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VNS surgery
Mon, 09/29/2008 - 23:47I was diagnosed with epilepsy at 13. I lost my teenage years to trips to the ER, medication, tests, and medication side effects. After 6 years of trying to find a medication that would control all of my seizures I am running short on patience. I am so tired of the way all of these medications make me feel. Anyway.... Has anyone gotten the VNS surgery? I am thinking about getting it and am going to talk to my doctor about it. If any of you have any input about the surgery please let me know.
Thank you so much!!
<3Tori
Comments
Re: VNS surgery
Submitted by jehobiewan on Thu, 2008-10-02 - 15:32
I had a VNS inplant in March 2007 and it has helped some, but not enough to say i would do it again. for me the surgery was painful, but i did have some complications and ended up in the hospital for a couple of days instead of it being a day surgery. The reason for having the surgery was to hopefully decrease my meds in the future, or at least control my seizures a lot more (as meds alone were not doing the trick). Neither of which has happened, i have actually increased my meds. I have diagnosed with complex general seizures for the past 6 years, but i am now going to a new epilepsy clinic and they feel that i may actually have idiopathic generalized seizures. The big problem i have with my VNS is that when you begin to have a seizure (when i do anyway) i can not think clearly and therefore i can never think or remember to use the magnet. the VNS does automatically go off every 5 minutes for 30 seconds, but when you need to use the magnet, if you are like me and can not think straight, you can not rememeber to use it and it is no good. The human factor was left when inventing this device. Hope this helps.
Jillian
I had a VNS inplant in March 2007 and it has helped some, but not enough to say i would do it again. for me the surgery was painful, but i did have some complications and ended up in the hospital for a couple of days instead of it being a day surgery. The reason for having the surgery was to hopefully decrease my meds in the future, or at least control my seizures a lot more (as meds alone were not doing the trick). Neither of which has happened, i have actually increased my meds. I have diagnosed with complex general seizures for the past 6 years, but i am now going to a new epilepsy clinic and they feel that i may actually have idiopathic generalized seizures. The big problem i have with my VNS is that when you begin to have a seizure (when i do anyway) i can not think clearly and therefore i can never think or remember to use the magnet. the VNS does automatically go off every 5 minutes for 30 seconds, but when you need to use the magnet, if you are like me and can not think straight, you can not rememeber to use it and it is no good. The human factor was left when inventing this device. Hope this helps.
Jillian
Re: VNS surgery
Submitted by no alleykat on Tue, 2008-09-30 - 14:48
I have had one so long I had to have it replaced. Wore the battery out of the first one. Everyone I know, who have one think it is great. I still have to take some med. but not like I did before it. I could be starting into a gran mal and run the magnet over it and it will stop it. I hope it works for you!! Take care Kat
I have had one so long I had to have it replaced. Wore the battery out of the first one. Everyone I know, who have one think it is great. I still have to take some med. but not like I did before it. I could be starting into a gran mal and run the magnet over it and it will stop it. I hope it works for you!! Take care Kat