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Forgot To Say!


Leo1954

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I have forgot to ever tell that I have a VNS implant !!

I just remembered it and it's here on my left side of my chest. I don't know why I never have mentioned it but, it is like a part of my body that is a foreign object on me. The reason I remembered it on a post to Mscat tonite I just thought about it!

Duh how can somebody forget to mention it beats the hell out of me!!!!!!!!

see told you I was half brain dead and on my way to the rest of it to go!

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They some surgeons that say it was for some kind of mechanism in my brain and all the tests and work ups they did on me said I was the perfect canidate. It caused some problems at first because it had to keep getting adjusted. When you have this thing you feel like a robot I actually had to go in and get it charged if it was to high they had to make the channels come lower if they got to low I had to go back again. It to me was and is a surgery I wish I never had even the insurance paid for it. I wish they would of said know. It was beginning to give me alot of heart flutters. I haven't had it messed with now in 2 yrs. it just sits here protruding in my left side upper chest it is weird looking. The only way I can have it taken out is if I have to have a MRI. Oh and if you want it to shut down you have to wear this godawful big magnet on top of it! then you can't take it off because then it comes back on. NO.1 I am not wearing a magnet around s---! So it just sitting in there doing whatever now it wants to do

I have to laugh about it because that shows how stupid I was to trust my psych. & then she tells me she is retiring in 4 weeks so I could only go to one Dr. in this entire area because he was the only one who adjusted it and he I didn't like. so here it is

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Hey Leo, sorry your having such physical difficulties with it. I am sure it is no fun. Are you able to check and see if there really is another Dr in the area who can adjust it? It is hard going to a Dr you dont like. Where did you have it done? Can you call them to see what options you have for another Dr?

So besides the physical stuff, has it helped you mentally? I was doing research on it with my Dr because I was out of options with meds and we were looking at other alternatives. There was a study going on at the university hospital and since insurance was not yet covering it so I thought I would investigate it. Went through the process but I was ineligable because I had cycling from bipolar not just depression.

If you are concerned about this new Dr I guess you have to out weigh if this is working for you and if it is great and if not then maybe before the Dr retires it can get taken out?

I can see this is a very difficult time if adjustments are always being made but I guess you have to figure out the pros and cons of keeping it and having to endure a Dr you dont like. But I would check around more to see if maybe there are other Dr's available even though this Dr says there is none. Do your research Leo..... much luck to you....

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Hi

I was having diffuculties also fron biopolar & deppre. When I was picked it was pretty new the surgeons that put it in are from Florida. From what I was told they traveled around when psychiatrists call whoever I don't know that part. I exactly don't know even at the time what she had told them. I had to go to another hospital in my area and basically they asked me some questions and xrays & also an MRI. The following month I met him at my psych. office & they both talked to me on where it was going to be put the pain was minimal. I was on the table for about 1hr&half. The problem is only psychiatrists can adjust it and I have talked to alot of them also in other cities surrounding areas there is only 2 the one that not only do I not like him but for some reason he acted weird I just didn't trust him. Where I have it is right above my left breast up a little bit higher and he kept telling me to keep lowering my shirt when I said no he said then I won't see you again.

I dead looked at him and said no problem I would rather it rot there before you touched me!

The other one isn't taking new patients even though I would only be seeing her for adjustments I can't!!! The surgeons who put them in don't take them out. Sometimes I was told that they work on some patients & some it don't now I wasn't told that part until after the surgery. That's why I feel thai Iwas stupid because I was grasping for straws but it really never change anything even the first year inplanted. The only way I can have it taken out is if I had to have a MRI. So be careful why can't you be a candiate I don't understand that part. Insurance will pay for it if the Dr. says even if it is a minute possibility that it might work. Can you ask him that?

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Guest ASchwartz

Leo,

I'm confused...not unusual for me :).

Could you please explain what was put into, why it was put in and what is it supposed to do? Is it an implant to keep your heart going?

Allan

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NO NO

Ventricular Nerve Stimular

Somehow it has a wire that leads from the inplanted stimular that sends kida like a schock to a part of the nerve of my brain that causes deppression.

I have had it since 2008 I honestly don't remember exactly what nerve because I haven't had it messed wth since maybe the end of 2008 because of the psych. that I had retired. When you just read my post I also have a book around here somewhere that will explain it. It to me & me only is really a pain in my ass. Not many Dr.s in my area but 1 and I will not go to him it somehow adjusts to your feeling of depression. I'm not sure if you can google it or ask a psych. or you might already know about it now.

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I looked up "VNS" when you first mentioned it, and I got "Vagus Nerve Stimulation", I think? Here's what Wikipedia (not necessarily that reliable a source) had to say.

Does it seem to help you with your depression, Leo? Have you ever had seizures of any kind (that's the other thing it's supposed to help with)?

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Sorry you're right I at least I knew it started with a V I haven't had it adjusted since 2008 and then I really didn't care for it I don't like my heart fluttering it I thought at first maybe it would but after continueing having it adjusted I didn't feel really different maybe because I was scared to because it just felt weird. It is just sitting there it is round and protrudes not as bad as it use to. When I have been in the hospital for medical problems the Dr.s don't know what the hell it is. That kinda makes me laugh because one time I had pneumonia It had gotten bad passed out in the Dr.s office next thing I know I'm waking up in the hospital the Dr. told the nurse to call him as soon as I woke uip because of the VNS when I told them he lookedat me like I lost my mind. It was funny. But this is not for everybody whatever you do if you're interested please ask around do whatever I wish personally I never had it done. It might be fantastic for somebody else. It will leave scars one is on my neck & the other one is on my upper chest right above the incision they're uglybut hey if it works for anybody go for it.!

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