Saturday, October 3, 2009

I Luv My Occipital Stimulator


Headaches Diminishing

I love my occipital stimulator. Already my body is forgetting what non-stop 24/7 high level head pain was like. I don't even notice the stimulator sensation anymore unless I purposefully pay attention. Just like in the infomercial I "Set it and Forget it!!"

I still have pain flareups the stimulator doesn't help, but my daily constant head pain is down to about a three on my pain scale. This is less than it was a month ago, and I hope by the time six months post implant I will be down to a zero on the pain scale.

If I turn it off, the pain starts escalating within the hour. I seem to have about a half hour grace period where the stimulator still is effective when its off. I would love to be one of those people who actually become cured by using this, but my few trials with turning it off have all resulted with an increase of pain so I am not going to try again until after the six month mark. From the literature I have read concerning these stimulators for the type of headache I have (hemicrania continua) that maximum benefit may not be reached until six months of constant use.

I am so much better than I was last year at this time. I was getting desparate, knowing that I was not hardly able to think, let alone work with The Headache. The indomethacin was helping but I never really got to a therapeutic dose because The Belly interfered. I'm glad I went my own way and got a stimulator installed and didn't pay attention to the naysayers around me (including my own insurance company). Heaven had to be on my side, since I am the last person accepted into the study.

Still not eating much, but feeling better. Thank heavens the belly is behaving - as long as I don't try to eat that is... Hunger must be why I was thinking of the Rotisserie "Set It and Forget It" oven...


6 comments:

  1. I am so glad you are having such positive results with the stimulator. I hope you continue to get even better results.

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  2. I hope so too! I fear that The Headache will find a way to overcome the stimulator effect just like it did medications...

    Now if they just had one of those things for my pancreas.......:D

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  3. That sounds cool! Im glad it is working for you. I need one for my whole body (stupid fibro pain)

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  4. Wishing for a magic stimulator for everybody's hurts...

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  5. Winny,

    I'm happy to hear things are looking up for you, at least in the headache department. Good luck with the pancreas issues!

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  6. I guess when you are my age, you fix one thing and another one breaks... Running out of parts that work correctly! :(

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