My latest surgery was last Tuesday (May 16). If you read an earlier post, I talked about the trial spinal stimulator cord I had implanted. Well, it seemed promising enough to go ahead and "install" the permanent version. I thought I'd post an update since I'm able now to hang out on the computer for a little bit at a time (thanks to my friend synthetic morphine). For your viewing pleasure, Michael took a pic of the incisions; I made sure to include a familiar sensor since this is a family-friendly site ;)
People are sometimes confused over what my exact situation is, so I'll do my best to explain my history later. But first, what did they do to me this time?
The vertical incision you see is a little over two inches tall. This is where they implanted the stimulator itself. The stimulator has a little lead attached to it, which has a paddle on the end that sends out the electrical impulses. Once they have the positioning right, they suture it to your bones. They cut a small hole through my spine so they could go below it and position it correctly. They wake you up during surgery so you can tell them whether or not they have it right. Tough to do under heavy anesthesia, let me tell you.
The second incision on the right is about four inches long, where they implanted the battery pack which connects to the stimulator. This one is slightly more painful. Modern medicine is beyond amazing. This battery pack will last for 10-12 years, and I have an external recharger that I will use every couple of months to re-juice. The stimulator itself will last a lifetime.
So, you ask, what the heck is a spinal cord stimulator and why do you need it?
Long story short - I've tried virtually everything else I can think of to eliminate or at least improve my pain. This is the next and hopefully last thing to try. Neurostimulation has come a long way, and is truly a fascinating method of pain control. Here's a quick medical description from the Medtronics website (the manufacturer of my stimulator):
How Neurostimulation Controls Pain
Neurostimulation delivers low voltage electrical stimulation to the spinal cord or targeted peripheral nerve to block the sensation of pain. One theory, the Gate Control Theory of pain developed by researchers Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall, proposes that neurostimulation activates the body's pain inhibitory system. According to this theory, there is a gate in the spinal cord that controls the flow of noxious pain signals to the brain. The theory suggests that the body can inhibit these pain signals or "close the gate" by activating certain non-noxious nerve fibers in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. The neurostimulation system, implanted in the epidural space, stimulates these pain-inhibiting nerve fibers, masking the sensation of pain with a tingling sensation (paresthesia).
Here's what my system looks like. I got thousands of dollars worth of "equipment". It's a little overwhelming.
The blue objects are multiple controllers and the battery recharger. (All external.) The pink circle is around the battery pack that is now inside me.
If you want to read more, visit the Medtronics website. It's really pretty interesting.
Here's a good page to start from. Unfortunately, I know there are many of you who suffer from chronic pain like me, so it's good info to read.
Ok, I've surpassed my time limit. Gotta go lay down now. I'll try to write more later. Love you guys, thanks for all the prayers.
