Over the past month or so, I have been discussing the Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS) device that I had implanted into me as a result of an epilepsy diagnosis. Today, I went in to have it actually activated and tested. It is nice to have it actually working and wow…does it ever work!
After the VNS technician did his thing, my neurologist waved the magnet over where the device is implanted and it worked as intended.
I can tell you this much: it’s quite the jolt! It’s kind of like touching a light plug without a plate. I can definitely feel the jolt, but it’s not painful or intrusive in any way. Now that I know what it feels like, I’ll know what to expect when the time comes that I’ll need it. But then again, that time already came and went…by accident.
I have one of my magnets on my right wrist, kind of like a wristwatch. The magnet is facing down so that if I or someone else needs to trigger the VNS, I or they just lift my wrist over where the device is, right above my heart. Five seconds later, the jolt and pulse kick in and it lasts about ten seconds. The effects last for about a minute before things calm down.
I can usually feel a seizure coming on about two minutes before it actually happens, so I can self-trigger at my desk at work or anywhere else for that matter and it shouldn’t cause any issues.
While in the shower this afternoon, I forgot about the magnet and ended up moving my arm in just the right way. Five seconds later, as expected, I got quite the sensation. So I can confirm once and for all that is absolutely works and now that it’s been triggered twice, I’ll know what to expect when I need an actual trigger.
Right now, the device is still in calibration mode, and as a result I am getting a trigger every five minutes, but those test pulses aren’t being felt.
The whole VNS process has been pleasant for the most part. I wasn’t a fan of the surgery and the scars it left behind, but the benefits outweigh the bad parts. I just have to be careful to not get the magnet near my debit and credit cards or I’ll have quite a few phone calls to get replacement cards. I’ll also have to be careful with my smartphone, but the magnet is apparently designed to cause minimal risk there.
Anyone who finds themselves in need of a VNS device needn’t worry. Once you learn how it works, you’ll barely notice that it’s there…until you need it. And when you do need it, it works very fast, which is kind of the point.