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Day one: Implantation.
I got the trial SCS (spinal cord stimulator) implanted yesterday afternoon (around 2:30). It was a painful procedure. Not crying painful, but close. Once the implant was in i went into a room with the Medtronic rep and we programmed it. It's like having massagers inside my body. Like I took my massage mat and put the mechanisms inside my body. What's super weird is that the lead is somewhat loose and moves around inside the epidural space (normal for a trial) so when I move, the lead moves and changes the stimulation.After we drove back to Dayton from Kentucky, where I had it done, we went to dinner with my in-laws. I got along just fine with it. My back it a bit achy from the procedure, but it's not the nerve pain. The device seems to be working.

Day two: The Next Morning.
Well, I could not sleep with the stimulator on. Every time I shifted position, and I'm very restless at night, it jolted me awake. The trial implant looks and works a little differently than the permanent. It's smaller, and moves about the epidural space as I move, so sleeping with the trial is out of the equation (unless I sleep in my La-Z Boy, which I may do tonight). When I first turned it back on this AM I did not like it, but now that it's been on 30 minutes or so I've adjusted, and it's kinda nice. I'm also not moving around at the moment, which helps, since it keeps the sensation steady. I'm getting ready to get up and start preparing for Shabbat, so we'll see how it does under those circumstances. Going from standing to sitting, which I do frequently, changes the sensation. On the permanent they say it heals in place after about 6 weeks, and the dramatic changes don't happen. Tomorrow I'm walking to the synagogue to test it out. If I can make it to and fro, and sit through services in reasonable comfort, then that'll be huge. The one big disappointment is that when the doc pulled out the (gigantic) needle used to insert the lead, it moved down just a tad, but that tad means only part of my back is covered, not the whole back. On the procedure table when they first tested it (before removing the needle) I could feel it in the back and it was soooo good. Kinda bummed it moved, but then again it's just the trial, the permanent one will be stitched in place.
-I had a busy afternoon/evening and the device worked fairly well on the legs, but not the back. I think if it were placed properly and not moving about in the epidural space, the back would have been much better.

Day three: Shabbat. I slept with the device on a very low setting as suggested by the clinician. I slept through the night without any problem, and awoke feeling pretty good. (except for a very sore shoulder, but that's unrelated) As soon as I ramped up the device I had to poop, urgently. The same thing happened yesterday morning. It usually takes a cup of coffee, sometimes two, before I go, but this stimulation sets that bodily function in motion. I have to turn it off to poop, and sometimes to pee if it's on a high setting. It takes about 30 minutes to get used to it in the AM after ramping it up. My back is still sore from the procedure, so that interferes with my ability to discern between nerve pain and procedure pain, but I have an idea. Walking to and from the synagogue was fine. On the way I had it set to high and it made it a bit difficult, but not painful. It's just harder to tolerate settings that control the pain well early in the AM. Before the walk back I'd gotten rather used to it and had it on a good setting. Sitting through services usually is very painful for my leg, and somewhat painful for my back. The device kept my leg relatively pain free. The back was in pain - partially because the lead moved when the needle was withdrawn and I'm not getting full coverage back there, and partially because I'm still sore from having the procedure. The feeling created by the device is much more comfortable standing/walking than sitting/lying, even with adjustments in amplitude for the change of position. I can turn it off and still feel OK, for a while - the after effects of turning the machine off are very pleasant. I'm pretty clear that having the device will not end my need for pain medication. There will be days where pain meds will be needed all day (days of high activity), and days where they will be used less. It seems the device and medications work hand-in-hand to provide total relief. Medication alone does not (usually) take away all my pain - it decreases it to varying degrees. The SCS seems to work the same way. If I'm inactive, the SCS works well, when I'm active it reduces pain, sometimes making it tolerable, sometimes...not so great. I'm definitely leaning toward getting the device.

Final Decision: I'm getting it. Tomorrow I meet with the surgeon for a "consult", I don't know why. I've already been approved by insurance and had the trial implant. What's to talk about? Cut me open and put it in! Anywhoo...unless some snag appears, I will *hopefully* be scheduling a surgery date tomorrow.