Luella T*

Wasilla, Alaska resident Luella has always had a love for the outdoors as she enjoyed activities such as fishing, snowmobile riding, four- wheeling, gardening, and traveling. So needless to say, she was worried when severe pain threatened her mobility.

Like many chronic pain patients. Luella's pain came about after surgery following an automobile accident in 2000. Unable to carry out normal daily activities such as working, sitting, driving, and riding in a car, Luella became dependent on her family for help. She tried surgery, physical therapy, and pain medications to find relief but was dissatisfied with her outcomes. Just when she felt like she had exhausted her options, her surgeon suggested that spinal cord stimulation (SCS) might help her.

Though she was hesitant at first to try SCS, she realized she could not be satisfied living in pain. Her concerns about having to use pain medications over the long-term helped her make her decision. Once Luella received a rechargeable SCS system from SJM, she felt she had a new lease on life.

In Luella's words, "Without this device, I would be in a wheelchair. Instead, I'm fishing with my family. I also have been able to go on vacation which has been a dream that I did not think was going to ever happen again." When asked if there was anything she would like to say to other pain sufferers who are considering SCS, she said, "I pray that they seek out people like me that have had this done and find a good pain doctor that understands this [SCS] device could change your life."