A Journey

[backfrombackpain]

Three Weeks Out

Hi! I’m back. And I have learned some very important things in the past three weeks since my surgery. First, don’t push it. Really. You think you can do all kinds of things, go places, jump back into work - but not really. After the actual surgery wounds heal, and you start to feel some pain relief from this device that has me calling myself bionic, it is tempting to start pushing the limits and try things. I have one word - DON’T.

My surgery was October 14th. I had my post-op appointment with the surgeon’s office on the 25th. I also met with Bridget, a rep from the company that makes my device, and she did some programming, showed me how to work the little controller, and basically sent me on my way! Bridget assured me that I could contact them with any questions or concerns, and gave me another card. So I went right back to the office, resumed my crazy, busy schedule and that was that. I had been warned not to twist, lift or bend for another month or so, let the scar tissue form. They emphasized that I should not strain when I go to the bathroom. So what did I do? I went and got food poisoning. Have you ever tried to not strain when you have food poisoning? I will spare the details, but it was not pretty. 

And I went right back to work after that. My job involves a lot of running around and doing things for people, so I resumed my running around. Not a good idea. I did not realize just how much this process affected me. Following that, I was in a minor accident that took off my mirror, so my car is now in the shop. Then I got sick again - mainly a cold, but I was miserable. I slept for pretty much 36 hours straight, and I still cannot climb the stairs in my home without getting dizzy and short of breath. I am finally taking a few days off work, and letting other people bear the weight.

So the moral of the story is that if you go through this process, give yourself time to recover and regroup. Listen to the medical people when they say you need to take some time off and let your body (and mind) heal. Surgery is a major life event, and it deserves respect.

I will be taking it a bit easier for the next couple of weeks, and will try an post here on a more regular basis.

#back pain #spinalcordstimulator #laminectomy

[backfrombackpain]

Shoes and Socks - A Revelation

The other day, I put my shoes and socks on. By myself. Without squeaking, griping or cussing. Now since I have been on this planet many years, that may seem like a trivial thing. Doesn’t everyone do that? Well, no. For the past several years I have not been able to put on socks and tie my shoes without either a lot of pain or some assistance. That was the first indication I had that the Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) was actually beginning to make a difference for me.

Today was my post-op visit, being almost two weeks past surgery. It was also time for a consultation with my support team. But more about that as we progress.

This blog will be a record of my journey, hopefully a journey back from the land of the pain to the land of the living. As I was considering having this device implanted in me, I looked all over the web to see if there were any blogs, videos or chat rooms for people who have had this done. I found nothing. I had heard about this device from my pain doctor, from company representatives and I had read all of the technical information I could find. But I really wanted to hear from someone who had had this done. But there was no one out there on the web. So I decided to be that person, and that is why I am starting this blog. If you are considering this procedure, or if you have chronic pain and have never been given this as an option, please read my story. Ask me anything - I will answer the best that I can. 

How did my pain begin? Well, get in the time machine with me and go back to 1984. I was a few years out of undergrad, working on a graduate degree and working full time with three group homes that provided services for individuals with severe intellectual disabilities and mental illness or behavioral issues. These people had been put into state institutions. Our mission was to teach them to live in the community once again. Well, one day, one of the residents jumped on me from behind, grabbing my neck and pulling me backwards. At that time, I was very shaken, and I did not know about the injuries lurking in my spine. Fast forward past surgery, Worker’s Compensation and the Space Shuttle blowing up, and I was back in the saddle, so to speak. I finished my graduate studies a year later than I had planned, but I was back to work and feeling ok.

Fast forward to somewhere around 2000 (dates are fuzzy for me) and the pain began to creep back into my life. But this is enough for one day, and I will continue my story in the next post. For now, I can put on my shoes and socks, and that is huge for me.