Trial is out - Tomorrow is the BIG SURGERY DAY

So I have made it this far. The trial implant was removed last Friday. The appointment was pretty short and sweet (by short and sweet I mean under 2 hours). I went straight into the X-Ray room where the tech took several pictures of my upper back with the leads still in. I am guessing they will need to look at this during the permanent implant surgery. I got to take a look at the X-Ray and the left lead appeared to be tilted slightly out to the left. The Physicians Assistant didn't think the slight off placement would make that big of an effect, but it was clearly placed differently than the right lead. I then sat down with the P.A. and she talked to me about the differences between the permanent implant and the trial, namely how much more painful it is (which I am not excited about). She then cut two stitches holding each of the leads in and pulled them out entirely. It honestly did not hurt a bit. Although I was sad to no longer be "Bringing Bionic Back." :) No worries. Tomorrow at 7 am I will be bionic once again. I am also getting 1 additional lead put in on the left side a bit lower. They took another x-ray with a bb sticker on my back where I am having pain. They will use this as well in surgery. I am definitely in pain again without the stimulator. Today I am approximately a 6 whereas with the implant the highest I got to was a 2 (aside from surgical pain.) So wish me luck. I am probably about as prepared as I can be. I am supposed to think about exactly where I want the implant inserted on my butt, relative to where my pant waistband lies. But I am not sure how that is even relevant since they will mark me when I am in a hospital gown and not with my jeans on. Guess I will wing it. Mainly I am so nervous that I am going to tell the Doctor something wrong and I will screw up my chance for success. I probably won't be able to write tomorrow. If I did I am sure it would not be pretty. Thanks for reading. Wishing everyone a pain free day.


Below is an X-Ray I found of a Spinal Cord Stimulator Implant from the Mayfield Clinic. Mine is different in that the electrodes will be placed on my shoulder muscles and the extension wire would be much longer since it has to travel all the way from my shoulders to my hip.

* The Day I Found Doctor D and Discovered PNFS

Before I went in for my last Rhizotomy I asked my Pain Management Doctor an important question. I simply asked him, "If this does not work, then what next?" His response was "There is nothing else, this is it."....

And so I was on a rampage to prove him wrong and find someone who could help me. I made dozens of appointments with Neurosurgeons and Orthopedic Surgeons to see if someone else had another approach. I found a Neurosurgeon who actually took the time to listen to what has been going on. Dr. D told me that he could not help me, but he knew of someone who could. That someone was Dr R., a Neurosurgeon at a highly respected back clinic in Texas.

Dr. R. told me about Peripheral Nerve Field Stimulation, an implantable pain management device implanted directly at the site of pain to intercept pain signals before they reach the brain. Dr. R has been performing this type of surgery for only a couple of years. I will be his first patient to undergo the surgery for the upper-back / shoulders. A similar surgery called Spinal Cord Stimulation has been in use since the 1960's.

After Dr. R told me I would be an excellent candidate for the surgery he located the trigger points on my back and marked them with tiny metal balls taped to my skin (they were like bb's). I then went and had a series of X-Rays done. I'm guessing for use in the surgery. I left the hospital totally confused. I just remember thinking "What? Someone is going to help me???" Terrible, but after dealing with Chronic pain for so long you just start to believe that there will never be a Doctor who can do some good for you.

Lastly, I would like to give a huge huge huge HUGE thank you to Dr. D who referred me to Dr. R. (I'm not sure if your supposed to use people's actual names on here.) Dr. D did not have to take the time to tell me about Dr. R, nor did he have to call Dr. R and talk to him about my case, but he did. Without Dr. D, I would never even know this surgery existed. As I have said before, there is almost ZERO literature on the Internet about this surgery, especially for my type of injury. That's where this blog comes into play. I want others to be able to be their own advocate and know what options are available... even if your Doctor doesn't tell you. I'm out.