Mark's Story

Mark, a 35-year-old New Hampshire resident, began feeling minor pain about 18 years ago. Over the next four years, it had developed gradually into a persistent pain so severe that it dominated his life and nearly cost him everything.

He sought the help of about two dozen medical professionals in various disciplines and exhausted an arsenal of treatments. The only treatment that worked for him was opioid medication at extremely high doses. "I was on so many," says Mark, "I was a drooling idiot."

Legally visually impaired from glaucoma, Mark was provided a service dog through the American Kennel Club (AKC). However, according to AKC regulation, Mark was not allowed to keep it if he was taking opioids. "My pain took away my independence. I was doing what I needed to take away the pain. But in that process, I had to give up my dog."

Mark's pain also prevented him from continuing his job as an AKC service dog trainer. To make matters worse, he and his fiancée separated and his fiancée assumed custody of their newborn daughter. "I wasn't able to be there," explains Mark. "I lost my daughter because of the pain."

Then Mark nearly overdosed. "I took my medication and the next thing I knew, I woke up in a hospital bed four days later," he recalls. "I was told I wasn't responding and almost died."

About two weeks later, Mark's physician presented him with a treatment called neurostimulation. "We had actually discussed it five years before, but the technology wasn't available to do what I needed it to," remembers Mark. His physician referred him to an interventional pain physician, who explained it further. After researching it heavily, Mark agreed to try it.

Since having his neurostimulation system implanted, Mark has eliminated all of his pain medications. He says his system relieves his pain completely and has allowed him to clear his head.

Mark will be getting a new guide dog and is again training dogs for the AKC. He is now able to spend time with his daughter regularly and has started a new relationship. "I'm doing what I used to and more," he says. "[Neurostimulation] has changed my life."


*The above testimonial is the experience of this individual only. It is an individual result and we do not claim that it is representative of the experience that all or most patients achieve and is not indicative of future performance or success.

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