Introduction

Two years ago I had a Spinal Cord Stimulator implanted in the hope that it would help me cope with my chronic pain.  It worked very well…..For the first year.  During the second year it gradually got less and less effective and my pain rose to the level it had been before the implant was fitted.

During the summer I realised that the situation was only going to get worse, so I called the Walton Centre in Liverpool for help.  They arranged a clinic appointment for me and then a follow up appointment with my new consultant.

He was honest and told me that he feared the loss of efficacy was due to me becoming tolerant to the device but he agreed to upgrade the electrode I had implanted in my back.  He told me that I would be invited back in November to have the surgery I needed.

The Road to Theatre

Initially I received a letter asking me to attend on the 16th December.  However, this was changed to January after my consultant felt he wouldn’t be able to get me home for Christmas.

So, on the 20th January I wound my way back down the M6 to the Walton Centre.

It is worth pointing out once again that I have to take Warfarin.  Since this drug doesn’t go to well with surgery, my hospital stays have always been extended because I have to be taken off the drug before surgery and then re-started afterwards.  So on this occasion, I was to be admitted on Wednesday the 20th January for surgery on Monday 25th.

The admission letter I was sent asked me to call the Bed Manager before leaving the house.  It also said to call after 0830am but to report to the Ward at 10am.  Since I have a 5 hour drive to Liverpool, this was impossible, so I called on the Tuesday.

If you have a long drive, this is well worth doing.  I was told that there was absolutely no need for me to be in Liverpool at 10am and that I should call the Bed Manager again at 9 the following morning.  I did this and was told to make my way down.

Surprise

Since I had done everything asked of me, I was a little surprised to find that there was no bed for me when I arrived.  Apparently “Implant Patients” need to have a side room for infection control reasons.  There was a bed but not a side room.  A quick word with the doctor and it was agreed that I could stay in “The Hotel” for the night and my Warfarin could be stopped the following day.  This was OK but I could have been at home!

On Thursday I was forced to hang about until just before tea time.  With an apology, I was then given a bed on the Ward with a promise of a move to a side-room the following day.  As ever though, things worked out a little differently and I was moved to a side room later in the evening.

It was then a case of sitting and waiting for Monday.  If all went to plan, then the Warfarin would be out of my system and the op could go ahead.

Surgery

So Monday arrived and I was on the list for early afternoon.  I was seen by a Registrar and the Anaesthetist but otherwise there was little drama beforehand.  A nurse told me I would have to have my back marked, making me think I had to go for “Back Marking”, a procedure I had found particularly unpleasant the first time round.  Fortunately though, this time it consisted of the Registrar drawing two black arrows on my back with a marker pen!

I was taken down to Theatre and introduced to some of the nursing staff.  There was a short wait filled with plenty of banter from the staff before I was taken through to the Anaesthetist.  She put a cannula in the back of my hand and injected the drug to put me to sleep.  I remember her telling me it might be unpleasant and I agreed with her but after that…..I woke up in Recovery!

Afterwards

They seem to like me in Recovery.  For some reason I always seem to be the last to leave.  There was some confusion about the amount of Opiate medication I usually take and how much I should be given now.  I’m positive I created the confusion by telling them half a story before falling asleep again!

Eventually though, I was taken back up to the ward attached to a PCA (Patient Controlled Analgesic) machine.  This is basically a button attached to a syringe of Morphine.  When needed, the patient presses the button and a dose is administered.  I think it usually allows a dose every five minutes or so.

My back was sore but I was reasonably comfortable.  I was given some tea and toast during the evening but in the main, I just slept.

Stimulated?

The Stimulator was turned on the following morning and I was pleased to report that I could feel it in the correct area of my legs.  My Consultant came round shortly afterwards and I was a little disappointed to hear that he had not been able to upgrade the electrode, just swap it for a new one.  But, it was definitely reaching the pain better than the old one so it seemed that it had all been worthwhile.

Although my back was sore, it was not as bad as the last time.  Once I was taken off the PCA machine, I was able to move about and get up to the loo etc.  In fact, I would have been quite happy to make the journey home on the Wednesday or Thursday of that week.  This was not to be though.

Waiting for Warfarin

The initial estimate for discharge was Friday 29th.  Unfortunately though, the Warfarin did not play nicely and I didn’t get home until the Thursday of the following week (4th Feb), meaning I had a very quiet Birthday on my own in Liverpool!  The Warfarin took longer than expected to get back up to my target level and I just had to sit and wait for that to happen.  On the plus side though, I was forced to rest for a few more days and I certainly feel the difference now that I’m home and moving about more.

Conclusion

So, I first had my Spinal Cord Stimulator implanted in 2008 and it worked well for a year.  During 2009 it became gradually less effective so it was suggested that I should have the electrode upgraded.

I had surgery to upgrade the electrode but the surgeon could not fit the larger, upgraded model.  Instead, he replaced the existing electrode with a new one just the same.

So far, three weeks after surgery, it seems to be working well.  Fingers crossed it continues!

Any Questions?

Please feel free to ask.

I Had Hoped

I knew when I went into hospital that I was going to have a wait until my Warfarin levels were back to normal. That’s why I had put so much thought into keeping myself busy before I set off for Liverpool.

The set up was perfect, a nice compact Eee PC and a Wireless Broadband Dongle from 3. I was prepared for problems with the Dongle, there are complaints about coverage etc, but everything was perfect. It worked a charm and was actually fasterthat I expected.

So, before the Op was fine. Lots of surfing done. I was a happy boy.

After the Op, the plan went skywards. I had a project and because everything had worked so well I was looking forward to getting stuck in.

On went the computer and up popped an error message. The SIM card in your Dongle is either missing or not inserted correctly. Connection cannot be established.

Buggar. I now had the prospect of another 4 days in hospital without my connection.

A call to 3 got me nowhere (post to come). So I’ve written a couple of posts to be published but just this evening I found TBlogger, a little app that lets me publish from my phone. This post is the result. If it works, I’ll be back with more details.

Blogging Offline

I must admit that, up until now, the concept of offline blogging confused me a little.  I could see the point if you were in a place that just didn’t have a connection, but if you can connect, why not use the facility?

Well, I’ve just ‘Gone Mobile’ and realised that this presents two problems.

1. The first is that my bandwidth is limited.  I’m paying for my data on a ‘Pay As You Go’ basis and this makes me much more aware of the cost.
2. The second reason kind of relates to the first.  It’s all about distraction.  If I’m online, I do a lot of research that

…… Read the rest

It’s Official – Hospitals Are Boring!!

Well, haven’t I had a really exciting couple of days?  I was due to be admitted into the Walton Centre on Wednesday so that my Warfarin could be stopped ready for my Op on Monday.  The letter said get here by 10am but it also said to speak to the Bed Manager before you leave (but after 0830hrs).  Well, of course, it’s a 5 hour drive from home to Liverpool so this was a problem!

I phoned the Bed Manager on Tuesday and explained the situation.  She said it was not necessary for me to be there by 10am and suggested I call her back…… Read the rest

I’m Sorry!

There has been very little happening on this site for the last couple of weeks and I really am feeling bad for letting it fall by the wayside.  I have made a number of changes to the back-end.  Tidying up some of the plugins I’m using and adding the Intense Debate comment system.  I think I’ve just about finished ‘tweaking’ for the time being, so I’ll get down to the job of adding some proper content to my sites.

Treatment (New Stimulator)

Next week I’m heading back down to Liverpool to get my Spinal Column Stimulator fixed.  Hopefully this will improve the gradual loss of sensation I’ve experienced over…… Read the rest