Hello 👋

[SnowStrom]

Hello everyone,

It's been a while, thought I would pop in to say that after 4 years of waiting I finally got my pain relief gadget implanted onto my spine, which is welcome as I've been intermittently bedbound with a huge increase in the phantom pain over the last couple of years. All the hardwsre is in place and I have to let things heal up a bit before they turn it on and fiddle with the settings to try and find one that works best for me. If anyone wants to know how it works or needs some light reading to help with insomnia then you can read about it here.

Hope you are all doing well. I miss you!

Hev

[MartinW]

Hello RoboHev, it's good to hear from you and great to hear you've finally got that operation done.

It's August Bank Holiday Weekend, so it's a bit quiet on here!

If you do get Lisa Scott-Lee, can I have her afterwards?

[Joe Rocket]

Great to hear from you and you've been fitted up with a permanent gadget. Tinkering time then...... and some relief, permanently controlable? 

How's work fitted in since your graduation in all things old? Have you managed to get out and about?

We're no better here, you'll be pleased to know. 

[UK_Vstrom650]

Great to hear from you & pleased you finally got your pain relief - sounds like you've had a tough time waiting for it. Fingers crossed you heal quick & they dial it in for you. 

[Fat Rat]

Hello Hev,

We miss you too!

Come and see us, I want to be the first to say 'Go, go gadget' 

[Rusty Nuts]

Hiya Snowstrom, glad you've finally got the gadget. It's been a long gruelling ordeal for you. It seems like aeons since you and the glee parted company.
I really hope you can get more control over the pain now, it's physically and mentally draining when it just will not stop.
Make sure the controls have one of these fitted....

[porter]

Hi Snowstrom, I hope the implant works out for you, I know how debilitating phantom pain can be. Its amazing how things move on in 20 plus years. When I was at Stanmore a few of the blokes used cannabis and vodka to kill their pain!  My pain was bad for a few years but is OK now, still there but don't last to long.
Hopefully it'll work as you want it to. Good luck

[vstroman]

Hello Snowstrom,
Great to hear from you and I really hope this implant works out for you,
Such an awful time you have been through, wishing you all the best, fingers crossed for you.

[Hugo Magnus]

Hello again,
I wish you all the best with this wizardry. Do keep us informed. How many other patients have had this procedure? (or are you a Guinea pig?).

[Brockett]

 I hope it does the (pain relief ) trick  for you. Thanks for the update and yes, we miss you too.

[SnowStrom]

How many other patients have had this procedure? (or are you a Guinea pig?).

Hello Hugo this is not a new procedure, it's been around since the late 60s although they're fairly rare for my condition because there's not that many traumatic brachial plexus injuries compared to lower limb or back pain. This particular device is a brand new release though, the first in Aberdeen.

How's work fitted in since your graduation in all things old? Have you managed to get out and about?

I did a 2 year masters in Museum Studies at the University of Aberdeen when I moved up here (had my amputation just as I was finishing my thesis) but unfortunately the pain has climbed from the life-altering-but-doable 7s and 8s out of 10 that it was when I had the accident t a never-ending stretch of 9s and 10s. Am bedbound several days a week and it has become more crippling than losing the arm.

I'm moving back to Cornwall in October when I've recovered from surgery and packed the last of my things as the pain has torpedoed my relationship too (amicable split but 2 years in separate bedrooms because I kept waking him up with pain noises/crying in the night = fizzle out).

When I was at Stanmore a few of the blokes used cannabis and vodka to kill their pain!  My pain was bad for a few years but is OK now, still there but don't last to long.

I can guarantee with my luck if I tried to buy cannabis it'd end up being from an undercover cop >< Annoyingly for me, alcohol makes the pain worse. Probably just as well or I'd be an alcoholic too :D If you don't mind me asking, how old is your injury and did you stretch/compress/rupture/avulse your nerves?

glad you've finally got the gadget. It's been a long gruelling ordeal for you. It seems like aeons since you and the glee parted company.
I really hope you can get more control over the pain now, it's physically and mentally draining when it just will not stop.
Make sure the controls have one of these fitted....

It's been just over 7 years since the accident and 3.5 years spent waiting for fhis op. Pain is so exhausting when it's all day, every day. Today is my 2,624th consecutive day of phantom pain.

Alas the device only goes up to 10, I'd ask for a refund but I didn't keep the receipt 😁

[porter]

I crashed my new 800mile Fireblade on 17th July 1998 into a right turning car and trailer. Result was two broken wrists, two forearms and my pelvis. But the main injury was a brachial plexus lesion to my right arm. I avulsed two roots, top two can't remember the number now and  ruptured the next two, thankfully the last which I remember (t1) was OK so I can close my hand.
I was sent to  Stanmore in October that year for the nerve graft and was back and forward for 4-5 years for tendon swaps etc etc.
I can lift my arm to 90 degrees forward but I've no bicep or triceps so it sort of hangs there. But as I've a 50% normal hand I can work the twist grip OK but not the brake which is at my left thumb.
My pain was bad the first two years but died away a bit after that, but it's still there and can be bad after a long day on the bike, I don't normally get two days together as the pain is to much and I would say its getting worse as I age.
I really hope the implant works as there is nothing worse than constant pain.
I find if I move my arm and stoke it to stimulate the nerves the pain goes but I understand you can't do that .
Fingers crossed it work and you get some relief.

[user650]

Lovely to hear from you Hev , fingers crossed it works well for you, we miss you lots too.

[2112]

Great to hear from you again, fingers crossed this new gadget works out for you 

P.S. if you get the 'Spinal Tap' edition it goes up to 11...

[Ambergnat]

Damn! I need to check this forum more often!

Hi Hev, it's good to hear from you. 

I'm so glad you finally got the implant and I hope they find a setting which makes things bearable.

I'm sorry that the toll was so high. I thought that losing the arm was pretty shitty but I could see the sense in it and you did seem happier post-op (though that might have just been the kitties) and although you had explained the phantom pain, I had no real concept of how debilitating that is (probably still don't :/).

Here's hoping the wonderful southern sunshine brings some joy into the equation and (lack of gunt not withstanding) I'm sure our new Cornish borg queen will find a few willing drones admirers amongst all the historic doings down there

All the best,
David.