Day 3 - SCS Trial #2

   So my second attempt at a Spinal Cord Stimulator trial was on this past Tuesday, the 17th. If you've read my previous posts on here during my first trial, you know that it was not highly successful. I lucked out on getting a second try when we changed health insurance companies this January, & my St. Jude reps convinced Dr. S it would be worth it. The first trial was a little over a month ago. This time, things seem much different!

   I knew mostly what to expect going into the second trial thankfully. I knew everything that would happen during surgery, so I was a lot less nervous this time. I also knew the severe pain & discomfort that would come with it as well. Again, that doesn't happen for everyone, but I am a slightly difficult case. I tend to experience surgical pain worse than most people. Part of that of course, is that pain meds simply do not work on me. I think I've been taking opiates so long that I've gotten tolerant to them, & my body simply stopped responding. I have that problem during surgery as well. Those that have done a SCS trial know that you are awake during, but usually under heavy sedation so that you basically don't remember the procedure or are very "sleepy". I guess I am just unlucky because I am now fully awake & conscious during these types of surgeries. Dr. S has given me the max amount of sedation & pain meds during the trials, & I have simply not responded to them. I know that contributes to me being in so much pain after & during the whole 7-day trial. I also have morphine to take regularly for pain, but even at the max dose, it doesn't help me in the slightest.

   The past 2 days, I've been trying to sleep when I could to get through the pain. Ice packs again have been a big help in a minimal way, if that makes sense! The incision site looks good (I'll post a pic later) & there seems to be no redness or bleeding this time. There is a LOT of itching under all of the tape though this time. It feels like I have poison ivy! I still have until Tuesday to deal with it; oh it's going to be fun! One big difference this time is that my leads are at T9 instead of L1, which is higher towards my middle back. I'll re-post this diagram from a previous post to help you see where each level is.

   Now to what everyone was waiting to hear from me... Is the SCS working & where do I have stimulation? First, I have to say this time the stim is working SO much better even in the first couple of days! The sensation is better as well as the coverage. Ideally, my wish list for coverage would be the following...

Toes, Feet, Lower legs on top & outer side, Upper legs on top & outer side, Hips, Butt & Lower Back

I'm getting some patchy lower leg areas not so much on the outside though. I'm also getting some upper leg coverage too, but again not on the outer sides. I have excellent coverage on the top of my upper/lower legs. When I have the stim turned up kinda high, I get some stimulation in other areas, like my stomach & some tingling in my feet. When you compare this to my wish list, it doesn't seem like a whole lot, but it's really all about how it's helping where I feel it. The thing is, my pain has kicked up in my left leg a lot today, and when I simply turn up my SCS, I don't notice the pain very much! It is still there, but a lot less! Even though the pain is sometimes where I don't have stim coverage, it still helps shield any pain coming from my lower legs. I wish this was the way the first trial went! Also, I have turned the stim off only briefly to test my pain. The pain is much more significant with it off. That tells me this is working! When I do turn the SCS off, I have this tingling that stays in my legs for a few minutes, which is a bit weird but nice. The sensation I have overall is really nice. It's a smooth vibration that almost makes my legs kind of numb. It makes the sensitivity better because I don't really feel light touch. I'm truly excited just talking about all of this! When the first trial started, I had nothing to compare it to & thought it was perhaps working. Now, in comparison, that trial was terrible! I've even been able to sleep with this SCS on & I don't get "shocked" with every move! I know I will have less to report this time around in regards to details, but it's simply because I covered most of it during the first trial. For the most part, I'm going through the same thing, just with different results. I will post again before I have the leads out next Tuesday. Tomorrow I go for re-programming (if I want it) & just to have Dr. S look at the entry site. I don't think I need any other programs though! Thank you to everyone that's been following me on this journey so far! It's not over, but we're one step closer! God Bless & good night!