Neurostimulation has been key in my management of pain. It’s also satisfied my wish to find a way to be as self-sufficient with my management as I possibly can be.
My first stim was a peripheral stimulation unit (leads under the skin) and that was implanted in 2011. I still have this unit as a backup. In 2015 I had a sacral stim implanted but that fizzed (in my opinion) within three years. So in 2019 I had the sacral stim removed and replaced with a spinal cord neurostim.
WARNING: In the video, I talk about my experience and have a few Xrays pop up to demonstrate a little detail. If you’re the squeamish type you may not want to see the images – they are small, however.
Read key blogs about my stim implants experiences and adventures:
- My Peripheral Stimulation implant
- Peripheral Stim messing with my bone density score
- My pain management is turning into a thesis!
- Adventures of a stim controller
- Out With the Sacral, In With the Spinal (part 1)
- Out With the Sacral, In With the Spinal (part 2)
- Out With the Sacral, In With the Spinal (part 3)
- Spinal Cord Stim Trial Day 6
Pain management is unique to all of us and the key to navigating the complex journey (I believe) is gathering as much information as possible.
I hope this vimeo is of great help.
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Hi Soula, thank you so much for this video. On 9/3/21 I had my St. Jude Medical spinal stimulator implanted.
My surgeon said it was a difficult implant due to scar tissue from previous surgery. I had 37 staples, so quite sizeable incisions. Is this normal?
I had severe increase of pain while in hospital, which I wasn’t expecting.
I’m still in awful pain, with absolutely no improvement in my PN pain.
My surgeon said I have to be patient, that it could take few months before I get benefits. Was this your experience?
Any help gratefully received
Thank you
Lee Bernard
Hi Lee, I’ve been wondering how you are.
Yes, 37 is normal. I imagine an increase in pain is also but I don’t scrub up too badly as the anaesthetic just works so well for me. It gives me lasting relief for some reason.
It’s definitely too early to tell – your body has been through alot. It takes time. You may find relief when you head back for a reprogram and check-up. Maybe turn the stim down or off occasionally and see how that feels. As you move, your stim will impact you differently – especially in this early stage. Let that hope rise above… you’re on your way to better!
I’ll be thinking of you
Stay in touch
Hello Soula, thank you for such a speedy reply.
The words of wisdom have given me comfort.
I go back to see my surgeon 27/4 so I’ll try to be patient ????
Best regards
Lee Bernard
The stim can ‘poke’ the wounds so have a play with the program volume. Wouldn’t mess with frequency, amplitude etc now unless you duplicate your program but it’s really far too early to be experimenting that much as your body is healing and changing each hour. I’d only go up or down with volume.
Of course, you’re in a hurry. You want to get back to living!
Thank you for the advice! I’ll have a look at my controller.
Yes, I am in a hurry! So hard to be patient ????