Re: Operation Feelings

[Guest guest]

My op was ok - it lasted 5 hrs, then had 3 hrs in Recovery - so was out for most

of the day!! When I came round - it probably is the weridist thing -= and can be

scary - everyrhin was black and white and everyone was standing on me, corwding

me - i had wires everywhere - drip, oxygen mask - attached to machines - it only

felt like a few seconds - not 5/6 hrs!! Had a hugec banadage over my head -

everything as spinning really fast - painful - woozy..........I was v v

dependent on my HA - I was implanted on the side which had some residual hearing

left - so it meant that I had 4 wks of total silence before switch on - whiuch

was difuclt - but did not realised how much i relied on lipreading anyway and i

got by - another thing is v strange taste in mouth - was v v dry and tasted of

ananstic and numb - you meay also have a sore thrat from when they put a tube

down........you are lucky- you can use your HA in your unimplanted

ear.........BUT everyone is different..........I had 8 and

half wks off sick - one I had no hearing and was adbised to stay off until 1/2

wks after switch on - but had longer bvecuase diffuclt to adjust to

implant.........I hope this helps - what I would suggest is only go back when

you feel ready - I also had horrible vertigo...........

Hope this helps - good luck for your operation - I'm sure it will go well - mone

was doen 3 years ago - but only felt like I had it doen yesterady!!!! They

shaved a lot of hair - more than he said - and the scar was 7 inches long - but

now they are doing smaller inscions - yours probably be idffernet. I was in hosp

for 4 days.....

Alison

wildbanditkj <wildbanditkj@...> wrote:

So, what was your operation like, how did you react when you woke

up? How long did it take before you felt like you could go back to

work? Any suggestions?

I have 3 more days and I'm torn between feeling excited and

terrified.

I'm extremely dependent on my hearing aides and people tell me I

have terrific speech so, when I get hooked up, is it more likely

that I'll be able to understand sounds since i've had " audio

memory. " I can somewhat understand a couple words if im on the phone

and know what the subject is.

I hear something about it takes 3 months of rapid progress... i'm

not excalty sure what the progress is of - please share your

experiences with me.

I'm not sure how I'll manage without one of my hearing aides since I

understand ALOT better with two hearing aides. This feels like

torture to me at the same time.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 7/25/2004 10:46:14 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

wildbanditkj@... writes:

I hear something about it takes 3 months of rapid progress... i'm

not excalty sure what the progress is of - please share your

experiences with me.

It is true that the first 3 to 6 months, there are rapid progress in most

case, as well as excitements (Honeymoon period). I was born deaf, never in my

wildest dream I would get to talk on phone, but did it on day 2 after

activation.

All my life, I had zero or " worthless " discrimination. By 6th months, I am

hearing and understanding about 35 to 54% depending on which tests, far cry

form 0 to 3% with hearing aid. The figure seems low, but it is GREAT for a

pre-lingual deaf, and I have worn hearing aid for over 40 years, for the sole

purpose of being aware of envirmental sounds.

After the first 3 to 6 months, after rapid progress, it slows down, even

those who been implanted for over 10 years are still improving, it " don't " seems

like it but it is there.

It is natural to be excited and scared, but i have heard over and over,

there are some " wierd calm " in a day or two before surgery, I did!. You will

do

just fine. When you wake up, you might be " drunk " of course. Some people

went back to usual thing the next day, some a few days, but rarely a week.

You ever had broken Hearing Aid? if so, you went without your HA, right?

You will be fine. When I had my surgery, I was worried about not able to

hear, but I find that I hear " no worse " than before, if I wasn't wearing my HA.

You will adapt quickly to one HA.

Good luck on your surgery,

Lee

[Guest guest]

Hi wildband,

My operation was done this past July 12th. The surgery lasted an hour

and a half and I went home about 4 hours later. You will feel sore

and under medication which should make you feel drowsey. You balance

will be off since putting a hole in the Cochlea will send a shock

wave through your audiotory nerves. You may lose so taste too. I did

and it's all coming back slowly now. The taste buds have nerves that

run along the same nerves your audiotory nerves run on. Any kind of

surgery is not all that much fun. My doctor had me take two weeks off

but I was well enough after 9 days. Surgery was on a Monday and then

I went back to work the following week on Thursday. I am doing really

well right now and the small scar on the side of my head is healed up

very nicly. I can't wait for my first mapping on Aug.4th.

I too depended on my hearing out of both of my ears. But the Cochlear

Implant is going to make things better than my old ways and I'm not

worrying about anything because I have so much to look forwards too.

I think you should feel the same way. Just stay positive about it.

You are doing this for a good reason ans that's all you should worry

about.

Good luck

Tad

> So, what was your operation like, how did you react when you woke

> up? How long did it take before you felt like you could go back to

> work? Any suggestions?

>

> I have 3 more days and I'm torn between feeling excited and

> terrified.

>

> I'm extremely dependent on my hearing aides and people tell me I

> have terrific speech so, when I get hooked up, is it more likely

> that I'll be able to understand sounds since i've had " audio

> memory. " I can somewhat understand a couple words if im on the

phone

> and know what the subject is.

>

> I hear something about it takes 3 months of rapid progress... i'm

> not excalty sure what the progress is of - please share your

> experiences with me.

>

> I'm not sure how I'll manage without one of my hearing aides since

I

> understand ALOT better with two hearing aides. This feels like

> torture to me at the same time.

[Guest guest]

Hi Wildband,

First let me congratulate you on making the decision to be

implanted. You're in for some exciting times in the world of sound

and I hope you will share your experiences with us.

what was my operation like?

I went into surgery in the early afternoon; my sister had gone

before me in the morning so we were able to share a room.

Each center is different, and ours is one that required an overnight

stay for which I am thankful because I needed that extra day of rest.

I awoke in quite a bit of pain, but the painm eds did their job and

I was feeling well enough to eat something about 9 in the evening,

but I did sleep most of the time I was there.

I had a big bandage around my head, a mummy wrap I call it so don't

be alarmed if you have this too as it's a pressure bandage that

controls any bleeding there may be after the operation. Mine was

removed in the morning so i didn't have to go home with it on.

It tookme about a week to really feel like my old self but I wasn't

in a great deal of pain once I got home. Had to pace myself for a

few days so I didn't get overtired, because if I got tired, I'd get

a bit dizzy, otherwise all was well except for a slight taste

disturbance that lasted about 2 months.. Nothing that stopped me

from liking my food though<smiles>

After about 4 weeks of healing time i was activated or hooked up.

The rapid adjustment period.. This is the time in which you will go

through programs also called mappings.. very quickly as your brain

adjusts to hearing all the new sounds or sounds you've not heard in

years. Note that this period of time is different for everyone..

some are able to hear and understand sound right away while others

take months or even years. There is no guarantee as to whom will do

well from the start and who won't. I was one of the very fortunate

who was activated.. mapped twice in 2 days, went home and picked up

the telephone, called my dad first and had 95% + speech

comprehension; It just about floored me to know I was hearing so

well so quickly and it's been like that for me ever since.

I did have normal hearing till I was in my early 20's though, so,

yes.. One can have immediate success, and while this isn't the

norm.. It's becoming more common to have it happen that way.

Just try to relax between now and your operation, the operation is

the easy part.. You'll not remember it and you will be in

experienced hands of skilled staff who will be by your side

throughout it all.

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have either here on

the forum or privately.

Where abouts are you being implanted?

I had mine done at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI

Wishing you all the best. Please keep us informed as to how

everything goes and remember, we're here for you, we've taken the

same walk and we've all made it, and are, for the most part

extremely pleased with our results.

Take Care,

Hugs,

Silly MI

In , " wildbanditkj " <wildbanditkj@y...> wrote:

> So, what was your operation like, how did you react when you woke

> up? How long did it take before you felt like you could go back to

> work? Any suggestions?

>

> I have 3 more days and I'm torn between feeling excited and

> terrified.

>