Everybody has a story. My story is the one I know best and can write about. It is not a memoir of chemical dependency or self-abuse. Those subjects have been written about many times. This is a story of my winning battle against depression and the vagus nerve stimulation treatment that saved my life by bringing me Out of the Black Hole. And, this is the first book to be published about winning the battle with a medical implant procedure called VNS Therapy.
Personally, I don't believe the stigma associated with depression has changed one bit in the past century, so I was apprehensive about sharing my story. After all, I had spent the majority of my life hiding my depression from family, friends, and business associates — and now I was writing a tell-all book.
I wrote the main part of this book as if I were having a conversation with my closest friend who was looking for guidance with his or her debilitating chronic depression. I discuss the misery I experienced, the seemingly unending search for answers, the vagus nerve implant procedure itself, and my subsequent recovery from the grip of depression.
The second half of the book includes a description of the sixty-minute implant procedure, detailed information and pictures of the VNS Therapy System™, and things to consider while deciding to have the procedure. Also included are the insurance codes, the insurance reimbursement process and the latest information about the disease of depression from the American Psychiatric Association.
I also wrote Out of the Black Hole: The Patient's Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression for the loved ones of people who suffer from depression. When a patient reaches the severe, chronic level of this disease, often it is their family members who are making the medical decisions. At the other extreme, the family members may be in the dark about what is going on between the doctor and the patient, or they don't trust the information that they're receiving from their loved ones. One thing is for certain, the lack of knowledge about this disease and not knowing the best way to help and interact with the suffering loved one complicates everything.
In February of 2005, the FDA deemed vagus nerve stimulation approvable as an adjunctive long-term treatment for chronic depression. Cyberonics, the manufacturer of the VNS Therapy System™, is in the process of providing the FDA additional information required for the FDA to render a final decision consistent with the Panel's recommendation. Final FDA approval is expected by June of 2005. Currently VNS Therapy for the treatment of chronic depression is available in Canada and Europe.
Out of the Black Hole: The Patient’s Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression was exhibited at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting in Atlanta from May 21st.-May 22nd 2005. The meeting is the largest gathering of psychiatrists in the world.
