SCS Trial - Surgery Day (1/5)
- Kim Bryan
- Feb 7, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 16, 2020
"Today is a New Beginning"
That is definitely the understatement of the year so far. Today I had my surgery for my Spinal Cord Stimulator trial. Basically, they are shoved a bunch of wires all up in my spine and taped all the hardware and batteries to my back. We will know within a few days if this is going to help me. And if it does - which we are super praying is the case - I will go back in to get it all installed (for lack of a better word). In the permanent installation, the wires are sutured to the spine and the batteries and all the parts are set inside my body and then I get sewn back up. Once that heals, it just becomes a part of me and I would have a non-chemical way to alleviate my incessant, ineffable pain.
Yesterday, I had a small attack of anxiety. I have been wanting this trial for months now, but as the date approached, I became more nervous. I compared it to the excitement of having a baby and then realizing you have to actually push that baby out. I banished myself into my bedroom and laid with our puppy for an hour to calm my nerves. Dogs can be do therapeutic.
The morning of surgery, I left early with my driver and Marcus got the kids ready for school and then drove over to the surgery center. I was all nerves and jitters until he walked in the pre-op room. He calms me so much. He is my rock. We sat and laughed about ridiculous things until it was time for me to go in.
I was awake for most of the surgery. I had serious pain that made me cry out during the placement for my leg, so the anesthesiologist gave me some fentanyl. I am pretty sure I took a little nap at that point, dozing in and out of sleep, while they placed both wires. They kept asking if I could feel the buzzing in my arm and leg. It took a while before I could feel it in my leg, but finally got to where we needed to be for both. Then they taped me up with yards and yards of tape on my back. There was padding where the wires were protruding from my back, and when I got into the post-op room, I was set up with my battery pack and he started the stimulation!
I met my rep, Jaron, who works for Nevro, which is the brand of SCS that I have. He was beyond knowledgeable on each step of the process. He was in the operating room, making sure the SCS was reaching the right parts of my body at the right strength. After surgery, he gave me my remote to control the system. And, as he put it, it looks like a Fisher-Price toy. My first thought is "oh shit, because I have four kids who constantly fight over remote controls". Note to self: if this works out, I will need a protective case for my remote!
When I left the appointment, Jaron told me that I could call him any time if I needed to. That made me feel much more confident than just going home. I was set on a specific program and level when I left, and told to up the level by one about six hours later.
Well, I am home and it went well. My robo-journey has begun! It was totally the weirdest medical thing I've ever done. I am feeling ok right now but they used numbing stuff and gave me fentanyl, so I'm pretty good pain wise for a couple more hours. They said I should already start feeling better tonight with the effects of the SCS!! I have a TON of tape on my back, a belted battery pack, a neck brace, and a remote control. I'm kinda slayin' it style wise!
Having my best friend with me was the best! Marcus keeps me calm and makes me laugh. I was a nervous wreck without him around. And, they gave me so much information at once, that it was helpful to have another person listening. We will know by Friday afternoon what the next steps are!
I was told by the doctors "No B.L.T.s" aka Bending, Lifting, Twisting. And now I am ready for bed and staring at it like how the eff am I supposed to get in without B.L.T. ?!?!
So if you have can pray, well wish, good juju, and/or finger cross everything goes smoothly today, I would really appreciate it! And a huge thank you to my tribe of people for all the help with the kids, supplies for recovery sent via amazon, cheerful flower delivery, meals, love and support! I'm ready. God's got this!
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