This was not the usual type of appointment. Because the spinal cord stimulator is a very expensive piece of equipment and has about a 50% success rate, insurance companies want to ensure you are a good candidate for it and have no other issues that might impede its success. Prior to approving me for the stimulator trial, my insurance company required me to undergo a psychological evaluation.
I showed up at my doctor's office and completed a questionnaire. Then I met with a psychologist who also specializes in pain management that they bring in specifically for patients who are contemplating spinal cord stimulators. The purpose of the meeting was two-fold: to ensure I understood how the stimulator worked and what it would do, and to determine whether I had any related psychological issues that needed to be resolved prior to receiving the stimulator to increase its chance of success. After discussing the questionnaire, my medical history, and the procedure, she determined that I was a good candidate. And that I know the difference between my foot feeling like it's on fire and my foot actually being on fire.
I'm not sure if she made a determination regarding my ability to exercise good judgment, but after the appointment, I immediately got into the car with my patient, long-suffering husband (fresh from his epidural injection yesterday afternoon) and made a six-hour drive. We decided several weeks ago to apply for the global entry program that allows travelers to go through expedited security and customs processes when flying commercially. Part of the application process includes an interview with customs personnel. The closest airport with available interview times prior to our upcoming vacation was three hours away, so off we went.
It was a relatively easy drive with little traffic and we arrived well before our interview time. Fortunately they were running ahead of schedule, so they got to us almost immediately. It was pretty anticlimactic. First, they showed us a short video that briefly explained the program. Then they looked at our passports and driver licenses, took our fingerprints and photos, and explained in more detail how the program works. The entire interview process took less than ten minutes and we were back on the road prior to our scheduled interview time. So I was two for two.
The trifecta would have been another sub-7 day, but I didn't quite make it. I think the events of the last few days finally caught up to me. By tonight, I was at a 7.5, although I'm surprised it wasn't worse and the color is still much better than it has been. Two out of three ain't bad.
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