Hi there Sissylou,
I'm shawn 33, and I had the VNS from 95 till 2006. While I had it I just couldn't do the MRI or anything that hit me with electricity. But I was able to have all the cat scans in the world. But getting hit with some electricity over time ends up damaging it, and it eventually has to be replaced.
But also every 36 or 4 years you will probably need to have the surgery on the vagus nerve to have the scar tissue there removed. Over a short period of time all the constant electricity that hits it. That ends up scaring the nerve. So they do the surgery to remove the scar tissue to make the nerve look raw again. I had that surgery 3 times because of the VNS. The scar tissue toughens the nerve, and makes it much harder for the nerve to become stimulated. As for cyberonics, you can tell them "you don't treat a VIP this way!! A customer is a VERY IMPORTANT PERSON!!!!" Also my VNS was removed during the same surgery to implant the RNS. Also did you hear about the adults version of the ketogenic diet? I heard at Johns Hopkins it was helping a moderate amount of adults lower their amount of seizures. If you need that info. I'll let you know.
you take care
Shawn