More complications with my pain pump

[Senior Citizen]

Well..HELL!!!!!

Remember back 2-3 weeks ago I was having the spinal headaches from the leak of my spinal fluid at the point of the catheter(sp) and was in the hospital for 4 days..........

Okay, got the staples out after 10 or 11 days. The day after the staples came out both ends of the incision opened up about 3/8 of an inch. I kepts the incision as clean as I could, cleaned it two or three times a day with peroxide, betadine and put bacitracin and bandades on them. They both began to turn red around the "rim" of each hole.

My appointment to have the morphine injected into the pump was last Wednesday. The nurse is concerned about the redness and possible infection. In comes my doctor and his concern is I have an infection and it might/has worked it's way down to and around the pain pump which is only about 1/4 or 3/8 inches below my skin. I'm alergic to penecillin, so he puts me on 600 mg of Clendamycin twice a day and tells me to keep it really clean and continue to keep in covered and applying the bacitracin and come back yesterday. Said if it looked better he would put the morphine in the pump.

OKAY, here's the "well......HELL" part: went back yesterday and he said it looked the same or worse and talked about possibly having to go back in and "re-stitching" what ever he stitched during the implant surgery or possibly removing the pump completely. He put me on an additional antibiotic. 750 mg of Levaquin once a day and told me to clean/cover/apply bacitracin and come back in 2 weeks and he would know if it was going to heal on it's own or "other procedures" might be necessary.

Tomorrow will be 4 weeks that I've had this "thing" in me. I (and my darling little wife) have been through pure hell during this time and I still have to wait 2 more weeks for any possible hope of getting any benefit from this pump.

I'm posting this not to get sympathy, but to say something about the price of medication(s). My insurance company was billed $338.50 for 14 pills. My calculator says that's $24.17 each. DAMN!!

Last week while I was in my little home town drug store getting the Clendamycin, a guy I know that is "self-employed" was getting a 30 day supply of Valtrex. It was $430 and he had to pay that out of his pocket. He asked the drug store owner (who is a really great guy) if he cold buy a weeks supply at a time or make payments of a 30 day supply. Jack said sure, what ever works best.

How do people manage?????????????

Sincerely,
Lee

 

[BarbC]

Is the pain pump managing the pain at all? Is it worth going through this?

 

[2Loud4You]

Yeah, medication is crazy expensive! Thankfully my thyroid meds are generic so I get them for $4. If I had to pay hundreds of dollars or more per month for meds that would amke life pretty tight. A few years ago my ex said her bi-polar meds cost her $300+ a month and ins. wouldn't cover it. Ouch!

 

[FennRx]

do what all my patients do,go on welfare

 

[Senior Citizen]

Originally posted by BarbC:
Is the pain pump managing the pain at all? Is it worth going through this?

XXXXXXXXX
.
.
Barb,
I have yet to have any pain medicine put in the pump, from what I can understand...right now it is just pushing a small amount of sterile saline solution to keep the catheter(sp) tip open and to try to get my spinal sack used to having the tube and extra little bit of fluid in it.

It will be at least 2 weeks (if then) before I get the saline out and the 92 octane put in. So in a word, No. I have been through nothng but pain since the implant. The area around the perimeter of the pump (3.78") is very sore and easily bruised. You would be amazed (at least I am) at how much you lean on and bump into things with your torso. 'Course mine (torso that is)

sticks out more than most. Just bumping it with my elbow right now hurts like the devil.

I've read in/on medical chat rooms and places where people swear to high heaven about the ones they have implanted. I pray for my days like that to come and come soon.

SC

 

[Bassamatic]

Not to worry. The messiah is going to fix all this.

I think I would be discussing with your doctor the fact that if he had sewed it up right the first time "going back in" would not be necessary. Maybe he could meet you half way on the cost.

 

[Senior Citizen]

Originally posted by Bassamatic:
Not to worry. The messiah is going to fix all this.

I think I would be discussing with your doctor the fact that if he had sewed it up right the first time "going back in" would not be necessary. Maybe he could meet you half way on the cost.

XXXXXXXXX

Thanks, you are the 3rd person this afternoon to tell me all is well!

But please continue to put in a good word for me.

I'm pretty sure there was 2 doctors cutting, stuffing,tunneling and sewing on me. I and doctor think that the layer(s) of muscle that was sewn/stitched before the staples were put in were stapled between the incision. I swear (and he is pretty sure too) that part of the "matter" inside the holes was "string". There are 4 little ears on the pump that they stitch to tissue to hold the pump still until your muscle and fatty tissue can support it.

My insurance is pretty good. I have a $12 co-pay for office visits and only a $25 co-pay for hospital/out-patient centers. $3 and $9 on generic and name brand medications. The leviquin only cost me $9, but my insurance company was billed $329.50. Of course they'll only pay about half of it and the drug store will write off the rest.

Thanks again for words of encouragement. I need that a lot right now.

Lee