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Out of the Black Hole: The Patient's Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression
by Charles E. Donovan III
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Wellness Publishers, LLC (2005-11-01)
ISBN: 0974848433
EAN: 9780974848433
Hardcover: 215 pages
SKU: 08080195
Condition: Like New Like New
Comments: Hardcover. First Edition and First Printing. Like new cover and text. Like new dust jacket with very minor shelfwear. Near Fine condition. Beautiful book.
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
Vagus nerve stimulation is the only FDA approved long term treatment option for chronic or recurrent depression. After twenty years of chronic depression, countless antidepressants, electroconvulsive therapy, the author was included as a study subject in the investigational trial of vagus nerve stimulation as a treatment for chronic depression. The treatment completely changed his life and inspired him to write Out of the Black Hole to help other patients who suffer from the grips of this agonizing disease. This all inclusive book prepares you to make an informed decision about the procedure by providing an easy-to-understand explanation about the ninety-minute out patient procedure, the side effects and benefits, insurance codes and the reimbursement process. Vagus nerve stimulation is not related to ECT or brain surgery and is more effective than traditional antidepressants drugs. Neurostimulation is the next frontier in the treatment of depression. If you or a loved one suffer from chronic or recurrent depression, this book will guide you through this remarkable, life-saving, life-altering procedure.
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Customer Reviews
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I WONDER IF CHARLES DONOVAN GETS A KICK BACK FROM CYBERONICS...
Rating  (1)
Date: 2008-03-25
1 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
I bought this book when my psychiatrist suggested this implant 2.5 years ago. I was reluctant, as usual because nothing up to that point had worked. I was diagnosed with Major Depression when I was 17. I am now 38. My depression is now classified as refractive or treatment resistant. So, after reading this bright shiny missive, I HAD SO MUCH HOPE. I agreed to the procedure, the insurance agreed, etc. 2 years post op, with the stimulator on full blast, I have been suicidal for the past six months, and am back on multiple medications at high doses, my doctor telling me to consider ECT...my absolute last resort. My doctor reports than none of her patients have received benefit from this device, with one actually returning to the surgeon that implanted it to have it removed. She was told they could only remove half of it. Mr. Donovan's account seems, in hindsight, not objective, and unrealistically positive. But then, at that point in my life I was desperately grasping at any tiny piece of hope that I could find, and there was limited personal accounts of this procedure and device out there. I find myself at that point once again. Desparate. I only know the story he put in the book, and if it is true ( in light of all of the fictional biographies ala James Frey)and this device was a miracle for him, then blessings to him. I'm just wondering where that leaves the rest of us stuck with this hunk of metal implanted in our chests that DO NOT WORK. Still grasping...
I would suggest that if a psychiatrists suggests this procedure to anyone, if you read this book, read it with a huge grain of salt beside you. And research the hell out of it and ALL possible alternatives, such as Eastern Medicine. Be informed and be objective, as much as one can be in "the black hole" of depression. At least the "Black Hole" part in the title was accurate.
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Excellent information ... hope
Rating  (5)
Date: 2007-12-28
3 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
People with treatment-resistant depression need to explore all their options. _Out of the Black Hole_ presents one of those options in a way laypeople can understand. Charles E. Donovan's story will be familiar to many people who have suffered from chronic depression. It can also help the friends and families of people with depression to better understand the illness. No one should have to struggle with an illness that can be treated, even if the treatment might seem extreme. There is nothing in this world that compares to the feeling of lifting depression after decades of suffering. Whatever it takes to achieve that relief is worth the time, effort, money and risk. I hope VNS will become a more common treatment option for those who can't be pulled out of the pit by other means. Thank you for writing this book.
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Great Resource for Anyone Considering VNS
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-05-31
4 out of 4 customers found this reveiw helpful
I am a candidate for VNS and am pursuing the surgery avidly.
The good thing about the book is it collects a lot of information that a person could find on his/her own and puts into a "handbook" format.
For example, I did a lot of research on VNS prior to reading this book and only in Mr. Donovan's book did I learn that the battery needs surgical replacement after a period of time.
I think it is an excellent resource for amyone who has drug resistant depression.
As more information about the efficacy of VNS for depression becomes available, I hope Mr. Donovan will update his book.
Clearly, VNS as an adjunct treatment for major depression is in its infancy. It is very new and there may be contraindications that will not appear for years post implant.
So I hope that Mr. Donovan will continue to publish more material as more material becomes available.
He writes for the average person like me; in other words, you do not have to be a vascular surgeon or psychiatrist to benefit from this book.
Mr. Donovan's story is on the current DVD that Cybertronics produced for individuals considering VNS.
His story was very well told and gave me a ray of hope that I might benefit from VNS given that my HMO will underwrite the expenses of this procedure.
VNS is not an inexpensive treatment; therefore, some people may be turned down again and again.
The good thing is a VNS nurse case manager arbitrates and advocates for the individual who is a candidate for VNS.
My advice to anyone considering this surgery is to read this book, participate in the bi monthly teleconferences and request the information from Cybertronics.
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Donovan understands depression. He gets it. Very few do.
Rating (5)
Date: 2006-12-19
3 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
Mr. Donovan articulated wonderfully and insightfully what all depression sufferers are only able to barely explain or even share. This is a story that marries a very personal subject, with this new FDA approved treatment. Buy his book and don't leave home with out it.
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Charles Is Living Proof
Rating  (4)
Date: 2006-12-11
1 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
Three months ago, Charles and I started a business relationship to help him promote the issue of Vagus Nerve Stimulation to medical and depression blogs, and to help me better understand the treatment, he gave me a copy of the book to read.
I haven't written a book review for a client before, but the difference between the Charles depicted in the book and the Charles of today is nothing short of miraculous. I would never have believed that the man I speak to weekly was a sufferer of depression, much less someone who went through a major episode that lasted years.
The book is well-written - it approaches the subject matter with a dry with and a self-effacing manner, but also an urgent call for those not suffering to understand what their loved ones are going through.
The end of the book is filled with appendices that give a lot of information for readers to follow up with, and Charles of course is working on adding as much information as he can to his website. If you are interested in the Vagus implant, I would highly suggest this book.
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