here's something I got by way of update from Don:
The abdominal pain that felt like someone was pounding me in the ribs and stomach has been resolved.......thanks to two different steroid packs. I am still getting some "stimulation" through my ribs from the neuro-stimulator but my contact from St. Judes Medical (the company that makes the stimulator and makes adjustments to it) assures me that when I get totally healed that it can be adjusted out.
I have been able to get more restful sleep on most nights and the daytime pain is about half what it used to be. That alone has been a wonderful relief. Quite honestly, what I am hoping for is for them to be able to take my own stem cells and grow me two new discs so that they can be replaced sometime in the near future.
The neuro stimulator comes with both pro's and con's.......as most things do. Not having but half the pain is quite a relief but not something that I really want to live with the rest of my life........IF they can fix the problem and I can be even more pain free. I have managed to make it this far without any of their wicked pain pills........and that has been quite an accomplishment. The pain clinic that I go to is quite astonished that I'm not the "typical" patient that they see. They tell me that they admire my willpower and I tell them that I have no willpower on my own that I turn those kind of things over to someone much greater than I. They just don't understand.......but that's okay. They apparently haven't had anything in their lives that they have had to admit to themselves that they were powerless over..........yet.
I know we all who visit here wonder how folks in our prayers are doing, and pray that Don will not be offended that I shared what he told me via PM.
Don seems to have a handle on his issues and is trusting in the Great Physician, as well as the fine medical teams.
Topic: Surgery on Monday morning (Read 2300 times)
