Journal

Today I finally got the staples out from my 2 surgeries that I had to get the spinal cord stimulator implanted. It was really starting to get on my nerves that they were still in there. Not just because they were annoying and made it hard to do almost everything(including sleep)and with them in I was still feeling like everything wasnt done yet,and Lord knows I just wanted to get everything over with. I mean it has been a long road for me and my family. I feel much better too now that they are out. My scars look pretty bad to me right now but my family thinks they look pretty good and they are trying to encourage me in saying that they dont think that I will notice them as much as the first surgery to get the spinal fusion. I only wish I knew then what I know now about fusion. Wow, I still dont know what I was thinking! Anyway I am extremely grateful for the SCS. It has really helped me alot physically and mentally. My daughter told me today that her friend made a comment about how it seemed like I was not in as much pain as I used to be. She is almost right. I mean I still have pain but the SCS blocks those messages so I dont feel them as much and I can do more things. I have been able to get off the couch and start getting back into the swing of things. I am actually able to play outside with my grandson without feeling like it is too hard to do. It is so nice to see him laugh at me and enjoy our time together. My daughter is also liking that I can go out with her more and I am not sleeping all of the time. My sleeping so much really drove her crazy and she tried hard not to let me know how much it bothered her but I knew and it hurt me too. Even my boyfriend is coming around to agree that this surgery was the right thing. In the beginning and even shortly after surgery he was saying he didnt think that it would work but he would stand by my decision and wait to see. He said just this morning that he is really starting to see that I made the right choice. He said that he sees alot of the old me back already. And I hate to toot my own horn here but I have also lost 7 pounds since the surgery! I am just moving around alot more and it is showing in more than just what I am able to do. I am laughing again, and life is coming back. I am also trying to get off of my meds. However I have been on them for so long that I need to do it slower than I want to. It became very apparent to me this weekend when all I could do was get sick. I couldnt drink or eat anything at all and if I was standing I was getting sick. Then finally my b/f asked me what else was different and we decided together that I needed to slow down on trying to get off the meds. I knew better about that but I just want to be normal and with the meds it is too hard to feel normal. Anyway we made a plan and we are going to go slower with the meds. I also have some muscle spasms at the surgical site too and the doctors answer to that was to take more meds(lol, I guess he didnt listen when I said I didnt want more meds). Other than the med issue and the spasms everything is great! I hope I wasnt too scattered with this note but I am just so excited about feeling so good this close out after surgery(last one was April 1). Anyway, hurray for decreased pain and goodbye staples!!  

Well  yesterday was the big day finally! I had the surgery to put the spinal cord stimulator in. I hurt quite a bit today but it is surgical pain not the normal old pain I was feeling. I say was because I dont feel any of the old pain and I am hoping that after the surgical pain goes away I still wont have it\\

On Monday someone from the neurosurgeons office called to say that they wanted to mo ve my surgery date up from Friday to Wednesday. I only got part of the message since something happened to the recorder and I only got parts of it. When I called the office they said that only the pre-op was being moved so although I was confused and still sure of what I heard I said sure and on Wednsday I went for the history and physical at the doctors office and then I was sent acrossed the street to the hospital for pre-op testing. There they told me that my surgery was going to be the nest day(Thursday). Again I was confused but happy that it had been moved up by a couple days. Then they told me that the second part of the surgery would be done on Friday(My original start date). I was so thrilled because now this meant that I will be done with the surgeries before the weekend!!

Well yesterday I finally got the first part of the surgery done. Everyone at the hospital were so nice and very compitant. I felt so relaxed because I knew I was in good hands. I hate to sound negative about our healthcare here in Florida but for the most part I feel it sucks(and I am a nurse). Usually I am spending so much time trying to watch out and make sure someone wasn't doing something right and they might hurt me that I dont get a chance to relax. This time was so different though and I felt very relaxed and appreciative for everything they were all doing for me. It was still kind of strange though because I still couldnt believe it was all happening and soon, if all goes well, I  wont have the pain I have had forever(well since 1998).  The surgery is in 2 parts because they want to make sure that the SCS works for you and then they either go back in and remove it if it doesnt work or if it works they make a pocket under your skin in the abdomen,side,or back. I am praying it continues to work.

I am scheduled to go back to the hospital on Wednesday next week.

I hurt alot  but it is surgical pain. I have a wire coming out of my side that goes up to my spine from the left side so I have 2 openings at least. I havent seen them but I can see the bandages. They are verry  large and the one  on my side needs to be changed because it is getting pretty bloody and I know it wont last until wednesday. But then again I am really afraid to mess with it because it is conected to a wire that goes into my spine so its a bit too scarey for me to mess with.My pain is there but it is mostly surgical pain. The SCS is working really good so my other pain is hardly noticeable.   If you havent noticed I am very tired so I will end this for now so I can get some rest.