Bradley E. Hall
Banned
Registered: Mar 2006
Location: INDIANA
Posts: 480 |
Bionic Ear Successfully Implanted
I had the implant surgery Monday, now boys I am telling you I had a rough surgery, they failed the first attempt but was able to place successfully on the second attempt. I had major complications for 3 days but doing so much better now. I am completely deaf in the right ear where they did the implant but on August 9th they will activate. I have to wait 3 weeks for it to heal first. I am so looking forward to being a part of the hearing world. It will take 12 to 18 months for me to become fully adjusted in the new sounds, understanding speech and ect.. It will take the 3 P's Patience, Practice and Perserverance at the end they say my life will be transforming like I never knew could exist. Imagine never being able to hear a cricket, bird, whisper, fizz on a soda and all other sounds you take for granted and then being 38 years old and having the switch turned on!!! You can imagine how excited I am. Here is a detailed account of the surgery that I posted on the Cochlear deaf community message board. Checked in yesterday at 9 am. Prep me. Go into surgery wake up and the night mare begins. First off I woke up with a huge knot or tumor like bump on the middle of the left side of tongue, no one could tell me what this came from except that it must have been complications from the breathing tube. Second, I woke up and realized I have been in surgery going on 5 hours because they could not get the spiral electrode in place so they had to start all over and do the straight Nucleus electrode, (does this mean I am not going to get the same coverage or strength?) I woke up and had to pee so bad that I could not go in the urinal laying in bed. I begged them ididots to let my dad help stand me up so I could pee, they would not and I mean I was in misery, I was begging for a in/out catheter. Finally after doing a few tricks and numbers I was able to pee a little and then really got the flow going. I woke up from surgery with a burn like cut on my earlobe no one seems to know how that happend. I threw up all night till going on 12 am, I never got no rest, was never offered a menu and I was starving, out of 15 people that came to check on me during my 30 hour stay no one knew I was deaf and it was exhasuting to explain that, you would think they would put it in the file or on the door, "Patient is deaf please speak loud and allow patient to read lips!!" Now I am at home with a huge bump on my tongue its not going down and its hard to swallow food with it. I can walk but a little spinning, the pain is not bad yet where they cut me and I got this constant humming or low pitch ringing in my ear, it gets better then comes back, how long will that last. I am sorry to any one who is thinking about getting this surgery, I am sure I am rare case please do not let it discourage you, God allowed this experience in my journey and I acceppt it. You have to accept it with a great aditude otherwise you could be disappointed. It is weird to be completely deaf in my right ear now, I mean I cannot even hear enviromental sounds, I knew this was a part of the journey to so I just sit back now and have a lot of hope that it all comes together, even if it doesn't my hearing in the right ear was on out the door and I had to try something while I have full coverage insurance. Well thanks for all the encouragment and messages leading up to this and I am sorry I could not give a great report. Hopefully future reports will be better LOL!!
Last edited by Bradley E. Hall on 07-24-2010 at 05:22 AM
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07-24-2010 05:17 AM
