More than month I am still getting HIVES and ITCHINEES after Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) Implant

Bones, joints and muscles
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                              SPINAL CORD STIMULATOR

                    The 1st Surgery On Tuesday May 17, 2016

May 17th 2016 I was admitted to the Duke Hospital, Durham, NC to put in the trial version of the Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS). From the recovery room, I was being moved to a post surgery unit but the Head of the Nursing staff in this department didn't want to put my bed in that area!!

I just came from the recovery room after SCS Surgery, and I

couldn't even move from one side of the bed to the other, and I needed to go bathroom, but the main nurse refused to help me and instead argued with the person who brought me into the unit. Every time the head nurse came to my room with someone else or by herself she was poking my bandages to make sure I knew that she was the BOSS up here. When I complained about that to the nurse, she started to hurt me more and more.

The next day another nurse came and told me that she was supposed to give me a sponge bath and change my bed sheet, but she actually told me that she would not do it because she would rather do other stuff. There was a large blood stain on the bed sheet that was just sitting there for a long time and we felt as if I was just lying in my own blood. It was only after the person who was going to push my bed to their x-ray machine saw the blood that he decided to change the sheets for me, and he wasn’t even one of the nurses who were supposed to look after me. The day after my SCS surgery on 05/18/2016, I was in a lot of pain, I

was shivering uncontrollably and they would not give me extra blankets. I also had a 99.9 fever that seemed as if it was getting worse but the nurse forced me to leave the hospital. Me and my kids begged her to let me stay the night to get better and then leave the next day, but they kept trying to get me to leave.

One of the PA Doctors told me that it would be better for me to leave now,

because the hospital can only give me a certain amount of medicine every so often, but if I were to go home, then I can self medicate and take as much as I want! All I wanted was to rest a little longer, because I was in so much pain after the surgery, but I was forced to leave. The physical therapist was supposed to give us a walker before we left the hospital,  but he couldn't because he wasn't even aware that they were making me leave. The next day they delivered it to my home.

After the surgery, the only medicines I was taking were those prescribed to me by my surgeon, and I started to feel somewhat better after a few days.

               2nd Part of SCS Implant on Tuesday, May 24th, 2016

I went back to hospital so that they can remove the trial and then place the

internal battery inside my body into a pocket they made during the previous

surgery. I got discharged from the hospital with the same medications that I was prescribed from the first part of this surgery. The main difference between the two surgeries is that everything is set up internally. We had an appointment to return in two weeks time, so that they can remove my stitches and adjust the SCS.

The next morning, I woke up with a very strong burning sensation and a horrible rash all over my body including my eyelids and the inside of my mouth. My family and I tried to reach the surgeon or someone from his office/department, but we did not get a response until 05/27/2016. Out of the 6 medicines I was prescribed, I was told to stop taking 2 of those. I did stop those two medicines, but that did not help me at all.

We were trying to call the hospital, surgeon, surgeon's PA, or anyone from his staff, but we got no response from anyone after talking with them on 5/27.

A few days later, I started to feel as if the SCS was giving a strong stimulation to my hands, legs and feet, even though the machine was off. The feeling was strong enough to give a sensation of a large pressure, as if my blood flow was being cut off in those areas. And, the rash only seemed to be getting worse, my skin seemed to be peeling off wherever the rashes appeared, and we were worried that the rash might spread somewhere bad and cause serious damage.

We decided to see a doctor from Urgent Care, where they actually helped me, told me to cut off all my current medication and take Prednisone for the rash. We were still told that we should contact our surgeon to receive a new antibiotic treatment.

While the Prednisone seemed to help quite a bit, the rash just keeps coming back despite me being entirely off any medication.

No matter how many times we tried to reach the surgeon or his staff, all they ever did was transfer us to a voicemail that told us to not leave a message. Even the doctor from Urgent Care and the Technician for the SCS from Boston Scientific Co. tried to get in touch with them with no luck. To try to get their attention, I called the hospital to cancel my appointment to adjust the machine and remove my stitches. Despite

this, we still didn't get a response until after the appointment was originally

scheduled. The surgeon's PA told me that they only just found out that I

canceled my appointment, and then she lied that they tried to reach us often.

I had the stitches on my body for more than two weeks after they were supposed to be removed, and I got them removed at a local Urgent Care. It’s been over month and we still don't know why I am having this allergic reaction, but they are now trying to blame for everything on me !!!

I am afraid to go back to Duke for my follow up appointments. From

05/28/2016 I have stopped taking any medication, including ANTIBIOTICS, and I have barely touched the SCS with little to no change in my symptoms, but still they don't seem to care.

They just wanted to talked about stitches but not about WHY I AM GETTING HIVES OR WHY I AM FEELIG SO BAD ITCHING ALL OVER MY BODY !!!!!!!!

When I asked that maybe the metal, the battery is cauesing the problem ?

And surgeon said that I did had trial for week and nothing happened so now I can't blame the battery ( matel ) !!!!!!!

Today July 1, 2016 just find out that on the trial week, what I had it was plastic not metal. But when they implant the battery it's made out of metal call TITANIUM.

I recived the letter by FedEx on June 28, 2016 from my surgeon who did SCS surgery  saying that he decided to be no loger my surgeon any more !!!! And it's happened way after June 14, 2016 when I already told him that I can not trust him who said that NOBODY FROM HIS CLINIC, HIS OWN  PA GAVE ANY KIND OF IMFORMATION ABOUT MY ALLERGIES !!!!!!

I  AM STILL IN PAIN AND SUFFERING WITH THESE BIG ISSUES, AND NOBODY AT THE HOSPITAL CARES ABOUT IT.  DUE TO HEALTH INSURANCE I CAN'T SEE ANYONE OUTSIDE THE DUKE HOSPITAL FOR 3 MONTHS. SO I HAVE TO FIND OTHER DOCTOR IN SAME HOSPITAL.

PLEASE LET US KNOW IF ANYONE HAVE SAME ISSUES

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All I can say is wow...that is so messed up. These are surgeons. You need to sue this person. There is no ownership or compassion and these people are horrible. Did you go on patient review and see what others have said about this surgeon. I would write a letter to college of physicians and honestly things like this need to stop. If someone chooses to be a Dr a surgeon a nurse than compassion of helping and care needs to be the focus. I am so sorry you are going through this. Take a stand and do not stop until someone takes ownership.

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Are you in the U.S.?

4

True person,

Have you had any other surgeries? Like a fusion or any implants of screws rods of any sorts? Cause if this is the only foreign body you could be allergic to it. So sorry to hear about your experience seems very rude and just wow!!!

Good luck hope u find an answer

Cynthia (Cindy)

We are all Guinea pigs for these drs an PA's it unbelievable!! I feel your pain..

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My point being (about the area you live in) is your State should have a government body that would oversee the medical profession in the State. As far as suing someone, I would use that as a very last resort. Doctors tend to stick together. 

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I don't like to sue anyone. But the problem is that it's going to be 40 days after 2nd surgery and no help from surgeon, his staff or the whole hospital. And not only that, when I asked the surgeon, " Maybe the metal is causing all these problems because on trial the battery was outside the body not inside ". Surgeon's answer, " You did had one week trial and nothing happened and you telling me that the metal (battery) is causing theproblems ? "

Yesterday, I found out that the trial was not made of metal, it was made of plastic!!

My question is, why didn't the Surgeon know about this? 

My condition is very bad right now,  the stimulator, the battery is off and it will be 5 days today. All prescribed medicines for pain, including antibiotic and sugar medicines are stop taking from May 27, 2016 due to it's gives me strong huge hives and still i am getting hives. But nobody cares at hospital. What happens if they have to remove the SCS ?

There is no value of patient ? We are, the patients don't know anything about their tretments, they trust their doctors, surgeons, clinics and hospitals. The patients thinks that the doctors and surgeons are GOD for them. I am not saying that all doctors and surgeons are same.

Even someone want to sue them but who will take the case ?

                                  NOBODY

                             

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Cynthia70714,

Thanks for your concern about me, what I am going through. I really appreciate.

I have been through so many surgeries but not like this. This is the first and it will be the last too.

Maybe the SCS will be remove from my body and the reason is that the SCS is not on for 14 days and still gets hives, itching all over body, both legs feels so weak and top of all  these allergies, can't take any medications. 

 

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marie04822,

Hi, Yes I live in NC, U.S

 

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Forget about sueing him, I tried to talk to  head of neurosurgeons in hospital and they told me that " yes he is head of neurosurgeons but he does is only brain surgery so you have to find some one else !! " and she transferred me to some other number. From this number, I was told that she will find another surgeon who can help me with all these allergies !!! Guess what, it's more than 2 weeks anything happened yet.

I tried to get help from so called " HOSPITAL ADVOCATES ".

Here we go again, the head of this department asked what was my issue and I told everything, she was listening to me and in the end she said " I am so sorry to hear that. Now tell me how can I help you because we can't do anything else but we do listen patients and their visitors all problems, issues they have. That's it " .

Tried to talk to few lawyers but it's same thing, they do listen and in the end  " I am sorry what happened to you but I can't take your case " .

I wish I am not that old, I wish I am not that healthy, I wish my English maybe good than I can fight my case by my self.

But still I will try to find who can help me with all these.