I decided to try the snugfit on today because it doesn't feel secured just on my ear. So Sandie and I was looking at it, trying to figure out how to take it apart so the snug fit would go in. I was scared to death that I was gonna break it. So I decided to put a post on FB and tagged all my ci friends with the question and got answers from Ash in less than 5 minutes.
After wearing it for 5 min I opted to not use it. I am going to get a skeleton mold that goes in my ear. :) it was very uncomfortable.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Activation day!
The night before activation I was up preparing the camera, and video camera for activation until 12 but I couldn't seem to go to sleep. I must of drifted off before 2am when wheels texted me. Then I woke up at 5 am with anticipation and excitement to the point where I couldn't sleep anymore.
So, Aubz and I worked on the Skype to get it working before activation. I got to see the whole process with her ci in 2011. Then we talked for about an hr.
I left the house at 8:15 in case i25 was backed up. However it was easy going and took less than 30 minutes to get there. Since it was Monday, the check in line was very long.
Once we checked in and got up to the waiting room, my heart was shaking with excitement and nervousness. There was a slim possibility that it would not work because of it being unaided for so long. . I was so curious to what it would be like to hear out of my right ear. :)
After 30 minutes of waiting, which felt like a hr, Dr. Rodel called us back. Walking through that long hallway, my heart started pounding cuz I knew this was it! As soon as we walked in the room I saw my suitcase, batteries and the remote on the table. So exciting.
We first did some test to see what the best starting mapping would be. This test consist on telling my audiologist when I heated a tone. He then turned it on and asked how does it sound? It was really hard to explain how you hear it when it's your first time hearing it. I described it as a constant motor noise. He then turned it up to hear his voice. I could feel the vibration of his voice but couldn't understand it. He then turned it up again and it was more louder, which was too loud because it felt like it was pounding in my head. He told us that the motor noise will decrease the longer you wear it.
He then programmed the ci to 4 program from 1-4. 1 being the softest and 4 being the loudest. Then he showed me how to use all the equipment and showed me my suitcase with a bizillion things in it!
We had a video recorder but it didn't record, so I was disappointed! But then my dad had some videos on his phone so we have clips of activation!
I then went home afterward. I noticed throughout the day that I was hearing a lot better and could kinda tell where sound was coming from. It almost made me cry because I've never been able to do that before. It feels really weird hearing out of 2 ears! If I wasn't wearing my hearing aid too, I would be so lost right now.
Even with 3 hrs of sleep, I was on fire with excitement. :) it was one if the best day of my life this far.
So, Aubz and I worked on the Skype to get it working before activation. I got to see the whole process with her ci in 2011. Then we talked for about an hr.
I left the house at 8:15 in case i25 was backed up. However it was easy going and took less than 30 minutes to get there. Since it was Monday, the check in line was very long.
Once we checked in and got up to the waiting room, my heart was shaking with excitement and nervousness. There was a slim possibility that it would not work because of it being unaided for so long. . I was so curious to what it would be like to hear out of my right ear. :)
After 30 minutes of waiting, which felt like a hr, Dr. Rodel called us back. Walking through that long hallway, my heart started pounding cuz I knew this was it! As soon as we walked in the room I saw my suitcase, batteries and the remote on the table. So exciting.
We first did some test to see what the best starting mapping would be. This test consist on telling my audiologist when I heated a tone. He then turned it on and asked how does it sound? It was really hard to explain how you hear it when it's your first time hearing it. I described it as a constant motor noise. He then turned it up to hear his voice. I could feel the vibration of his voice but couldn't understand it. He then turned it up again and it was more louder, which was too loud because it felt like it was pounding in my head. He told us that the motor noise will decrease the longer you wear it.
He then programmed the ci to 4 program from 1-4. 1 being the softest and 4 being the loudest. Then he showed me how to use all the equipment and showed me my suitcase with a bizillion things in it!
We had a video recorder but it didn't record, so I was disappointed! But then my dad had some videos on his phone so we have clips of activation!
I then went home afterward. I noticed throughout the day that I was hearing a lot better and could kinda tell where sound was coming from. It almost made me cry because I've never been able to do that before. It feels really weird hearing out of 2 ears! If I wasn't wearing my hearing aid too, I would be so lost right now.
Even with 3 hrs of sleep, I was on fire with excitement. :) it was one if the best day of my life this far.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Soo close and yet so far
Only 54 hrs til Activation time! I can't wait for that exciting day! I wonder what it going to be like to hear out if that ear for the first time.
I was aided in that ear until kindergarten and they did a brain stem test. The test showed a hearing aid wasn't doing anything for me. So I became unilateral.
I am leaving for quota district conference on my first weekend of hearing. It gonna be interesting and overwhelming! I am so excited. Video will be posted on FB and here. Thanks for all ur support. :)
I was aided in that ear until kindergarten and they did a brain stem test. The test showed a hearing aid wasn't doing anything for me. So I became unilateral.
I am leaving for quota district conference on my first weekend of hearing. It gonna be interesting and overwhelming! I am so excited. Video will be posted on FB and here. Thanks for all ur support. :)
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Post op appt!!! Adios stitches!
I had my appt at 10:10 today but I figured with the snow last night that I better give myself 1.5 hrs to get there since I would take I-25! I got here at 845- about a 40 min drive! So I checked in early and got in early too!
It was a very short 10 min appt. the nurse commented over and over how great the stitches looked and how clean the site looked. She said I did an excellent job of keeping my hair off and clean. She then told me to continue cleaning the site 2 times a day for 4 more days! She gave me permission to shower and get my hair wet! Instructed me to sneeze with mouth open and no blowing my nose. (I figured that out Sunday night- it hurts and my ci popped). Lastly, she cleaned it up, removed stitches, and then cleaned it up again.
A very short but awesome appt. my ear doesn't feel so tight now! :) Mow, I just gotta get thru the day and I can take a shower tonight! A better pic will be posted once I find someone to take it! :)
It was a very short 10 min appt. the nurse commented over and over how great the stitches looked and how clean the site looked. She said I did an excellent job of keeping my hair off and clean. She then told me to continue cleaning the site 2 times a day for 4 more days! She gave me permission to shower and get my hair wet! Instructed me to sneeze with mouth open and no blowing my nose. (I figured that out Sunday night- it hurts and my ci popped). Lastly, she cleaned it up, removed stitches, and then cleaned it up again.
A very short but awesome appt. my ear doesn't feel so tight now! :) Mow, I just gotta get thru the day and I can take a shower tonight! A better pic will be posted once I find someone to take it! :)
The long week after surgery.
Recovery was a piece of cake for me. On Wednesday, April 8th, I was up and about already. I ran errands with my mama and went to church! Everyone was surprised that I was already at church, but I am not the kind of person that lays around for long. :) I didn't really feel much pain. :)
Then on my birthday, I went to my friend Brittany house and she braided my hair for me. :) I hanged out with them for pretty much the whole day. We then went out to dinner for the quota meeting and my birthday.
I started back to work on Friday feeling great! It was a joy to be with the kids again! All the kiddos were full of question on my stitches and partially bald hair.
They prescribed Vicodin as needed and keflex 4 x a day! I had to clean the site 2 times a day with half strength hydrogen peroxide and ointment. The hardest part was figuring out how to keep the hair from touching the stitches. Many thanks to Brittany, my mom, and Sandie for your help with that.
Actually, no, the hardest part would be not being able to wash my hair for a whole week. I posted on Facebook about it and my friend suggested dry shampoo! The best thing ever made for those who can't get their hair wet. By the 3/4 day I got tired of not being able to clean my hair the right way, so I washed my hair with water only. Shhh the water didn't touch my stitches. :)
The other issue I had was sleeping because I usually sleep on my implant side but I can't for obvious reasons. By the 3rd night, I took 2 melatonin and warm milk. That was the first night I woke up only 1 time.
The post-op appt to remove stitches can't come soon enough. I want a real shower! :)
Then on my birthday, I went to my friend Brittany house and she braided my hair for me. :) I hanged out with them for pretty much the whole day. We then went out to dinner for the quota meeting and my birthday.
I started back to work on Friday feeling great! It was a joy to be with the kids again! All the kiddos were full of question on my stitches and partially bald hair.
They prescribed Vicodin as needed and keflex 4 x a day! I had to clean the site 2 times a day with half strength hydrogen peroxide and ointment. The hardest part was figuring out how to keep the hair from touching the stitches. Many thanks to Brittany, my mom, and Sandie for your help with that.
Actually, no, the hardest part would be not being able to wash my hair for a whole week. I posted on Facebook about it and my friend suggested dry shampoo! The best thing ever made for those who can't get their hair wet. By the 3/4 day I got tired of not being able to clean my hair the right way, so I washed my hair with water only. Shhh the water didn't touch my stitches. :)
The other issue I had was sleeping because I usually sleep on my implant side but I can't for obvious reasons. By the 3rd night, I took 2 melatonin and warm milk. That was the first night I woke up only 1 time.
The post-op appt to remove stitches can't come soon enough. I want a real shower! :)
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Adios bandage!
I have been counting down the hours that I could take the stupid bandage off! Right at 24 hours it was off. My mom then cleaned it with 1/2 strength hydrogen peroxide and neosporin on it. Yay! It's off.
The big day!
Yesterday was the big day! We left my mom and dad house at 8 am due to the icy roads. We went to front of St. Joseph Hospital to check in. The security guard lead us to follow the blue tiles to register at the surgicare area. We got there at 9am. They then called my name and and did my paper work, and took my co-payment. The lady that checked me in then took me to the surgical waiting room..
My mom and I waited for less than 5 minutes before the pre-op nurse called me in. She took my vitals and had me change into a gown. She then was getting ready to give me a Iv for fluid and antibiotic. So I warned her that I'm a hard stick.... But she did it in one shot in the worse possible place! Then they put an nausea patch on my other ear and a pill to help with pain afterward. After all this, they brought my mom back into the room. We hanged out and then the anesthesiologist came and told me I was a easy patient, that because my heat his so good, it was a slim chance of complications due to anesthesia. Starting 10:45 I was keeping a close eye on the clock and was getting anxious! Around 11:10 Dr. Nosan came in and marked the ear with a happy face. :) when I was walking to or, my heart was pounding!
Then as we got into the or room everyone keep talking to me with the mask on! I was like ummm I don't have my aid on and I can't lip read. So this one nurse started flipping her mask up so I could understand her and she used basic sign. They had me lay down and I don't think I lasted a minutes breathing into the mask. I woke up in recovery room feeling a little nauseated. So the nurse gave me some zofran for it. My right ear felt heavy with the headband. My mom and dad came in after I woke up. Dr. Nosan then told me that when they tested the implant, my ear was already picking up sounds more than he expected it would. Which sounded promising. We then went home and I slept until 8 pm. The anesthesia wore off family. I wasn't really hungry but I ate some crackers and a banana. I was wide awake after that. I went to bed at like 2am watching movies. :)
My mom and I waited for less than 5 minutes before the pre-op nurse called me in. She took my vitals and had me change into a gown. She then was getting ready to give me a Iv for fluid and antibiotic. So I warned her that I'm a hard stick.... But she did it in one shot in the worse possible place! Then they put an nausea patch on my other ear and a pill to help with pain afterward. After all this, they brought my mom back into the room. We hanged out and then the anesthesiologist came and told me I was a easy patient, that because my heat his so good, it was a slim chance of complications due to anesthesia. Starting 10:45 I was keeping a close eye on the clock and was getting anxious! Around 11:10 Dr. Nosan came in and marked the ear with a happy face. :) when I was walking to or, my heart was pounding!
Then as we got into the or room everyone keep talking to me with the mask on! I was like ummm I don't have my aid on and I can't lip read. So this one nurse started flipping her mask up so I could understand her and she used basic sign. They had me lay down and I don't think I lasted a minutes breathing into the mask. I woke up in recovery room feeling a little nauseated. So the nurse gave me some zofran for it. My right ear felt heavy with the headband. My mom and dad came in after I woke up. Dr. Nosan then told me that when they tested the implant, my ear was already picking up sounds more than he expected it would. Which sounded promising. We then went home and I slept until 8 pm. The anesthesia wore off family. I wasn't really hungry but I ate some crackers and a banana. I was wide awake after that. I went to bed at like 2am watching movies. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)