April Update

Well, it’s April, and at the end of June I’ll have had my implant for a year.  The psychiatrist who handles my VNS adjustments keeps telling me that many people see the most noticeable improvements between a year and a year and a half.

I started seeing a difference within a few weeks; now the thing I’m most aware of is that when I get down I don’t feel the need to sleep for 20 hours at a time.  (Seriously.  When I get depressed, I can just SLEEP.)  Though a few times that’s bummed me out, because sleep is an escape for me, overall I’ve been able to stay more active in things I like doing, rather than just becoming kind of comatose.

I need to post new pictures of my scars.  The one on my neck is really hard to see at this point; some days I don’t even bother to cover it with makeup, because you’d never notice it anyhow.  The one on my chest is still pink, but it’s flattened out and I can see that it’s going to start turning white soon.  I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that the doctor who did the surgery did a vertical cut that disappears behind a bra strap.  And it doesn’t bother me even if it does peek out from time to time if I’m wearing a bathing suit or something. 

I’ve really enjoyed reading comments and questions from other people who are considering the implant, or who have gotten one themselves.  I’m curious about what other people’s experiences have been?  If I’m able to collect a few stories, I can post them in a new blog entry.