Deep brain stimulation surgery

[MrsMapdog]

Hello is anyone out there or knows of someone who has had (dbs)? I had the surgery on March 5th for my severe ocd. I have scrupulosity and symmetery/ orderliness ocd. I have seen some improvement after my surgery but am having still some anxiety and sticky thoughts. With time will that go away? Or am I expecting too much from the procedure? Thank you

[Tinkering]

Are you still taking meds?

[MrsMapdog in reply to Tinkering]

Not on any SSRI meds. They never have helped me with ocd. Just buspirone and depakote

[Tinkering in reply to MrsMapdog]

Has the brain stimulation helped? Hope you are well. Ocd Is tough.

[MrsMapdog in reply to Tinkering]

I have seen some improvement. I really was bad prior to surgery.

With this covid 19 going on the psychiatrist I was referred is not having patients come into the office. I don't know if more tweaking with the program will make more of a difference. I hate this disease! It is so misunderstood.

[Tinkering in reply to MrsMapdog]

Yes. Wouldn’t wish ocd on my worst enemy. How long has it been since the surgery? Isolation and this pandemic is probably not making it easy.

[MrsMapdog in reply to Tinkering]

I got the surgery March 5th. I dont know if this pandemic was not going on would make a difference. It's like your mind is like a record playing and it just goes round and round.

I do have a zoom computer conference at the end of this month with the dr here for the first time. I have to tell her I have been having pressure in my left ear since we got home from out of state for the procedure. This disease can make life so unenjoyable at times.

How long have you suffered with ocd? I've had it since a child and during stressful times it really flared up. In 1997 I had a severe bout with depression which caused the ocd to be elevated and at the time I was finally diagnosed with the disease.

[Tinkering in reply to MrsMapdog]

I know the feeling. I have had about 26 years. It started after I had an allergic reaction to medication. I woke up one day and started to think everything was dirty and I didn’t know why. I diagnosed about 5 years later. I take lexapro but it isn’t a cure.

[MrsMapdog in reply to Tinkering]

I'm 55 now so it's been a long time for me. I've been on too many meds to name and none have helped. I believe I have resistant treatment ocd. I had tms (transcranial magnetic stimulation) prior to surgery and it didn't do anything. That is why we (my husband and I) felt we had to try the surgery.

[Tinkering in reply to MrsMapdog]

Yeah. I am sorry. It is a nightmare of a disorder. It is hard to treat.

[MrsMapdog in reply to Tinkering]

I'm sorry to hear about your struggle. Has this pandemic made things worse for you?

[Tinkering in reply to MrsMapdog]

Not so much. Mine is based on chemicals. It hasn’t helped but thankfully it’s not germs. It is just a nagging an everyday battle.

[languageteacher]

Hi. Did you also have a capsulotomy? I have had a capsulotomy, and it helped a lot. This is a message to "MrsMapdog".

[MrsMapdog in reply to languageteacher]

I don't know what that is. I have heard the term before though. I just had two cuts on each side of my skull to put the electrodes. The wires come down the left side of my neck and is connected to the battery pack which is on the upper left side of my chest. I charge the battery each morning for about 15 mins.

[languageteacher]

Yes, I think it could well be possible that the positive signs come AFTER surgery. In my case, it was so.

[languageteacher]

Well, it was a few weeks ago when I found this chat. I, personally, do think it's very IMPORTANT that also we who have had a surgery for severe OCD can have some kind of peer-support for each other - I mean we can discuss this surgery with each other. And even though the most participants here are from the US (and I myself come from Europe), we can easily share opinions here. I appreciate this very much, and especially when I come from a country where we DON'T have this kind of chat.