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Afraid to have VNS. Anyone had it?
Fri, 05/18/2012 - 21:31I have approx 5 C.P. seiz/month with no auras. My epileptologist recommended the VNS, but I'm afraid. I'm also afraid of having real brain surgery. Then I got the idea: Perhaps I'm hurting my brain more by continuing to have these seizures? I tried every AED. What do you think? Have you had surgery? What are the real consequenses of not having surgery? Any info will be of great help.
Re: Afraid to have VNS. Anyone had it?
Submitted by tcameron on Sun, 2012-05-20 - 17:53
Interesting that you mentioned cognitive and mood problems. Yep! Got them. I also have long-term memory loss. Special events that I've always wanted to remember....gone. Not only that: When at family events, my fiance will say something to another family member that seems 'out-of-line'. Instead of being offended, I often hear, "thank you for remembering that!" Talk about feeling stupid! I'm afraid I'll end up in a nursing home with early onset dementia at this rate.
Diagnosed in '76. 1 to 2 nocturnal seiz/year for approx: 10 years. Major concussion in '84 by getting hit by car while on bike. Other person's fault. In '91...seizure induced car accident. Lost license 6 months. '93...seizure in car, but able to pull off the road; no accident. Scared me away from my car. Since mid '90's I've had 3 seiz/month. This year, started having 5/month. Already wear a helmet, since I have no auras. I feel perfectly fine, then Boom! A bloody mess all over the floor.
Last week, I also developed a severe 2nd degree burn on the back of my R hand at my brother's house. They had front burner of the stove on. Drop attack. Then reached up and grabbed the burner w/ back of R hand. Now my whole family is afraid of what will happen next! I knew better than to be around a stove, but come on! One or two seconds can't hurt....yes it can!!! Should I tell my epileptologist or let him read it on my seizure diary...which he always checks?
Interesting that you mentioned cognitive and mood problems. Yep! Got them. I also have long-term memory loss. Special events that I've always wanted to remember....gone. Not only that: When at family events, my fiance will say something to another family member that seems 'out-of-line'. Instead of being offended, I often hear, "thank you for remembering that!" Talk about feeling stupid! I'm afraid I'll end up in a nursing home with early onset dementia at this rate.
Diagnosed in '76. 1 to 2 nocturnal seiz/year for approx: 10 years. Major concussion in '84 by getting hit by car while on bike. Other person's fault. In '91...seizure induced car accident. Lost license 6 months. '93...seizure in car, but able to pull off the road; no accident. Scared me away from my car. Since mid '90's I've had 3 seiz/month. This year, started having 5/month. Already wear a helmet, since I have no auras. I feel perfectly fine, then Boom! A bloody mess all over the floor.
Last week, I also developed a severe 2nd degree burn on the back of my R hand at my brother's house. They had front burner of the stove on. Drop attack. Then reached up and grabbed the burner w/ back of R hand. Now my whole family is afraid of what will happen next! I knew better than to be around a stove, but come on! One or two seconds can't hurt....yes it can!!! Should I tell my epileptologist or let him read it on my seizure diary...which he always checks?