Posted on 09/13/2013 8:55:51 PM PDT by trussell
Well, I sure screwed it up today… I went to sit down on a chair that wasn't there and fell, now I can't move my legs and the ER released me saying nothing is broke so there is nothing they can/will do. No brace, no chair, no crutches, nothing. The doctor didn't even touch me, tell me to wiggle toes, take my temp, listen to my heart, nothing...just a CT scan and then let me go. I couldn't even get in the car without a nurse, 2 cops and a citizen who offered to help. I don't know what to do now, I can't walk :'(
This is of course concerning to me since I have a fused spine and ongoing issues. I'm calling my pain management doc to see if he wants to do something different.
I warned you about this, sent you the research, I know what kind of pain you are in, because I'm nearly in the same situation.
Please my dear FRiend do not let them put this horrid device in your body, you will regret it, you think things are bad now, once that torture device is in place it will be worse.
The device has to come off to do a MRI, and once in place further MRI’s CANNOT be done. There is enough research out there that this Medtronic device is a bad customer for the patient. The glowing reports on their web site are useally fake.
You have to dig into the blogs to find the truth, patients are left in worse condition than before the implant.It does not take long for scar tissue to form over the probe placed in your spine by the Medtronic Rep, not a doctor. . Once that happens it cannot be removed with out much bigger damage. And you are not completely under when they do it either, as they have to check your responses to it as they tune it.
This is a virtual spine, touch a disc and it will tell you what the spinal nerve root controls. The L3-5 control a lot more than people realize, Colon, bladder, legs, etc.
http://www.echiropractic.net/nervechart.htm
trussell — please read GailA’s post 322 and definitely do more research and get more medical opinions before doing anything permanent.
Thanks, GailA for the information — you do sound like you know what you are talking about. Hopefully trussell will indeed get other opinions before doing anything permanent.
I have done bunches of research and followed every link that GailA has provided. I know that I don’t like what this can do to me. I asked several questions of the rep and the doctor and the clinical trial nurse. A few corrections, this is a unit made by Boston Scientific, not medtronix. The doctor implants the unit then the rep tunes it/sets the programming. The unit isn’t getting all the areas that need help, like the right hip and the low back. If they can’t promise those areas will get relief, I’m not going any further with this. If they say I will get relief there, I might have to try it, but will also be prepared to get it removed early so it can’t damage me with the scar tissue. I am inclined to believe this trial is as far as I’m going to go with this.
I’m not able to get second opinions. I’m on state insurance and can’t get another opinion. As for having tests done...they have done xrays and MRIs and a CT scan.
They have the device implanted at the T4 - T7 area. Just got off the phone with the rep, it sounds like they may not be able to control the pain in the hip, but they want me to get some tests done before the next step to make sure the hip pain isn’t something other than from the nerves.
Praying for you that the doctors have wisdom and guidance and can resolve the pain.
I know we generally hate this, but have you contacted a lawyer? Letrting you go home from the hospital when you could not walk was criminally negligent
“they want me to get some tests done before the next step to make sure the hip pain isn’t something other than from the nerves.”
Just curious, but have they checked your blood inflammation levels for an autoimmune problem, such as RA? Or maybe it’s bursitis? More than likely they’ve already considered these things.
Another thought that comes to mind would be compensatory pain, which may resolve itself once other issues are taken care of.
Not that I am aware of yet, but I have that on my list of questions to ask. I have been praying hard that God show me what he wants me to do about these devices/trials. I am fairly certain he is telling me this device isn't right for me. I am having discomfort in my stomach when I eat, I feel bloated and the pain gets so bad, I feel like I may get sick. There is too much buzz in my tummy, very little in my back, none in my right hip and good coverage in my legs. Thing is, my legs aren't one of the biggest trouble spots, they hurt when I lay on my side, but my biggest pain areas are my right hip and low back. I'm going to ask tomorrow if they can mess with the controls a bit and try to get coverage in those 2 areas and get the buzz out of my tummy...If so, I will give a little bit of consideration to trying the permanent one, with the idea that I can get it out immediately if I feel at any time that it isn't doing what is needed. If they can't get those areas covered, I will say "NO, it's not right for me". I tend to believe they will not be able to get the tummy/back issue worked out...not sure why, but if they had been able to, they should have done so on Thursday. More prayers for clear directions would be totally appreciated.
Prayers also for the kids; Kidlett CLR is still under the bridge in Savannah. She has the money that was sent to her saved and is holding it for when they find an apartment that they can afford. They are hoping that one will be open on the first of January. She hasn't been feeling well and that makes me worried about her. Kidlett CZR is having an increase of joint pain and headaches. He has been put on a different medicine for the pain, but I'm not sure it's the right one for his condition...he sees the Pediatric Rheumatologist on February 18th, but until then...he is just hurting. He has to help me so much now that I am in the chair, and especially with me in the trial of this device. Poor kid, he's amazing...and so willing to help me...but it's lots of work on him, and I feel bad having to rely on my son!
Christmas is coming up...we managed to get a cake for Jesus birthday. The rest will just be celebrated with CZR and me together, along with our landlord...and CLR in Savannah with her friend. Thanks again for the prayers...
T, have you tried those small Hot Hands, placed in a sewed up pot holder to protect your skin to bring down the lumbar pain.
You know I’m in nearly the same situation you are in. And can take only 1 Toredol for a short time period, it is limited because of the liver side effects.
But the Hot Hands are not medical, they are external and instant removable. You just have to protect tender skin from burns. As they do get hot enough to burn tender skin. The small ones come 2 to the pack with 3 packs in the package, and Walmart is cheap for them. They are only available in cold weather, hunters use them.
I use them for my lumbar pain, it really brings it down to a dull ache that I can live with.
I haven’t been able to get anything like that, I have no income...yet.
A Christmas miracle...today, I got a Christmas card from a freeper. There was a check for $20 which I will use to help with Christmas dinner. God Bless and Merry Christmas to all my FReeper FRiends.
Thank you FReeper.... hey my address is....
Merry Christmas to you and your family, and I wish you a full recovery
BTTT
How about a microwaveable pad for the back? My wife uses one that is full of fennel seeds, you just pop it in the microwave wit ha cup of water for two minutes or so and you’ve got heat for awhile, and it’s in a wrap you can put around a waist, shoulder, neck, etc and have heat for a good while.
i use the instant heaters for emergecny stuff in the car, but they are one use only and then they’re done.
Any time I’ve put heat to my back, the pain has gotten worse. I use ice, as often as I can. I’m not sure if ice would help now or not...could possibly be convinced to try it, but I’ve not had good luck with it in the past.
(((((Prayers, Hugs, and Blessings, Dear Trussell)))))
So sorry to hear the device isn’t working for you. If nothing else, though, it will help the docs rule out what isn’t causing your pain.
And it is great news that your daughter has the money she needs for a place. I do hope she’s keeping it somewhere safe and not carrying it with her.
I’ve got to mention how very kind of you to include your landlord in with your family Christmas plans, especially after the way he’s treated your child. I don’t know if I could muster up even a kind word for him at this point.
Continued prayers for you and kids that 2014 is your year to have resolution of your difficulties and trials.
I know you’ll have a wonderful Christmas because, in spite of everything, you understand why we celebrate :-)
Tried those, you have to be real careful how long you nuke them, get them to hot and you get burned, heat only last about 30 mins, and you are stuck in a chair with them. Which is why I use the Hot Hands in a Pot Holder, pin it inside my jeans. 10 hrs of blessed pain relief and I can then go where I need to go as long as they have those electric carts as I can’t do LD walking other wise.
I buy up a year’s worth when they come out for the hunting season. I know they are not going to do a thing to fix what is wrong, to much OA/OP, spurs, bulges, herinated disc, along with pinched nerves. DX score is to bad. Makes me high risk. Allergic to the drugs to boot.
Endo tried to get me to take Foreto, it comes in a diabetic style pen, drug was $17 with co-pay, needles $30, this is an 18 month program, that promises 9% bone regrowth, Hands are to bad to insert needles, or turn the dial! Cost would be about $900. The down side is that after 18 months you are put back on the regular OP drugs, and the bone growth you might have gained starts to REVERSE itself. There is not natural formula vit/min on the market that women who make up 80% of those with OP, can take, we are told Calcium and D. Well bones are made of more than just these to Vits, lots of minerals go into the factor too.
Did not see a reason to even try a drug that was not going to leave permanent bone regrowth. You just end up back at square 1.
1 single pack of 3 doubles is less than $3. That is 20 hrs of pain relief a day.
I know money is tight, prayers you get the device adjusted, but please take much prayer about doing the implant. If they can’t get it right as a trial one, they will not get it right as an implant. And you will be worse off.
They were able to get the device to affect the mid/low back by messing with the last 3 contacts at the T10/T11 level. They leads were more to the left than the right and so getting relief to the right hip was very hard...the “Paddles” that go in with the permanent device have contacts on both sides so they can set one to get the hip. I am going to try the permanent one. THey said if I don’t like it, if it fails to work right, they can take it out immediately before the scartissue gets bad. They will try to adjust the settings first and try to get the areas covered, but if that doesn’t work, it comes out. I will also still get pain meds for those times when nothing else works.
What happens if this doesn’t work and we try the pain pump and that doesn’t work? The doctor already said I am on the strongest med he gives. What do you do when your pain management doctor won’t manage your pain?
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