Vagus Nerve Stimulator

I will be getting the Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS) implanted tomorrow.  I have tried all sorts of medications, and no combination has worked.  So now I am trying this.  The VNS has the same likelihood of success as any medication.  It is the rule of thirds—for 1/3 are seizure-free (or almost), 1/3 have some improvement in their seizure control, and 1/3 don’t have any benefit or get worse.  Even though the odds don’t seem
that great, I need to try.  Otherwise, I won’t know if this would have been the treatment to help me.  For some people, they suffer several years trying thousands of treatments until one comes along and it gives them seizure freedom and gives them back their lives.  Maybe the VNS will help me.

The VNS is like a pacemaker.  It sends electrical signals to the brain via the vagus nerve in the neck.  It is different from medications, because you don’t have to remember to take your doses twice or three times a day.  The VNS is on all the time, set to schedule to go off when it needs to.  Also, when you feel a seizure, there is a magnet to give an extra stimulation to help stop or lessen the severity of the seizure. 

Here is a useful link about the VNS.

http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/treating-seizures-and-epilepsy/devices/vagus-nerve-stimulation-vns

There are side effects such as hoarseness and tingling in the throat.  You can also get infections from the surgery if it is not done properly.  Hope that doesn’t happen to me tomorrow.  Wishing for the best!