Things to Concider Before Getting VNS

Today I want to share some thing you should concider before you decide to ge a VNS implant. The reason for this post is because when I heard about this amazing technology I want to get this procedure done right away. I did not way the pros and cons of the recovery process. Now you might be asking, John do you have any regrets? I would have to say no, I have a lot less seizures than I did before. I used to have about 25 -50 seizures a week now I only have about 5-10 a month wich is great.

There has been things I have to endure on my way to this piont.

So here is a list of things to cocider before making that choice to get VNS.

1. Pain for about two weeks at the incision pionts

2. Stinging sensation wnen divice is first turned on.

3. Horseness of vioce and shortness of breath depending on divice settings

4. High amounts of electric stimulation everytime the impulse generator is turned up by your doctor.

(this may be painful depending on the settings)

5. Your doctor may have to up the dose of stimulation according to the amount of seizure activity. The more seizures you are having the higher the amount of electric stimulation.

There are others factors besides these ask your doctor for free DVD and Guide about VNS.

Epilepsy and Every Day Struggles

With epilepsy I struggle every day, even after my VNS surgery. I still have seizures almost every three to five days. Now that I have the VNS the electric shock is juiced up very high leaving me burned out and tired. I am still having problems with incontinence, I go through about 4-5 adult diapers a day. Plus when I go to sleep at night I wake up wet in the morning. I because of this I have had to ask for help for my icontinence products from medicare and medicade. This has been very helpful. Even though I have the VNS I am still on a lot of medication, this may be a contributing factor to my sleepyness and my depression. Another thing I hate is being home alone while my wife is at work and my so is at work. This doe not make me feel very safe, and at times I feel very lonely. In the last five weeks I have had 16 seizures. Right now my neurologist has my VNS implant adjusted to 1.2 volts wich is low dose of stimulation, but for me it is very painful. The highest dose is 5.1 volts  wich I hope I don't have to go that high because this is already to painful for me. I know I will have to endour some things to get this adjusted right, it's just a long road to recovery for me.

Electric Brain Shock

Well it's been about three months now since my VNS surgery. I have had three  adjustments to my implant for the stimulation. With each time I go the electric stimulation seems more and more intense. I am really hoping that they get the dose to where it needs to be soon. I was just in the ER for seizures this last weekend and today I had to go back for another adjustment. This time the stimulation was so strong it literally floored me. Later on I had to use the magnet to stop a seizure and it felt like my brain was being completely electrocuted and cooked inside my head.  I almost wanted to cry it was that bad. I have felt tired and dizzy all day. Now the maximum level of stimulation is about 5 and I'm not even there yet. I'm only at about 2.5 and it's almost unbearable now. Now because the seizure activity I am wearing the helmet again.

The Scars Left Behind

Scar on my chest from VNS surgery

One thing a person must consider when getting any kind of surgery for epilepsy is scars weather it be brain surgery or VNS. Once you've had a procedure   

Neck scar after VNS surgery

done your stuck with not only the physical scars but also the scars of the outcome results. I will tell you that in my opinion there is no cure for epilepsy or any other seizure disorder. These types of procedures just makes it easier for people with seizures to make it through life. I had the VNS implant  surgery just this year, and my experience has been that I have less seizures, but I do feel burned out and tiered from the stimulation. So even though my seizures are less frequent I still have to deal with a few seizures still and fatigue from the stimulation of the VNS. So sometimes I wounder if this was worth the physical scars left behind on my chest and neck. I've only had this device  for about a mounth or two so only time will tell.