I had a spinal surgery on 07/09/01 for degenerative disease at L4/L5 & L5/S1. I had a Stephe plate implanted at that time. My life was forever changed this day. I was diagnosed very shortly afterward with "failed spinal surgery", RSD and chronic pain since this day to present. I've been on oral meds for going on 9 yrs this summer. In 2002, I had a DCS implanted, which helped greatly with "masking" the pain, but never taking the pain away. Still with the DCS and oral meds, I had to end a 28.6 yr career. Having this chronic pain has changed my life immensly! When I was offered the chance to have the DCS implanted, I was given the choice of the DCS or the morphine pain pump. I was scared to death of the word "morphine pain pump" and quickly assumed that with this, I would get "addicted" to the morphine and wasnt sure I wanted to go that route. I choose the DCS (dorcel column stimulator). It helped somewhat with the RSD in the left leg, but not so much with the pain in my lower back. After going through so many batteries, new updated versions, etc...in Sept. 2009, I had to have it removed due to scar tissue and an issue of the 16 leads sitting on nerves thus creating even more pain. I spent 80% or more of my day, laying in bed. Along with my oral meds, I also have been on the fentanyl patch for 8 yrs. In March 2010, I had a severely painful blocked bowel, that the surgeon thinks was "partly" to blame on all the oral pain meds that I have to take along with my pain patch. Again, my pain Dr. said I would be a perfect candidate for the morphine pain patch. He feels that this would greatly lessen the chance of a re~occurance of the excrutiating blocked bowel! I researched information, watched the DVD and felt "prepared" to go ahead with the morphine pain pump implanted. This past Thursday, I had the trial done. I have to say, I was extremely, pleasantly surprised! I was kept at the hospital overnight for 23 hr observation, to which I had never thrown up so much in my entire life! Which I understand that this could have happened, because of the change from fentynal to morphine and the side effects of being without my patch along with the dosage of morphine being "adjusted". I understood this and was still ready to procede! The following day I couldn't believe how I felt! I literally went from a constant 9 to 10 (on the pain scale of 0-10) for the last 9 yrs to an easy 2 or 3! And this was just the trial! Somewhere around 2am the following morning......I woke up to an intense pain like no other!

I realized that I had fell asleep and didn't put my pain patch back on, did not take my usual does of night med's because I felt the morphine was still going and didnt want to "overdose", well, everything wore off and now I realized what it felt like to be with NOTHING! I have often asked my husband that I'd been on meds, patches and DCS's for so long, that I wondered what my pain level would be without all of them. I quickly found out! It felt like there was a little person under the PBS (portable blanket support that my husband made for me that holds blankets off of my RSD leg) with an ice pick stabbing my leg, back and neck! That was this morning, now with my oral med's taken, my patch re-applied, my follow up appointment is the 27th to schedule the surgery for the implant. I've waited over a year for it and now, I'm half excited and half scared. I'm not sure which feeling is more over powering at this point. The difference in the pain level was unbelievable! I wished I would have had it done a long time ago. I don't know anyone that has had one. I was directed to this site by a friend and after reading a few of the post, I'm still happy with my decision, but its still scary! I'm looking forward to those days of 2's and 3's after so many many years of 9's and 10's! I'm glad my friend directed me to this site ~