Phil's Story
Pain Ambassador; Drug Delivery Therapy
As an 18-year-old Mardi Gras partygoer visiting New Orleans, Phil suffered an accident that led to 12 surgeries and years of chronic pain.
"It was crowded at the party and going over the balcony seemed the easiest exit. It didn't look too far down to the street," Phil recalls. "I was a very coordinated athlete and so I stepped over the railing and dropped to the street below. Unfortunately, I landed in an unusual position with my heel hitting the rounded curb and fracturing the bone."
Coping with chronic pain
Throughout his 20s, Phil managed the pain in his heel with mild pain medications and an intense exercise routine. But as he aged, he needed stronger medication that produced intolerable side effects.
In his late 30s, Phil felt new pain that traveled down his legs. It was diagnosed as degenerative arthritis, likely tied to a back injury sustained in the fall from the balcony.
"All I could do was lie down," Phil says. "I reached a point where I didn't care about anything but pain relief. I would cry at the doctor's office. They were tears of fear. I didn't know where my life was going."
Discovering drug delivery therapy
One day Phil's sister shared an article she had read about the entertainer Jerry Lewis and the pain relief he experienced from neurostimulation. This therapy interrupts pain signals to the brain with mild electrical impulses delivered to the area near the spine.
He brought the article to his doctor, who thought Phil might be a better candidate for drug delivery therapy from Medtronic. Drug delivery is designed to manage pain by delivering pain medication to the space surrounding the spinal cord.
Living a full life with drug delivery therapy
In June 2004, at age 51, Phil underwent a procedure to place the pump that would deliver his drug delivery therapy. After the procedure Phil experienced some pain, but "the pain was from the surgery itself, not the pump," he explains.
While Phil did not have any complications, there are risks associated with the procedure. The most frequently reported problems following drug infusion system implant surgery include infection, spinal fluid leak, pump inversion, skin erosion, drug side effects, loss of therapy effect, and therapy that did not meet the patient's expectations. For a complete list of adverse events that have been associated with the therapy, please refer to the important safety information.
"Once that subsided, I couldn't believe the relief. I was able to sleep again. My pain score went from a 9 down to a 3. And when I was sleeping or sitting, I had no pain at all. I was a new person."
This story reflects one person's experience. Please bear in mind that the experiences are specific to this particular person. Not everyone will receive the same results as the patient in this story. Talk with your doctor about your treatment options.