“I wish I’d done it sooner.”
Kimberly was a substitute teacher and a blissful bride-to-be when she was in a car accident, hit from behind while at a complete stop.
She began to experience debilitating back pain immediately following the accident. Doctors prescribed treatments — including physical therapy, chiropractic work, acupuncture and epidural shots — but the pain only worsened over time, radiating into her neck, shoulders and legs.
She and her fiancé went ahead with their wedding, but it was a hard way to start the marriage. “My poor husband,” Kimberly said. “Even our honeymoon was difficult. And then, when we got home, we decided we had to put off having kids.”
Four Years of Pain
For four years following the car accident, Kimberly was unable to work. Even sitting, standing or driving for any extended period of time caused her extreme pain.
But Kimberly never gave up. She continued with the recommended therapies and took medication — both for her pain and for the mental anguish it caused, which included anxiety and depression.
After initial treatments did not provide enough relief, Kimberly’s doctor recommended spinal cord stimulation as an option, but Kimberly was unfamiliar with the procedure. “It sounded so serious,” she remembered. “I didn’t know what SCS would look like or what it would involve.” So there was some fear because of the unfamiliarity of the procedure.
“I wish I’d done it sooner.”
After four years of trying and failing to fully treat her pain, Kimberly’s doctor showed her the implantable pulse generator (IPG) of a neurostimulation device, explained how it worked and encouraged her to reconsider it as a form of pain management.
Kimberly read up on three different neurostimulation options and discussed them with her husband. They watched videos of patient stories. Eventually, they decided to give the Abbott Proclaim™ XR SCS system a try.
She knew the moment she did the trial for the Proclaim™ XR SCS system that this was the answer. For the first time, something worked to control her pain. She felt hope — that she would be able to work again, socialize with her friends, maybe think about having kids.
“I wish I’d done it sooner,” Kimberly said, after receiving the Proclaim™ XR SCS system. “Instead, I dealt with four years of pain.”
“We’re excited about our future now.”
With Abbott’s Proclaim™ XR SCS system, Kimberly estimates she experiences 80-90% pain relief.
“I can not only walk,” she said. “I can wear boots with high heels!” She’s also able to go on driving vacations, cook elaborate meals and take care of household chores such as doing laundry and walking the dog.
Kimberly was just 34 when she got the Proclaim™ XR SCS system and said it changed everything about her life. Now that she isn’t visiting doctors and therapists several times a week, both she and her husband have become more active. They’re going out, traveling and find they have more energy to do the things they enjoy. The couple is even talking about when to start a family.
Kimberly loves the recharge-free Proclaim™ XR SCS system. “For both of us, this has been wonderful,” she said. “We’re excited about our future now.”
YOUR STORY COULD CHANGE SOMEONE’S LIFE.
By sharing how THE Proclaim™ XR SCS SYSTEM has helped you manage your chronic pain, you can give others hope. Take a moment to tell us.
