I think Dr. van Praagh met his match in Rod and the two of them created the “A-team” – two patient men with a resolve to reach their goal! The surgery lasted 4.5 hours and Dr. van Praagh declared it was the hardest implant he had ever done in 16 years. The scar tissue extended throughout the entire “sweet spot” or ideal location in Rod’s epidural space. As he eased the leads in, van Praagh’s needle kept hitting scar tissue. Each ‘hit’ was extremely painful for Rod who was under partial sedation so that he could communicate intelligently with van Praagh.
Van Praagh took short breaks, re-assessed, and kept trying because he could tell that Rod had resolve to ‘hold on tight’. After 3 attempts, and two bent needles, the electrodes were finally in place in the epidural space and the receiver was implanted in Rod’s hip. The nurse practitioner indicated that it was “one hell of an operation”. The Nevro rep said that considering all the scar tissue, it was a successful implant and the leads were in the perfect spot.
At the end, van Praagh was exhausted and leaned close to Rod and said “I have the greatest respect for you. You are an incredible patient and only for you would I try so long…other doctors would have given up”. Rod said the probing and laying on his belly for 4.5 hours caused excruciating pain, despite attempts to administer IV pain control. Rod used the discipline of meditation to pull him through the moments between the painful ‘hits’ – he said he focused on the image Joya gave him of our family sitting together at the dinner table. We pray that the results will far outweigh the trauma of these hours of surgery.
Tomorrow Rod will have an x-ray in the morning and in the afternoon the Nevro technician will start up the system. It will take at least 24 hours for Rod to identify any changes in pain in the area that is covered first….within 3 days that area should experience full coverage….and then a new area of his body will be programmed in, etc…over the next 18 days.
Thank you so much for your words of encouragement and prayers for the work of this day!! God was truly present in the room...an important member of the 'A Team".
Van Praagh took short breaks, re-assessed, and kept trying because he could tell that Rod had resolve to ‘hold on tight’. After 3 attempts, and two bent needles, the electrodes were finally in place in the epidural space and the receiver was implanted in Rod’s hip. The nurse practitioner indicated that it was “one hell of an operation”. The Nevro rep said that considering all the scar tissue, it was a successful implant and the leads were in the perfect spot.
At the end, van Praagh was exhausted and leaned close to Rod and said “I have the greatest respect for you. You are an incredible patient and only for you would I try so long…other doctors would have given up”. Rod said the probing and laying on his belly for 4.5 hours caused excruciating pain, despite attempts to administer IV pain control. Rod used the discipline of meditation to pull him through the moments between the painful ‘hits’ – he said he focused on the image Joya gave him of our family sitting together at the dinner table. We pray that the results will far outweigh the trauma of these hours of surgery.
Tomorrow Rod will have an x-ray in the morning and in the afternoon the Nevro technician will start up the system. It will take at least 24 hours for Rod to identify any changes in pain in the area that is covered first….within 3 days that area should experience full coverage….and then a new area of his body will be programmed in, etc…over the next 18 days.
Thank you so much for your words of encouragement and prayers for the work of this day!! God was truly present in the room...an important member of the 'A Team".
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