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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
Re: anyone had VNS?
Submitted by vande_2004 on Fri, 2006-05-12 - 09:27
My name is Greg & I've undergone surgery twice, plus I have the Vegus Nerve stimulator. I think this was a big help because at least since this was implanted, my seizures have been a lot less severe. Before the implant, every seizure I had was grand mal & I'd be in status epilepticus. They would last anywhere from 45 minutes to clusters lasting over 13 hours. The worst was a single gand mal lasting 10 hours & 10 minutes, in which I then went into a second lasting 2 hrs 32 minutes. At least since the stimulator implant, I've only been in status 1 time (a complex partial lasting 45 minutes). Instead, now I have all complex partials under 10 minutes. In some cases if I have a warning I can use the stimulator to try and interrupt the seizure before it starts. If someone else sees me having a seizure they can activate the stimulator to interrupt the seizure in progress. With many patients, because the stimulator will send a shock up on it's own (the time between shocks will depend on what your neurologist sets it at) it will interrupt seizures before they start & you may end up being seizure free, or close to it. I wish you the best of luck if you do decide to try.