Re: medtronic spinal cord stimulator

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I had a Boston Scientific spinal cord stim placed into my back
in 09. I have now had 5 surgeries with this stim. The last one
did provide some relief, though not as much as I had expected! I
now have 2 units (4 wires) plugged into one box. The problem now
is that I am still having pain and new pain in other parts of my
back/body, and can't have an mri! They will now have to remove
this stimulator to do the mri that I HAVE TO GET DONE! No other
test is showing the problem! PLEASE people if you are still
having back pain.....anywhere in your back, understand that this
devise may help, or just cover up the problem! Even if you do
have this put in, the pain from the surgery is no fun.....I
can't imagine what its going to be like when they remove the
leads and the box! (EVERYTHING has to be removed to get an MRI!)
Just think about it, I never thought I would have to remove the
wires. I just planned to keep them in forever so I didn't have
to get more scar tissue ect from the removal! YOU CAN'T IF U
HAVE TO GET AN MRI DONE!

On 1/06/12, Verna Barnett wrote:
> I am scheduled to have a medtronic spinal cord stimulator
> attached on February 2,2012...... I believe my doctor is very
> capable, but after reading these few posts I am a bit nervous
> about getting the Medtronic Stimulator. I wonder if anyone can
> help me find another provider? I live in Washington State,
> Snohomish County. Thank you....
>> On 4/07/11, mercedes wrote:
>>> Before I had the spinal cord stimulator implanted I was in
>>> so much pain the doctor prescribed me so much pain
>>> medication that I was nearly brain dead. I tried to committ
>>> suicide 5 times as well as kill my husband and my children.
>>> I was extremely sedated from being prescribed so much
>>> medication that I was out of control and did not even
>>> realize the pain I was inflicting on myself as well as my
>>> family. That is when the doctor decided to implant the
>>> spinal cord stimulator to provide pain relief. He implanted
>>> the battery pack to the spinal cord stimulator in my left
>>> butt cheek. Not tryiing to be explicit but he dug a hole in
>>> my left butt cheek to implant the spinal cord stimulator.
>>> The first month I did get "some" pain relief but after that
>>> the wire broke and I did not get ANY pain relief. The
>>> stimulator broke 3 times. I complained so often to the
>>> doctor and the nurses and doctor treated me like i was
>>> crazy and even told me that I just wanted pain medication.
>>> Dr. James Patrick Murphy, a pain management doctor in
>>> Louisville Kentucky, was the one that did all these
>>> surgeries and prescribed all this medication. I saw Dr
>>> Gregory Nazar and he immediately said that the stimulator
>>> needed to be removed and i needed a MRI. Dr. Murphy refused
>>> to remove the stimulator even though I needed an MRI. I
>>> needed a MRI so 'Dr Gregory Nazar in Louisville, Ky
>>> instructed Dr Murphy to take the spinal cord stimulator out
>>> because Dr Murphy refused numerous times to remove it every
>>> time I requested and just wanted to revise it. Dr.Murphy
>>> did 4 revisions trying to make it work not to mention the
>>> 15 times I had to visit the doctors office to have it
>>> reprogrammed with no success. So I decided to just turn it
>>> off because I was not getting any relief so why have it on.
>>> Right? When Dr. Murphy was doing the surgery to remove the
>>> stimulator the wire from my butt he numbed because he didnt
>>> want to cut my spine my left butt cheek and I was wide
>>> awake because when the wire broke it was to late to give me
>>> any anesthesia. I was awake during the whole procedure and
>>> I was scared and was in so much pain. I was in a nightmare
>>> and wasnt even asleep. After the spinal cord stimulator I
>>> had the MRI and found out I had a herniated disc in L4 and
>>> L5 where the wires were and I never had this herniated disc
>>> before the spinal cord stimulator was implanted. I had 6
>>> surgeries for the herniated disc and they eventually put in
>>> 2 titanium rods and 35 screws in my back in 2009. They are
>>> telling me now that I am going to require another surgery
>>> and I am scared to death. I feel like a piece of meat
>>> because they keep cutting on me. No one should have to go
>>> through the pain and suffering I have gone through so I am
>>> telling my story to anyone thinking of having this
>>> procedure done from Medtronics. This company is ruining the
>>> lives of so many people. Anyone who has had this done
>>> should share their story as well. Medtronics should be
>>> responsible for ruining the lives of so many people.