Reply To: Spinal Cord Stimulator – Part 6

[ross49]

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Using the dreaded linear pain scale as a simple example, he explained that although my perception of pain might drop from 10 to 5 in the short-term, my “5” would return to being my “10” after a while. I took this to mean that even a reduced level of pain would still appear huge when judged against normality. He said that this was so and advised me to be ready for this oddity. I said OK, on the grounds that any decrease in the symptoms would be welcome.

A year later I would say we were both right, and I’m glad the op went ahead.

I gained several things. The propensity to severe spasm in my stump left me, and I was relieved of symptoms like total pain if exposed to a draught, or any touching around the right side of my neck (good news on the haircut front!). For the first time in 13 years I am able to sleep on my left side instead of just my back. I can’t begin to describe how good that is!
I no longer feel the whole phantom limb at my side – somehow the pain of my phantom hand, crushed in the accident, has become locked up in the stump and is far more manageable. I can walk more upright and there was one more good bonus. For years I had found that a few tokes of cannabis was the best antidote to the spasming. The down-side, however, is the psychological effect of doing this. Health, legality and cost are also obviously detrimental, and I’m happy to say that I haven’t had to resort to this ever since the op.