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anyone had VNS?
Mon, 01/23/2006 - 07:40Topic: Surgery and Devices
hi,
I'm considering having VNS but i'm worried about ... well all of it really. I had surgery before and it didnt work so thats why I'm hesitant I think. Anyway I'd like to hear peoples VNS experiences, if you dont mind sharing them, good or bad. email me if you want or just post them.
Nick
Comments
Re: Re: anyone had VNS?
Submitted by Nick g on Tue, 2006-01-24 - 10:11
thanks guys, i'm still worried about it but i dont know why because I havnt heard any stories of bad experiences. im sure it must have gone wrong sometime. thanks for the re-assurance i'll let u know if i go ahead.
Thanks a lot.
Nick
Re: anyone had VNS?
Submitted by smurphy on Mon, 2006-01-23 - 09:41
My husband has had the VNS for about a year now. He has not been completely controlled by any mix of current medications. The VNS has reduced his seizures and has helped his outlook. He is a happier person with it. As mentioned in the other response, you do notice when the power is increased, but that goes away after a while. His voice changing does bother him a little, but not enough to remove it. It was well worth it for us. Hope it helps. Good luck
Re: anyone had VNS?
Submitted by txrhb1 on Mon, 2006-01-23 - 09:14
Hi Nick, I had the VNS implanted in October, so just about 3 months ago now. It is still to early to tell what impact it will have on either my seizures or chronic depression, but I have had no negative side effects from it. Like you, I was worried about it, but am glad I went ahead and did it. The surgery, for me, was very easy. In and out of the hospital in less than 5 hours, with very little "pain". I did have some discomfort from the incisions for a while, but I can't really say it was painful. I did have some pain in my neck for a day or so, but that was more from the way they positioned my head during the surgery. I have arthritis in my neck, so it aggravated that. They turned my VNS unit on the same day I had surgery, at the lowest possible setting. I have had it turned up twice now, and it takes a bit of getting used to each time they turn it up. The last adjustment was done last Wednesday, and I am just now getting to where I barely feel it. The first few days, I feel it almost every time it goes off, at least while I am awake. It does not bother me at all during sleep. My voice changes sometimes when the unit goes off, but it is not bad at all. If you have any specific questions, I'll be happy to answer them if I can. I know there are others on the forum who either have the VNS, have someone close to them with the unit, or used to have the VNS. I hope you get some other replies. Best wishes, Barbie *************************************** "We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can fly only by embracing each other." -lucian de crescenzo