Sunday, March 7, 2010

I'm baaack!


I know I seriously neglected this blog. But I found as I got worse that after living through each day, I didn't want to relive it again to write a blog entry.
That has changed. I finally have a diagnosis (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) thanks to an awesome doctor at Duke. I had a stellate ganglion nerve block this week, which gave me an hour of relief in my left (and worse than my right) side. This also assured my doctor that I am an ideal candidate for a spinal cord stimulator.
A SCS is an implanted device that has electrodes attached to the spinal cord. The electrodes block the pain signals from going to the brain. At least a 50% reduction in pain is expected.
I've been trying o learn as much as I can, but am having a hard time finding personal experiences. So that is what this blog is going to turn in to. I want others to be able to read my experiences as I go through the process.
First up is a psychological eval, similar to the one transplant recipients go through. That has to be sent to the insurance company for approval. Once approved, we will set up a week long trial with an external device. If that is successful, I will have 2 implanted, one on each side.