VNS is workinig for me how about you?

Hi all,

My name is Nancy,

I have made a few comments to some posts, but never started a dsiscussion about my VNS on here so now I am.  I am 34 yrs old and got mine implanted on Sept 20th of 2007.  IT was turned on right out of the OR.  I have a rare form of epilepsy.  I have Frontal lobe epilepsy with a susndrome called Mixed Seizure Pattern, because I have both gen and Pc szs.   I have 6 types of szs---Grand Mals, Petit Mals, Drop Attacks, Tonics, Simple and Complex Partial szs.  I am medically intractable whcich ia how I wound up withthe VNS.  My neuro gave me no other option, since I was not a candidate for brain surgery.  Anyway,  The VNS is ccontrolling my szs VERY well and he thinks  Iwll be one of the lucky one in the 5% population that will go on to be sz-free on lowered meds with the VNS.  Right now the settings are at 1.75 amps and it runs at a cycle of 30 seocnd ON adn 5 minutes OFF.  Whichi meand I am being stiimulated for 30 seconds every 5 minutes.   Before the VNS was put in I was having szs every day up to adn including anywhere from 3-10/day I wa smiserable adn it got be ridculous.  Now I am having on average 4 days in a 3 week span with szs.  The last log I turned into my neuro had 19 sz-free days and four days  that had a sz adn one night with a sz.  That was in a 3 week span as well.  Now he is spreading my visits out to 4 weeks to see how I d othat long, but he was all booked out so it t urned into 5 weeks this time so we shall see.  Right now it is looking pretty good on that log.   I only had szs during my menses which was 2, and during the rain storms we had whichi was one.  Then I setit off twive by accident, how stupid!  I take 4 meds for me epilepsy.  3600 mgs of Neurontin, 300 mgs of Lamictal, 300 mgs of Topamax, and 2 mgs of Klonopin.  Ativan if needed.  I wear a magnet on my wr ist for the VNS.  That way if I ahve an aura I can swipe it and   abort the aura, or if I feel a sz coming on I can swipe i then ar during a sz I can swioe it if I am conscious.  If ai om out cold somone else will haveto t ake my extra magnet and swipe the VNS for me.  IT has shortended them considenrb;y and I can now stop them.  IT is a GOd send for me!  I have been belessed to have sucjc=h a GREAT neuro in many ways, not just for getting me on the list for the VNS.  Which bt =y the way only took 3 weeks toget.

Nancy