I am rather sore today and it feels really weird to have this tube hanging on the outside of my body and the battery pack is rather large and heavy and falls off my pants all the time. I think that companies forget that women to don’t wear the same type of pants as men and the batter cannot be clipped on them as well. Another issue is that I can’t wear anything but soft stretchy pants or it hurts real bad so that makes the size of the external battery even worse.
Here are some lovely pics of the back of my hip and the battery pack.
I have to keep a log of everything I eat and drink and when I use the bathroom and how much the urge is etc. So far since I got this yesterday there has been no change. I drink, I pee, that is pretty much it. If i drink 10 ounces of water I pee about 3-4 times within an hour and a lot. I hope that this eventually works because it will be a real bummer if it doesn’t. I did do some research yesterday and saw a lot of laces where it said it can take a few days to over a week for people to notice changes so am hoping that in a day or so I will see some.
Other problems is that I can’t bend over, or OUCH! I can feel the leads pull and I feel like I am bleeding everywhere where the incision is. My 4 year old is being bribed with an extra Christmas present from Santa if she does all my bending over the next couple of weeks. So far so good.
Will keep you posted on my progress!
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1 2 Next »Wow, the battery is huge! Can't imagine we're miniaturizing everything and here comes that big surprise. How are you feeling right now? Hope you're doing great. It's been 5 months, right? I'm doing my research about depuy asr recall and ended up reading your blog. lol I guess both subjects talked about surgery. Ciao!
Tim:
It has been 6 months now and I feel great and its working wonderfully. I don't even notice it anymore and can't feel the impulses at all!
Hi Tawna,
So glad to hear it's working for you! I'm on day 10 of the trial, and wasn't too sure.. but 3 days ago they changed the setting and I'm thrilled, my frequency is so reduced!
I'm 10 days post op the trial, and feel just fine, except the annoying wires. I've had a lot of surgery the past 2 years (all pelvic) and just ready to get on with my life!
I go Monday for the perm implant, how was your post op for the final? Was it pretty much the same as the trial? Has it effected your bowels in ANY way? I have trouble having a BM, and doctors think this might help this area as well as the bladder.
Thanks!
Tinker:
Honeslty the recovery fromthe second surgery is so much better. I was up within a day and working out again after 2-3 weeks.
I used to be miss constipated queen and for some reason, since the implant, I am not anymore.
I heard, not sure if its true, that they may be testing the implant for constipation issues. So for me it has helped with that too.
I don't feel it anymore at all. Every once in a while I may get a small ache in my hip.
Also, I played with my settings. I tried them ALL to make sure I had my perfect setting. So don't get discouraged if you have to play around with it for awhile to get it right.
Keep me posted on your progress!
Thanks Tawna, you're the first person I have been able to chat with, all the other forums seem like the are from long ago!
That's super encouraging, can't wait to get rid of these wires! It is true about the constipation - FDA just approved it for bowel issues, both constipation and incontinence.
When you say you played around with your settings, how? I have the portable box, and the Medtronic rep has changed it a couple of times.. this 3rd time, it is just wonderfully noticeable! I'm not prefect, and I still pee a lot more than a lot of people, but 50% less often than I was - which is just so nice. I just hope it stays working!
Oh.. and I need to ask, where exactly did you feel the sensation? Was it midline, or off to one side? I definitely feel it off to one side, which I guess is fine because it is working... just concerned that I had to tell them what I was feeling and where, kinda like getting eye glasses! LOL.. you don't always know what is the "best" area!
I played with my settings with the permanent and not with the trial. When you get your remote, let me know and I can tell you how I did it. I was scared to move anything at first but after talking with others, I found that pretty much all of them played with their implant settings.
I feel it on my side too, my left since that is the side I chose for it.
I found I was turning it up to high when I kept having the sensation to have a BM but I would not have one. Then I had this really weird feeling, can't explain it, in the lower area. I got to anxious and turned it up too quickly. I went from a 3.5 setting all the way down to a 1.7 and now a 2.0 setting.
It really does take a few weeks to get the full effect of your setting.
I also noticed that my mind games would still make me go more. I had to quit thinking I needed to go in order for the implant to do its job.
If I drink a diuretic I am still frequent, but it's a diuretic, it does that. There are so many positives for me thuogh I do not even think twice about my decision.
Let me know if I can answer any more questions!
Tawna, thank you sooooooo much for all the info! This has really helped a lot, and I TOTALLY understand the mind games, it's weird the effect the mind does play, and I think once I get use to it,, I'll stop thinking about it all the time.
I'll stay in touch, the perm one goes in on Monday morning, and I'm very ready to get these wires out!
Tinker:
Good Luck and sending you good vibes and positive thoughts!!!!
Hi Tawna,
Surgery of part 2 was done on Monday - it was a breeze! I guess the doctor had everything already in place from the part 1, so all he had to do was hook up the transmitter.
Yesterday I was a it tender, but today - I really feel pretty darn good! (just tender to touch). I didn't even feel like I needed the pain med at all.
The night before surgery - was awful, up every hour to pee! The Medtronic rep said she hears that all the time. Yesterday AND today - I don't feel like it is working as good as the trial, but she said to give it a week before changing to a different program.
The remote has 4 programs pre-set by them, is that all the tweaks that we can do? They said something about the doctor's office being about to program more settings.. just curious, I'm an hour away from the doctors and hate the thought that I may have to run back and forth to find the right program.
Well definitely wait a week before you mess with the four options but I would definitely try them all for a few days, I totally did. I just had to know if another one worked better and I ended up back on the original setting.
It seems to not work as well as stage 1 in the beginning and I messed up and started turning it up way too fast and ended up having some really weaird sensations because of it. I then turned it way downs (per the medtronic rep) and slowly brought it back up and now I have it on about a 1.7-2.0 but I had it clear up to almost 4.0 before, and that is just way too high for me.
I peed all night the night before too that is funny. I really think it is just anxiety!
Your doctor can program it if you need to but my opinion is that they probably got the right setting from your trial and I think after the mental games slows down, it gets better.
Glad it went well. I only took pain meds the day of surgery and then non after that. I did like the ibuprofen daily for a couple weeks though cuz my hip would get a bit sore.
Keep me updated!