Thank you for writing your wonderful story about the Botox Pump, I have
known success storys myself, but however I think that it needs to be pointed
out that it only does wonders if the follow-up care is there because you
need to stay on a definite schedule for your check ups and refills or you
will have problems. For us who have to depend on attentants scheduling and
getting us to appointments, they have to be on the ball more if we have
pumps.

Anthony

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Marilyn Zamarripa
  To: [log in to unmask]
  Sent: Friday, October 05, 2001 2:20 PM
  Subject: Re: Baclofen pump and botox


  I have a 16 year old daughter who has had both.  She was having a lot of
  spasms in her legs and 3 years ago they were so bad she could not sit in
  her wheelchair.  The only thing she could tolerate was a lazy boy
  reclined chair, so that is how she spent her last four months of 8th
  grade.

  The botox helped some, but not much.  She has had her pump in now for
  three years and once the medication was adjusted correctly (and we are
  still "tweaking it") she has been wonderful.  The doctor raised her
  levels in the beginning as fast as she could to get her relief.  The
  operation was fine and no complications.  The only problem she had was
  the test.  She could not sit up and bend over well enough for the doctor
  to get the spinal in correctly and therefore ended up with spinal fluid
  leakage.  This resulted in her having to spend several days lying down,
  otherwise she threw up!

  She has had botox injections not too long ago for some leg pains but
  they did not do a lot, and eventually came back.  The baclofen
  medication was increased and they are just about gone.

  It took a little time for her to adjust her body so as not to be too
  limp, but that is not a problem any more.

  Good luck with getting your pump ... or hockey puck as my daughter
  called it!  Let us know if you have any questions.

  Marilyn




  -----Original Message-----
  From: St. John's University Cerebral Palsy List
  [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tom Reed
  Sent: Friday, October 05, 2001 2:31 PM
  To: [log in to unmask]
  Subject: Baclofen pump and botox

  I would like to hear from anybody who has had either the balcofen pump
  implanted or either botox injection.  My new physiatrist is scheduling
  me
  for a test dose of balcofen given from a spinal tap in about a month.  I
  initially went to see him regarding botox, but he thinks a pump is
  perfect
  for me.
  --
  Tom Reed
  [log in to unmask]
  http://www.tjreed.com
  AOL Messanager: tomrcs
  FAX: 12402081489