSA is raging. I'll take probiotics to get my immune up and it will go away.

I was only suppose to be in the hospital after my fusion surgery for 48 hours. I spent 6 days instead. They told me I had the flu. A month after my surgery I got a nasty sinus infection, took antibiotics and it went away. Then the next 4-5 months the same sinus infection would came back, more antibiotics. Finally they sent me to an ENT and they did a biopsy on something in my right sinus. The biopsy was them sticking a 2 foot rod up my nose with a camera and claws. They have 4 people hold me down for this. They took a piece and then the next day they told it was MRSA, emergency surgery for cyst removal. Back under the knife again. More antibiotics for the next few weeks until I started throwing up non stop. Was rushed to the hospital where I was told I got colitis from taking antibiotics for 6 months. The pills ate my stomach lining and killed all the good biotics our bodies need. I spent 12 days in the hospital in recovery all from the MRSA I got during my surgery. I went back to the University of Miami and told them all I just went through. All I got was "We are sorry". It doesn't matter how great the Doctor is, means nothing, I still got MRSA during my surgery.

I am familiar with the device they want to install to see if it helps with your pain. I was going to do the 2 week trial too but my wife kinda put the stop to it. I've been through hell and back the past few years. She just wants me to manage my own pain for awhile.

That is absolutely horrible....I'm so sorry for what u went through with the whole MRSA situation. It's unbelievable!!!....& ur absolutely right- it doesn't matter how good the doctor is. When I woke up from my cervical fusion my doctor was in my room- whom i was told was the best & the head of the spinal surgery department where I was-anyway, the doctor went on to tell me how he gives lectures to other doctors about how what happened to me shouldn't happen....his normal assistant went on maternity leave the week before my surgery, he had a new assistant in the operating room who put up the wrong section of spine to be fused, it wasn't until the procedure was complete that they realized they did the wrong section & had to re-open me up, remove the plate & screws they already put in & fuse the right section.....then they left me on the table for hours under anesthesia (which later found out damaged my kidneys) because they didn't have the right size plate to fit over the new & larger section of fused area they had to cover......I was told that the next size up was too big & it was compressing the surrounding nerves- so I wound up with a plate that's too small for the section they fused......they told me after how my spine was sooo small & that they didn't make plates the correct size to fit my spine.....that seemed the most ridiculous thing I ever heard-I'm petite, but normal size, but even if I wasn't- ur going to tell me that today they don't make plate sizes for children who get in accidents or for dwarf individuals.....again it seems to be just doctor incompetence-he did meet me several times prior to the surgery, so he saw & knew my size-it's just unbelievable. My treatment after the surgery was just as bad...left alone all night with a broken pain pump...not supplied with the cervical brace I paid for & was fitted for weeks before & was told was absolutely necessary for me to wear immediately after the surgery and have on at all times....I was told it was essential to the surgery & my neck healing correctly & was going to help a lot with the pain because it would support & cushion the neck......it was supposed to be in the day before the surgery....I didn't receive it until 2 weeks after my surgery!.....my post operative pain was terrible!....I know exactly how ur wife feels about leaving things alone & just dealing with ur pain.
I am scheduled for the SCS trial tomorrow & due to my bad experiences....I'm terrified!!
To Herrball who said that u tried the stimulator for 10 days....how was the procedure itself??....was it painful?, we're you up or under anesthesia for the procedure??, how long did it take & how many leads did you have??.....please anyone who can let me know anything about the trial procedure itself.....I'm very scared-again im scheduled for SCS trial tomorrow....many bad experiences under my belt but sooo tired of all the pain meds!

Hello Jessegirl and welcome to the forum. I am guessing that you at in the process of starting your trial for the SCS. I do hope this goes well for you and its successful. I think we have had more people on here trying them for back pain than neck pain. Whenever you feel up to it I urge you to use the search feature here at the forum & read about the ones that have tried them for neck pain, we have had a few.

I read the story about your neck surgery and about all I could do was cringe. What a horror story. I am with you about this business on the plate size. Sounds like dr trying to cover himself if you ask me. I am having trouble buying his story too. It does not sound right at all.

I hope you will come back & let us know how you are doing. Take care...Susie

What kind of dr are you seeing for your pain and what kind of dr is doing your trial? Does a lot of this drs patients have these units?

I do hate to read that someone has suffered so many losses because of CP but that has happened to many of us. It is a bitter pill to swallow not being able to work and have a job that you really enjoy doing. There are so many different losses that we actually mourn. Sometimes getting professional help is the way to go. It is hard trying to rebuild a life when you can't get yourself pointed in the right direction and then you become so overwhelmed with it all. You can rebuild your life but it takes time and lots of patience. We are still the same person we just have to do a lot of things differently. Never give in or give up hope of being better.

Take care...Susie