Like many others my journey with pain started many years ago. Along the way i have had injections,ablation, PT ,accupuncture etc. At 74, I am struggling stil,,but able to endure my condition. In 2012, when my neurosurgeon told me I had reached the point of being inoperable i felt completely desperate. At that time I was a prisoner of oral pain medication and spent most of my time sleeping or awake in pain. Couldn't drive, or even sit through a movie with friends. Pain had completely dragged me into the vortex of suffering. After a trial of the morphine pump, I was offered the chance for a Medtronic pain pump. I had some apprehension and felt like I'd become a drug addict, but my tolerance to meds was quickly climbing to dangerous dosage levels. Addiction in my family has touched many people I love. Both my husband and my son died due to their addiction. I decided to have the implant due to the low dose and lack of increased need in my life for stability in my life. The di fference it has made in my life has been remarkable. I am now able to get out of bed amd start my day. I liken the transformation with this example: with the pump it's like central air conditioning, constant and temperate, with oral pain meds i was constantly going up to effective, then coming down and feeling little pain relief. Two years ago,i had my second pump implanted and in seven years, if Ii'm still here, will welcome my third implantation. I am forever in the debt of Dr. Thanki, my nuerosurgeon that gave me the chance to take back my life. I have had both hips replaced, left shoulder, left knee, rebuilt neck, and complete lumbar spine fused. Don't give up!