It’s been awhile since I’ve been here. Life’s ups and downs, what can I say? I’m wondering if anyone else has had one of these implanted with success. Did you feel as though you needed a second opinion about this? Did the leads irritate your trigger points in that area? Did the device cause problems where they implanted it? I have bursitis and irritable bowl syndrome. I’m concerned about this thing causing irreversible problems with those. I’d appreciate any feedback. Here’s what happened, if you’re interested, and why I’m trying to get a second opinion.
Due to retirement, I have a new doctor who absolutely will not prescribe pain meds. I was referred out to Pain Management with only a 7 day, lowest dose pain med with which to taper off the pain meds. Needless to say, I was still detoxing when I saw the PM Physician’s Assistant for the first time. They were able to get some of my records from another doctor who had done an MRI with contrast (FM MRI?). Unbeknownst to me, according to the PA, all of my discs are bulging and at least 2 of them are compromised. Now, they know that I have fibromyalgia, among other diseases. They know that my fibro can cause horrendous bouts of vertigo and continuously causes issues with my ribcage and breathing.
PM/PA also vehemently refuses to prescribe the pain meds I was on for my various conditions. Matter of fact, he wants to see me off all meds. The actual doctor for this facility resides in another town. He only visits this office to do spinal injections and neural blocks. Having only read that MRI from 2017 and listening to me go over everything I’ve done for my pain, the PA tells me the only option left for me, at this point–I’m in my 60’s, is to have a spinal cord stimulator implanted. I was still processing “all discs bulging . . .” when he launched into that discussion.
I was given no printed material on this device/procedure. I was supposed to take him at his word. (Yeah, right, I did way too much of that decades ago while trying to get the fibro diagnosis.) Once I’m home and I’ve come out of my shock, I research this and the first thing that pops on every search engine I could think of using were the lawsuits associated with the surgery, devices and between companies who make this device. I bring this, and other, concern(s) up at my second visit. PA vehemently states that lawyers are nothing but paid professional liars. Now, I know not to believe everything on the internet, but when you’re reading the actual court documents, that’s different.
When I was taking too long trying to get info I should have gotten at the first appointment and not jumping up and down to schedule this procedure, he got pulled out of the room to take care of another patient. I was left to discuss this with the facility’s manager. A person with no medical background. I quickly left. Once home, I called my insurance’s customer service line to discuss this and ask if I’m allowed a second opinion for this. I am. Then I called my PCP to have them schedule it with the Pain Management group I wanted. That took some doing. Guess I’m not supposed to know my rights.
Thing is, none of the PM, or for that matter doctors, in my coverage area will go anywhere near pain meds because of the threat of the DEA flagging them for it. As for the first PM I went to, we’re done. It’s their way or the highway. How dare I know my body or the complex pain it goes through 24/7. I’m not a medical professional. I feel like we’ve swapped one possible bad treatment for another. This place felt like a PM mill for SCS. There are chronic pain sufferers who aren’t drug seekers. Oh, and I’ve complained not only to my insurance but also to my Congressional reps. For all the good that’ll do.