We were up early Monday morning because we had to be at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville at noon for surgery to implant the permanent Medtronics Interstim device in Terry.
We arrived about 45 minutes early and she got checked in but it was almost 1:30 before they took her to pre-op. At 2:15 they let me go back and see her before they took her into surgery. The actual surgery did not take long, maybe an hour or so, because the temporary wire was already connected to the nerve during the two week trial period. So all they had to do was remove the extra wire that extended out of her back during the trial period, insert the device and connect the implanted wire to it, and close the incision. They let me see her in the recovery room about 4:30, then the Medtronics rep came in to go over the remote control for the device and explain everything to us again.
It was 6 p.m. before we finally got out of there. We stopped for a light dinner, since Terry had not been allowed to eat anything after the previous midnight, then checked into Hampton Inn for the night. She is doing fine and looking forward to getting back to normal. And she is VERY glad not to have that wire and the external battery pack hanging off of her!
I have an appointment this afternoon at the hospital in DeLand to get injections in my neck to see if they will help alleviate some of the pain and stiffness there. I will also be telling the doctor that the injections in my back a week ago only helped for two days before the pain returned. We will have to discuss other treatment options. This getting old is not nearly as much fun as I had hoped for.
Thought For The Day – A cold seat in a public restroom is unpleasant. But a warm seat in a public restroom is worse.
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
Glad to hear Terry is doing well. Hope this device is an answer to a prayer. I have been subjected to a compression of the sciatica nerve in my lower back which affected my legs. Had the injections but got no relief except or a day after each injection. What helped me the most was Physical Therapy.. Four months and the shooting pain, or sparking as they called it, stopped and I could walk without pain again. Highly recommend PT. The Medtronic Stimulator was a possibility offered by the Pain Clinic but that will be my last option. Ablation was another option but my PT doctor did not recommend it. I think I trust him more than the pain doc! Hope you get well soon Nick.