The VNS has been successfully implanted...PHEW!!

He did it!!! For Ammon it was fantastic although the anesthesiologists who wheeled him into surgery were quite harried trying to keep him on the bed as he kept trying to leap out. They were shocked he was still so agile and active after being given virsed to sedate him. I had forewarned them but who believes a mom?!? We arrived at the hospital at 5:30 AM as the hospital knew of his strong will and fight or flight instinct and put him very first on the surgical schedule. They had BUBBLES which helped keep him occupied and for the first time ever was able to have a blood pressure successfully taken while not in a seizure.

Ammon started to fall apart around 7 AM but by 7:30 was wheeled, albeit unwillingly, down the surgery corridor.

The surgery was completed just after 9 AM. As they took me into recovery I could guess where he was because I could hear him demanding "De Dow!! (Get down)". He wanted out of the bed. He pulled out his IV and blood was spurting. (He had torn off the ID bracelet before he he even made it surgery. Thats my boy!)

Since he did so well physically and there was no way to keep him in a bed, they allowed us to take him home. He was feeling safe enough in the car to finally relax and sleep much of the way home.

He has two two inch incisions on his neck and a three inch incision just above his left nipple. You can clearly see and feel the round VNS device implanted there. Honestly, it is quite creepy for me to see and feel but glad to have it. There are quite a few stitches and the bandages there are to be kept on for 7 days. HAHAHAHA! We didn't even make it into our driveway before the bandages came flying from that back seat into my lap. I've now rebandaged and wrapped him up in ace bandage to keep him from getting it off and bothering and bursting open those stitches. It will be a challenge to keep up with him.

We sure felt all your prayers. We felt every one of them. Truly it helped. We love you our friends and are so blessed by you all. Big hugs and kisses out to you!! We are exhausted and are staying home bound and Ammon centered for the next few days. It will test all my ability to keep him quiet and safe. Hoping baby Aaliyah will wait until atleast next week before she shows her glorious little self.

We go back up on 9/2 to have the device turned on and we are so anxious to see if this device will change his life. And ours!