Anonymous,
I am sorry to hear you and your wife have been struggling with this for a decade. I'm happy to answer questions about the surgery. Dr. A did mine the way he did because he thinks that entry point (through the buttocks) provides the most unobstructed view of the nerves in question.
The surgery was 18 months ago, and while what I call my "background pain" (the constant pain that is livable, I guess, with pain meds) remains mostly unchanged, the horrible, make-me-holler-and-lose-my-balance, sharp electrical-type pains have reduced from multiple times a day to once or twice a week. That's a big deal, but not nearly enough. I am still at a 6 or 7 on a pain scale where 10 is "kill me now" on the oxycontin and oxycodone and a 9 without it. Unacceptable.
At my med appointment today, my NP asked me to think about the Medtronic implantable neurostimilator. He said what we're doing now isn't good enough, and that it's making him tired to watch me. (I like him, he's funny.) I'll try to write more about this soon...have videos from the clinic to watch about it.
I'm sorry I didn't respond earlier. I have ambivalent feelings about blogging (see my comment to Pearl on the last post). My husband said to me tonight that I should read my blog - people are talking to me. Hi, People. I am glad to find you here. Or, rather, I wish none of you knew to look for blogs about this, but given that you do, I am glad you are here.
Kate
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