Yesterday was the day we were waiting for. Both of us were a bit sceptical of how good the results would be, and tried not to be too confident ahead of time. After all, the last time we did this it not only hadn't been great, it turned into more problem than cure.
Yesterday was the day his back's pain interrupter was turned on. In preparation he's been going easy on his limited prescription of Percoset so he'd have some left for his 100 plus miles in the car. We discussed him having one before the ride to Minneapolis, but decided we didn't want any interference with his ability to tell how much pain relief he needed. If necessary he could take one on the way home.
His appointment started with the surgical staff inspecting his incisions for signs of healing or possible infection. He passed, and even better doesn't need to come back for stitches removal since they'll dissolve internally and let the outside bits drop away.
After they left, the tech from Medtronic came and spent over an hour with us. First he connected his computer up to Steve's now-internal mechanism. Wi-Fi is wonderful. It also means that like me, Steve now has to avoid magnetic scanners like those for security or in MRIs. That would reset the programming inside his body, which is what the next half hour was spent setting up, making a series of different programs for different uses. As each lead was powered Steve reported when he could feel the electricity and how far in which direction, while the tech asked him to move in different directions or in different movements like standing up or sitting.
The rest of the time was spent in showing how the chargers, programming tech, and nest of cords we were taking home and would be needing to use would work. The procedure took long enough that Steve needed to excuse himself for a restroom break, and reported when he returned that the walk produced no pain whatsoever! It was working!
The one thing he did notice was that the more he needed the pain relief, the more he felt the electricity going through his body. What this means is that this system is smart tech, sensing need and supplying the right amount of relief, then backing off when not needed again. This resulted in the ride home providing a lot of tingling... instead of pain! We both still wince when a tire hits a bump or hole, but that's habit. Steve felt so well that he decided we'd head out to his current favorite restaurant and have a nice late lunch. His optimism led to a bit of over-reach, using muscles too long ignored, and exhausting him. PT is definitely going to be needed!
It also meant that the implant was working overtime once he sat in his recliner, and lying down didn't help at all. So we made what we hope is both first and last call to the tech guy, who is both smart and experienced enough to expect that kind of thing. He helped Steve change the power level to a lower point where it no longer was too strong but still knocked out the pain. The new plan is to power it back up when he's active, and back down for sleep.
This morning when he came out to the family room he was delighted to announce he'd just had the best sleep he's had in years, and several times today he's announced to others he's not felt this good in four years!
Next comes fishing !!!!!!!
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