Nerves and New Orleans

I promised myself I wouldn't write entries on the past but I'd already had the following typed up and I can't just let it sit and rot: I haven’t heard much about it but a device called the vagus nerve stimulator was approved by the FDA in 2005 for “chronic or recurrent treatment-resistant depression and bipolar disorder.” It was previously approved for epilepsy treatment only. The VNS generator is implanted under the skin from the chest to the neck, around the vagus nerve that connects the brain with major organs. VNS is only recommended for people who cannot use medications due to side effects or receive no relief from mental illness. The New York Times has a stunning piece on Katrina’s latest legacy in New Orleans: unprecedented post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and suicide in the city. The article is a grim reminder that while the world has moved past Katrina, New Orleans has not. I’m sure the same could be said for Mississippi, which gets considerably less attention.