@mmalone1804 Like you say, when inquiring about pain pumps the tendency is that you’ll hear all the horror stories first. The success stories on the other hand are a lot harder to find but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. There are tens of thousands of chronic pain patients like us who now have much better quality of life because of these pumps. The absolute most imperative piece of advice I always give anyone contemplating getting a pump is to find the absolute best neurosurgeon you can find with a proven track record of successfully implanting and placing pain pumps. If it is not placed correctly and if the catheter isn’t placed right on the exact nerve which causes you pain, it simply won’t work. Secondly you need to find an equally proficient pain management doctor to program and service your pump. This is a millimeter sport which requires an extreme amount of “fingerspitzengefühl”; one millimeter of wrong placement of the catheter and you will experience zero relief. I cannot stress enough how imperative it is to try and find the absolute best specialist in this field before you decide to get the implant.
Also when you get this implant you get an implant card to put in your wallet. On that implant card they list your designated pain management doctor’s cell phone number. So in a way you are stuck with this doctor as your pain pump specialist so you’d better off actually liking and respecting this doctor. Because this tech requires close cooperation and sound communication in order to make it work. In the beginning after the actual implant operation is done, you will likely have to see this doctor once a week to titrate the medication. Given this frequent contact with your doctor it is imperative to both like and trust this person. So please make sure to do your due diligence BEFORE you get this implant. A pain pump can be a blessing and a life saver when done and operated right, but it can also very easily become a complete nightmare, especially when you don’t like or respect the doctor managing it. Wishing you all the best and I hope you get this pump and get the relief you need. Just be patient, it can take some time to get to that point, but as long as you trust and like your doctor and trust the process I think you’ll be fine.