The VNS Implant Smiles

I have been on the VNS implant for just over one year. I have had a very stressful first four months of 2009. Mom had a stroke on March 11, stayed in the hospital for a week. then in the nursing home for another three. Then to John's now since April 5th. Loleen, Leslie and Booger all with cancer. Ed had a stroke. Edna's eyes are really bothering her. I have a couple lumps in the right breast and the blood test came back with a positive for cancer, breast or colon. I will be in the doctor's for retesting. I have been taking in large amounts of cinnamon each day. This does put out the same markers in blood tests as does cancer. We will see. I was doing this to lower sugar levels. I've lost 22 pounds, but the sugar levels stayed at 111. I have stopped the cinnamon and will request another set of tests.
Today I experienced anxiety big time, yesterday and the day before incredible fatigue. But steadily I am feeling better. I am using the word HU to chant and it is amazing. It helps. It somehow floods the brain with serotonin. I found out about it on Coast to Coast Radio and I looked it up. It was around in Egypt in ancient times. But I am getting better a little at a time.

The new setting for the VNS implant

On February tenth I had the implant turn up to 1.75 every two hours. the next day I had a dental appointment. The Dentist stayed in my mouth for one hour and ten minutes. I ended up crying and being sick for a day and a half. The next week, on the 18th he did only about 15 min of work and I skipped going on the 25th. It has been this stress that has kept me from going down further and faster from the drugs. Now the level is 60 cymbalta, 200 Provigil, 15 Paxil. When I am resting, or have relatively little stress my brain tingles. It is that feeling that I get when it know that I my brain is in a healthly zone. I can handle things better.
The teeth problems will continue for a while, so I will do the teeth appointments every other week.
(All this teeth work needed antibiotics, which caused more problems with depression because they further messed up my digestion by killing the flora in my intestines that provide for the digestion and immunity functions of the body-editor)

Back on paxil at 30mg

I am on 60 cymbalta and 200 provigil and now after this morning, thirty paxil. I have been noticing the symptoms of the disease returning. I am groggy throughout the day, I crave carbohydrates more and caffeine . I can't have the caffeine because of the fibrous nodes in my breasts. Somehow the more caffeine I have the more soreness in the breasts.
When the device is working the best I can eat very little, am more active, leave thoughts that disturb me, feel that I can get through anything. I just have a better quality of life all around.
The 1.50 at 2.5 hours worked for about 4 days as I went down on paxil. I was just taking the cymbalta and provigil. By the tenth day I was going into depression again. So I went back on 15 paxil and at times took 45mg a day this I did for about four days. Then for about a week I was fine just taking 15mg, then the down turn again getting more tired, more craving carbohydrates and so today I went back to 30mg.

Back on Paxil

I restarted the paxil on the 24th, just two days after the last post. I tried to mega dose it, going up to 45mg, 15mg in morning, 15 afternoon, and 15 mg in evening. I did this for three days and on the 28th I remained at 15 mg continuing each day. I seems that the mega dosing doesn't really help. I went off for the 9 days and it took 9 days to come back up. It has always been that way.
I went back on the simvastatin after one week off of it. I am getting the body soreness back, but not so bad.

Body Aches and Pains

The aches and pains got to me finally and I looked up the simvastatin and found out that the cholesterol drug can cause some of the problem. I went off the drug on the 19th. The next day I felt 85% better and it continues to get better. However all the aches and pains have not gone away. I still have upper back tension and migraines. Lot of tension in the jaw area.
My teeth problems continue. They are slowly and surely getting better. Dr Ong works on me weekly now. But there are other teeth not in the work area that are hurting as well. One day at a time.
The  VNS implant is helping the weight come off. I seem to run around here as if I have a firecracker up my butt. And there is very little appetite. Food is not necessary to enjoy life anymore. At least when the implant is turned up to where it should be.
In the last 24 hours I have been more short tempered. So it is one week since I quit the paxil.

Saw Rivera Again

My new setting is 1.50 every 2.5 hours. I have much more enery and have dropped the paxil all together. We will see what happens. I still have body aches and pains. Some migraines. I started my diet on the first of Jan. The  VNS implant helps the cravings to the point that I can go with out food almost all day. I am on slimfast (milk based, which I am allergic to and did not know at the time- editor) and salads at this point. Still do not exercise that much. But if I did maybe the body aches would go away.

Got through Christmas Rush

I started taking the paxil again(on Dec 3), as stated in the last post.This put me at 200 provigal,15 paxil, 60 cymbalta VNS at 1.25 every 2.5 hours). The paxil was restarted at 15mg. This increasing of the amount of serotonin stopped the migraines. During the vacation I was active and moving around more than usual. I stuffed myself daily and ate every night before bed. I began taking the restless leg syndrome drug regularly. I notice with less stress the implant seems to cause me to burn more calories. Not necessarily through action, but sped up metabolism. It also allows me to get more done, mentally as well. I am more willing to do more stuff and combine tasks, and have energy even after that. I can depend on the level of energy. This pleases me to no end.
During the vacation Cheryl called me and told me that Dr. Rivera now had all that he needed to start up therapy again. I made an appointment for Tues. Jan 13th.
As I weighed myself after the vacation, I had only gained three pounds. As I went back to work and stress increased I gained weight eating less than on vacation. So more stress decreases the effect of the implant. Dah. But I was able to handle the stress with out the anxiety and depression coming on. I worked 57 hours in six days, straight, no days off. Only tired on the last day. No depression. Before the implant and on far more medications ( 200 provigal,60 paxil, 50 thoridiazine, 60 cymbalta) I could only work 32 hours in a 5 day period.
I am scheduled to have a scan on the liver,  enzymes are denoting possible problems.
I am going to diet and exercise in the new year to stop the cholesterol and oncoming sugar problems.