It was an ordinary day. Finally beginning to feel some relief from the many years of back pain. For years and years I have been walking with a slight bend in my back. It has been just about the only way I can walk without feeling overwhelming pain. All began close to 50 years ago when I lifted a large window air conditioner and shouldn't have. Well, after four major back surgeries which did give me some pain relief for a few years each time, I decided to give the spinal cord stimulator a try. The Boston Scientific's SCS system is prescribed for the management of chronic pain. The system electrically stimulates the spinal cord to alter the perception of pain signals that move along the nerve pathways on either side of the spine. Paresthesia is the term that describes the light, tingling sensation (the "feeling") of spinal cord stimulation. I was able to test the procedure for a few days and found I had less pain using the stimulator. So...I thought I might as well give it a try. The SCS (spinal cord stimulator) system includes both implanted and external components. During my surgery two leads were placed along my spinal cord where pain signals to the brain can be intercepted. The leads were then attached to an implantable pulse generator, also referred to as an implant, or Stimulator. The Stimulator is commonly placed in the abdomen, upper buttock, or subclavicular area. The Stimulator sends a small electrical current to a series of stimulating contacts, or electrodes, at the end of the lead. The battery-powered Stimulator is controlled by a hand-held programmer or Remote Control, and is periodically recharged using a separate Charging System. The Remote Control is a powerful, yet easy to use, tool for managing every aspect of my pain treatment...from controlling the level, or strength, of stimulation to accessing special treatment programs and program options.
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| This shows how the SCS works in my back. Click to enlarge |
To make the most of my system it is important to learn: (1) what to be aware of for safety, (2) how to use the Remote Control, and (3) how to recharge the Stimulator. My Stimulator uses a rechargeable battery to provide stimulation. My charging system allows me to recharge the Stimulator battery as needed. The charging system consists of the Charger unit, a Base Station, and a Power Supply. The Base Station is designed to remain connected to a power outlet at all times. When it is not being used, I need to keep the Charger on the Base Station so that it is always ready to deliver a charge.  |
| This is the remote I have to learn to use. |
A booklet I was given tells me how to charge the Stimulator. I believe I will have a long learning experience, but if this unit will give me pain relief, I am willing to give it a try. I had the unit implanted in my back on April 13. I had a few meetings with both my doctor and a specialist from Boston Scientific who both tried to explain to me how to use the unit. I make mistakes from time to time which in turn send extra strong waves through my body. Scares the crap out of me, but in no time I end up hitting the correct button on my hand-held device and the shock goes away. I naturally have to sleep with the unit since it is implanted in my back. I try and get the best results with the unit for when I lay down, since the schock is different when laying down than when sitting or standing. I'm in the process of managing my remote so I can make the changes before I recline in bed at night and before I sit up in the morning. Starting to get the hang of it and am beginning to see the advantages of having the unit in my back. I haven't had to charge the battery that is implanted in my back as of yet, but I know that is coming and I may need some coaching from my specialists. I figure I will write another story in a few weeks to let you know how I am making out with my spinal cord stimulator. I'm convinced this will be my pain savior until I can no longer breathe. I'm assuming it will last that long. Stay tuned...It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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