bad backs was: least expensive flying

[Tri-Pacer[_3_]]

>Dear Paul,

>I wish to hell I knew how to put the damn thing on! On the advice of
>my sister, who was



Hi Bob:

When the PT gal at the VA gave me the machine she gave me some handouts.
Here are links to what she gave me.

http://healingtools.tripod.com/BS_electplace.html

http://www.thomasamckean.com/gallery/albums/documents/tens.pdf

http://cerebrex.com/tens.html

She stressed that the electrode placement be diagonal. That is if the 4
electrodes are placed in a square surrounding the most painful area, that
set one be placed upper right and lower left, and set two lower right upper
left so the current passing through the area will do so in an X pattern.

I have to have my wife place the electrodes, assume the position I was
taught (on my back with my legs elevated and resting on a chair or coffee
table so I'm in a sitting position but flat on my back) then 30 minutes on
the machine.

Yes it does help the pain. No it does not help the weakness and numbness in
my legs and left arm.

I do have to say that when I retired in 1975 the VA left me with a bad taste
in my mouth.

Being a recent arrival to San Diego, I enrolled in the VA on the advice of a
friend. Balboa would only offer emergency treatment. What a difference !
Clean modern facilities, courteous treatment, competent staff.

Good luck on your ongoing ordeal with the medicos.

Cheers:

Paul

[cavelamb[_2_]]

Tri-Pacer wrote:
>> Dear Paul,
>
>> I wish to hell I knew how to put the damn thing on! On the advice of
>> my sister, who was
>
>
>
> Hi Bob:
>
> When the PT gal at the VA gave me the machine she gave me some handouts.
> Here are links to what she gave me.
>
> http://healingtools.tripod.com/BS_electplace.html
>
> http://www.thomasamckean.com/gallery/albums/documents/tens.pdf
>
> http://cerebrex.com/tens.html
>
> She stressed that the electrode placement be diagonal. That is if the 4
> electrodes are placed in a square surrounding the most painful area, that
> set one be placed upper right and lower left, and set two lower right upper
> left so the current passing through the area will do so in an X pattern.
>
> I have to have my wife place the electrodes, assume the position I was
> taught (on my back with my legs elevated and resting on a chair or coffee
> table so I'm in a sitting position but flat on my back) then 30 minutes on
> the machine.
>
> Yes it does help the pain. No it does not help the weakness and numbness in
> my legs and left arm.
>
> I do have to say that when I retired in 1975 the VA left me with a bad taste
> in my mouth.
>
> Being a recent arrival to San Diego, I enrolled in the VA on the advice of a
> friend. Balboa would only offer emergency treatment. What a difference !
> Clean modern facilities, courteous treatment, competent staff.
>
> Good luck on your ongoing ordeal with the medicos.
>
> Cheers:
>
> Paul
>
>

I've got one of those.

It's kind of a love / hate thing.

I hate it when I have to use it, but when the bones pop out of place and the
muscles lock them down that's about the only thing that helps.



Richard

[[email protected]]

Thirty-seven years after the stairway collapsed under me and two
surgeries, I'm almost ready for a wheelchair again. I've got one of
those mobility scooters reserved for me at Sun n' Fun and I plan to
bring my personal one to Oshkosh in the motorhome.

That is, if the implantable Spinal Neural Stimulator (SNS) doesn't
work out. I've been going through the vetting process to get one for a
couple of months. As of now, I'm scheduled for my final office visit
to evaluate a new CT Scan on April 15th. and to begin a trial of an
external stimulator unit which uses needle-implanted spinal
electrodes, on May 1st.

If within 10 days the trial unit works, I will get a fully-implanted
unit soon after. The battery is recharged via induction using an
external battery charger every few weeks and the pulse width,
amplitude and frequency is adjusted with a wireless remote control.
One turns the unit off when sleeping or operating machinery. If
everything is okay, it will mean minimal or zero pain drugs! It is
difficult to fly airplanes when doped up on Fentanyl or Lyrica.

Bob, believe me when I quote Mr. Klinton, "I feel your pain!". Matter
of fact, I feel yours, Jim's in NC, Dan's, Big John's, and a lot of
others in Calcutta. You know that Commander Spock? The one who doesn't
feel pain? I get his.

I sincerely wish that one of your considered remedies works. Surgery,
I agree, is a crapshoot at best. The last gomer who cut on me
shouldn't be allowed to work on 2-stroke helicopter engines! Oops,
sorry. Thread drift there. :)

Rich S.

[Bob Hoover]

Cheeezzz! I had no idea I was hanging out with such a buncha crips!

-------------------------

But as for a Reality Check... I visited my first-ever Pain Doctor.
Mr. Jason M. Miller, M.D., of Pacific Pain Medicine (@ 3998-108 Vista
Way, which usta be the old optical shop on the front lawn at Tri-City
hospital. We got there @ 1000... for a 10:30 appointment. Dr. Miller
showed up at 11:15, gave us a few minutes of his time. Basic Question
was 'Why are you here?"

Apparently being in pain doesn't count. (Seriously folks, you gotta
work with me here.)

Basically, we're there because my cancer crew wants to be sure they've
touched all the bases. After chatting with Dr. Miller I think it's
fair to say we have.

There is one procedure that has not yet been tried on the Lab Monkey.
That is Facet Joint Injections. So we're gonna try that.
Prescriptions & letters are being exchanged as we speak...

In the meantime I'm going to work up a more extensive TENS trial,
using a bigger Position Array than before, and a bigger -- a much
bigger TENS unit matrix. Before (circa Aug 08) I used only four
Positions and the electrical adjustments were pretty much random.
Bottom Line: When it offered no relief I sought other means, found
them, and abandoned the TENS unit. Now I'm steaming under different
orders.

I'll use a 4x5 matrix for Position and Double-Series Sequence for
Electrical. (Double Series: Coarse and Fine. Coarse to identify one
range within four ranges, in which I feel SOME effect. Fine to try
and identify one setting within a virtually infinite range of
adjustments.

Shouldn't take more than a year or two :-)

Seriously, I'm dealing with some major Ow-ies here. I'm sure I can
obtain a CHEMICAL solution to the pain -- and equally sure it will
turn me into a zombie with a perpetual smile. No pain but no gain.
And I need the gain to keep from going postal.

Using a TENS unit offers a possibility of finding a non-chemical
solution to the pain.

I'll post the basics on my blog, including pictures of my lower back
artfully divided into a Pain Grid. My wife is already laughing.
Maybe some of you are too. But if you've any suggestions they would
be appreciated.

-R.S.Hoover