RAINBOW SURGERY

Posts: 2053 · Posted: 05.08.2007, 16:27

surgery has been scheduled for august 14th (yikes! on euchre & karaoke night) i have to be there at 8 am & he said i will have to stay overnight, so if nothing happens i'll be home on the 15th Smile

)))) i wanted outpatient but you know how drs are Sad

((( here's what they are doing :

The patient will receive a local, regional, or general anesthetic
A small incision--1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches long--will be made below the collarbone in the left chest area
The VNS pulse generator will be placed just under the skin through this incision
A second incision--1 to 2 inches long--will be made in a natural crease on the left side of the neck
Tiny electrode wires will be inserted here and wrapped around the vagus nerve in the neck
These electrodes will be connected to the pulse generator with a thin, flexible wire
The incisions will be carefully closed
Since implantation is usually done on an outpatient basis, after the VNS surgery has been completed, the patient will likely be sent home. After a week or two of recovery time, in which some minor stiffness and soreness in the neck and chest region may be experienced, the patient will return to the doctor's office. The surgeon will check the incisions to make sure they are healing properly, and a nurse will program the initial dose settings on the pulse generator with a telemetric wand.

here is why they are doing it :

Partial Seizures begin in a specific area of the brain and vary slightly in symptoms. In some cases a seizure will begin in one part of the brain and spread throughout the rest of the brain.

Simple Partial Seizures: They may alter emotions or change the way things look, smell, feel, taste or sound, but donâ€™t result in loss of consciousness.

Complex Partial Seizures: These alter consciousness, causing a person to lose awareness for a period of time, resulting in staring, hand rubbing, lip smacking, arm positioning, vocalization or swallowing.

Generalized Seizures begin over the entire surface of the brain and range from mild to severe.

Absence Seizures (petit mal): These seizures are characterized by staring, subtle body movement and brief lapses of awareness.

they think the seizures are causing my depression so since no meds have worked for either, this is supposed to work for both, so whoever of you all pray, let's pray it works so i can enjoy my life again ...... love to all of you & ty all for being here for me Smile

Posts: 151 · Posted: 05.08.2007, 18:46

Hello rainbow1!

I just wanted to say I'll be thinking of you ...

I don't like anything to do with hospitals - surgery, blood tests etc, but I do understand at times we just can't avoid them.

In 1998 I went through massive 5 hour radical cancer surgery, but I recovered 100% of which I can say I was / am lucky.
I was 27 years old then and had to go to follow ups next 4 years - still once a year, but I am healthy now and doing just fine.

All the best to you and speedy recovery.

I want to read more of your moments again soon - asap ... Smile

(((HUGS)))

Posts: 2053 · Posted: 05.08.2007, 19:01

i am so glad that you are doing well & are here with us, ty so much for the prayers & support, the moments will still be coming, maybe 1 day late lol

Posts: 1740 · Posted: 05.08.2007, 20:11

Rainbow, I wish you the best with your surgery and god will watch over you and keep you safe.My prayers are with you Very Happy

Posts: 151 · Posted: 05.08.2007, 20:22

Thank you for your kind words, rainbow1 Smile

1998 was my black year with the illness, divorce and learning to cope living with the cancer and being a single mother of 5 and 2 year olds ...
BUT I made it ... and as we say here "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" ... Smile

(((HUGS)))

rainbow1 wrote: › i am so glad that you are doing well & are here with us, ty so much for the prayers & support, the moments will still be coming, maybe 1 day late lol

Posts: 2053 · Posted: 05.08.2007, 23:27

ya..... we're all here for a purpose & i'm the first to ever have this procedure, with some other diagnosis that i have so i guess that is my purpose for the moment, they've never tried it on anyone like me sooooo here i am the guinea pig for the month lol........ty all so much Smile

Posts: 2913 · Posted: 06.08.2007, 20:31

Dearest Rainbow,

Your news hit me like I had been blindsided with a hard punch.

However, in thinking about it, I am sure everything will turn out wonderful for you, no matter how it turns out, if that makes any sense to you. It makes sense to me.

I also want you to know that, in addition to the fact that I most certainly will be asking God to take good care of you, I also am very familiar with the back hole of clinical depression, so I understand the great hope you must be holding. I hold that hope for you, as well.

Be sure to take as much time as you need to get thru this ordeal. We will miss you, but we will get by if you have to be away for awhile.

May God bless you greatly, Rainbow.

Your Guru

Posts: 3276 · Posted: 06.08.2007, 20:40

All our prayers are with you Rainbow until you're
back posting all your great Rainbow Moments.

Posts: 2053 · Posted: 06.08.2007, 21:01

again ty so much for the support, you don't know how important all of you are to me Smile

Posts: 143 · Posted: 07.08.2007, 08:25

God Bless Rainbow1

Posts: 2053 · Posted: 13.08.2007, 17:50

ok, they just called & confirmed that my tests are ok & surgery is on for tuesday 14 th at 8 am........now i'm scared lol.......going out to dinner tonight with a friend because i can't eat or drink anything after midnight so, going to have a good dinner b 4 i have to fast for a couple days (will be too sore to eat they said, for a few days)....hey, i like broth thank goodness Smile

........ i hope that all of you are doing well & i'll be back ASAP Smile

love to all

Posts: 2913 · Posted: 13.08.2007, 22:08

We will all be waiting very nervously to hear from you again, Rainbow!

Of course our thoughts, hearts, and prayers are centered upon you and we are here to see you thru this ordeal with any help you need or would just like! All you have to do is say the word.

No, I take that back. You have to say nothing! We are with you period. As any good family would be.

Can't wait to hear the good news of your results!

Your Guru, with love

Posts: 1740 · Posted: 14.08.2007, 07:39

Rainbow our prayers are with you and good luck,Hope to see you soon but take your time healing Very Happy

Posts: 2053 · Posted: 15.08.2007, 13:40

the day of surgery they couldn't get the iv in so they had to give me a small iv to put me to sleep then work on getting the bigger one in for the surgery, i'm done with being a pin cushion for awhile, surgery went well, both incisions are doing well, i get to take the bandages off thursday or friday, ouchy, that's gonna hurt, i'm sore sore sore .... doing well though..... ty all for the prayers, i had a lot of ppl call while i was in the hospital, i have some great friends Smile

i'm so tired & sore so gonna get some rest now Smile

(i'll get it turned on in a week or 2 )

Posts: 1740 · Posted: 16.08.2007, 02:10

I am so happy that your surgery went well now just heal and get lots of rest.friends are the best thing you can have when your feeling down...Super it went well Very Happy