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Goimg to meet surgin
Thu, 01/12/2006 - 12:49Topic: Surgery and Devices
Hi i am 30 and got a call from cyberonics case worker and she told me that my referall will be in today and i will get an apointment with surgan to go over every thing. Is there any one who nows what to expect or if i should ask the surgan any advice to what to ask any one give me some advice if you have had VNS inplants to now what to ask or expect. thanks.
Comments
Re: Re: Goimg to meet surgin
Submitted by jboyd on Fri, 2006-01-13 - 11:33
Thanks for the advice did you at first have any worseing in seziures after inplant and when they turned it on. I was just interested. I am sort of nervus but excited but my husband thanks it will be great for me. Did they but you complety under or just local.
your not alone!
Re: Re: Re: Goimg to meet surgin
Submitted by txrhb1 on Fri, 2006-01-13 - 12:58
Hi,
No, I had no worsening in seizures after the inplant, but as of yet, have had no noticeable decrease either. My husband says that using the magnet does decrease my recovery time, which is a good sign. Remember that it make take several months to see any noticeable difference. And yes, they put me completely under - there's absolutely no other way I would have let those sweet little docs in blue suits carrying knives and scalpels any where near this body !! (heehee). I know you're nervous - I was too - but was happy to call myself a big baby afterwards !!
I'll be thinking of you - let me know how it goes, okay?
((( hugs ))),
Barbie
***************************************
"We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can fly only by embracing each other." -lucian de crescenzo
Re: Goimg to meet surgin
Submitted by txrhb1 on Thu, 2006-01-12 - 15:48
Hi, I had the VNS implanted in October, so it is still too new to know if there will be any huge benefits from having it. However, I can say that I am very glad to have the opportunity to give it a try, and am very optimistic about it helping. For me, the surgery was very simple. Ask the surgeon where they are going to put your incisions. Mine are under my left collarbone (for the implant), and on the left at the base of my neck (for the wires). My surgery was done on an outpatient basis, and I was in and out in less than 6 hours. The surgery itself only took about 1 hour. The only real pain I felt afterward was in my neck, from the positioning of my head and neck during the surgery (I have arthritis in my neck). In the following few days, my scars were "sore", but I can't really say painful. They did turn my VNS on during surgery, at the very lowest settting. It was a bit funny to get used to, as it would kind of "tickle" my throat every 5 minutes. Again, not painful, just new. I had to keep the incisions covered and dry for 2 days, and then take the bandages off. At 2 week check up, the surgeon told me to use cocoa butter on them to help them heal well. It has worked really well. My scars are still very visible, but get smoother and less red every week it seems. I have had the VNS turned up twice since the surgery, and go in again next week to have it turned up again. They will continue turning it up once a month until we reach a therapeutic setting, or it bothers me to much. I'm counting on a therapeutic setting. I wish you the best of luck, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me. I'm, no pro at this yet, but I do know what you will be going through. Best of luck & hugs, Barbie *************************************** "We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can fly only by embracing each other." -lucian de crescenzo