ACTIVATION DAY for CI #2

Well yesterday was my activation for my bilateral CI. I knew it would be interesting as the electrode positioning was not the same as the first CI due to the ossification in my ear. However...it was dramtically different.

When the first CI was activated everything sounded like Darth Vader as I have much deeper stimulation in that ear. This CI sounded like the three chipmunks singing on helium. In other words it was atrocious. When she first turned it on...I heard the sound, looked at the audiologist and said "turn it off." We turned it off and made some adjustments. After we got everything adjusted and some more power in my lower frequencies and less in the high frequencies we turned it back on to live mode. This time it was better but everything was still high pitched. Although this time I started hearing the bells that most people with other implant companies talk about but this is not something I had experienced with my first CI. At the end of every word I would hear this little high pitched bell ring. I found it rather annoying.

Anyways...we got both CIs up and running together...everything sounded really weird, but I was able to understand speech without lipreading which was promising.

Today was my first full day using both CIs and the sound became better as the day went on. The bell sound is still there but I am not noticing it now like I did yesterday. I am ready to adjust my old ear though...I want some more power in the low frequencies to see if that will help balance out the highs on the new ear.

Overall...all is well. I love both of the CIs and it is amazing how much more I can already hear with the two CIs as opposed to the one CI and even the one CI and HA that I was using sometimes.

Now I am off of here for the night....it is time for the new ear therapy and then therapy with both ears. I go back to the audiologist on the 27th for my first official bilateral mapping.

More later!!

Pictures

I said I would post some pictures. There is nothing graphic here...just pictures of me and mom hanging out in my room. I was bored, there was nothing to do with the exception of watching t.v. and nothing good was on.

So this is a picture of me and mom....

This is a picture of me indicating that this is implant number 2....aka bilateral time.

If I remember to take my camera I will have mom record part of my 2nd implant activation on Monday.

2nd CI Surgery Update

Well I guess I should post about recovery and all that is going to follow. This was an interesting and long surgery. To start off my surgery lasted an hour and a half longer than expected. The surgeon found an unexpected surprise when he got inside my head that will affect some things, but makes me glad that I did go ahead with the second surgery.

When the surgeon was inserting the electrode into my cochlea (he was using the S array, long electrode array manufactured by Med-El) he ran into a slight problem. The electrode would not go all the way into the cochlea. He tried several times but it turns out that I have some ossification in my left cochlea (bony growth) that prevented full insertion. So eventually he switched out and used the M electrode (shorter array but still has 12 electrodes on it). He was able to get 11 out of the 12 electrodes on this array inserted in my cochlea. So overall the effects on me....well I will not have access to all the frequencies that I have with my other implant...but that is okay because I have them with the other implant.

The benefits...well primarily I am glad I did not "SAVE THE EAR" for later technology because chances are I would not have been able to be implanted in 10-15 years as the ossification would have continued. So I am glad I decided to get this done now.

In the meantime....recovery is going well...no pain. I have only had to take tylenol for any discomfort. The nurses were shocked in the hospital. I had the same nurses this time as last time, and last time I was not a pretty sight. After the first surgery I was on a morphine drip, demirol, and percocet. This time I was just taking tylenol. I was up walking around the unit...I was bored and tired of being trapped in the bed. I even asked the resident if the doctor did anything to my head...she laughed and said "oh he did something...I watched." I responded with okay...well it doesn't hurt this time and she just laughed.

Anyways I am passing the time until Monday when I get this bandage cut off my head and I am activated. I am curious to see how activation goes this time since the electrode array is inserted differently than the other one. I am just glad I have a doctor who was able to change things up during surgery and use the shorter array giving me more electrodes instead of staying with the longer one and having fewer electrodes firing off.

The surgeon brought my audiologist in while I was still on the table and had her test the newly inserted implant to determine the response. My brain did fire off a positive response, which is good. Both my surgeon and audiologist feel that I will do well with this implant as I have done extremely well with the first one.

Well I am off of here for now...but when I get the chance later today I will post some pictures from the hospital.

Lauren

2ND CI SURGERY TIME!!

Well tomorrow is the lucky day for me. I go in for my second CI surgery tomorrow. Right now I am hoping that my surgery is in the morning so I can get it over with and not have to wait all day for it.

Today I am heading down to Chapel Hill to stay overnight so we don't have a long drive. I will update when I get home from surgery.

4 MORE DAYS!!!

Well I am four days away from surgery. I go in on Tuesday. I am hoping that this surgery is in the morning. Last time I did not go in until about 2pm and I was starving when I woke up, but I was unable to eat. Right now they have me in at 7:30am for surgery and I hope it stays that way.

Otherwise...one more day at work this week. I have to finish up some things for the boys tomorrow and get them squared away for the next week, as I won't be there.

Then I have to get things packed for the hospital and go get my second cochlear implant. I am excited...although right now I have either allergies or a cold that is aggravating me. I hope it clears up by Tuesday.

10 Days and Counting!!

Well I have 10 days to go until my bilateral surgery. I am definitely counting down the days. This next week is going to be a crazy, hectic, and EXCITING week. I am thrilled that I have the opportunity to go bilateral with implants. I have had the first implant for about 3 1/2 months now and I love it. I do not regret the decision of getting an implant at all. Matter of fact I am thrilled with that decision.

Anyways....I am spending this weekend getting ahead on some of my graduate work since I will be missing class the week of my surgery.

10 MORE DAYS!!!

Two Weeks to GO!!!

Well I am down to two weeks until surgery and the days cannot go by fast enough. I liked the first time better, because I only had to wait four days between my evaluation and surgery. This time is killing my because I am so excited and all I can think about is my surgery.

Anyways....I am getting things in place for my students as I will be out of work for at least a week, maybe longer, depending on how I am feeling. I am trying to get lesson plans and all of that ready.

16 days and counting....this is so exciting.