BAHA's

[Guest guest]

Anyone that has had a BAHA implant I need your help.

's BAHA site is infected again. The skin is growing over it and it is

inflammed and looks very angry. We are not using the BAHA and havent for

some time since it was providing no benefit. We are back to using a hearing

aide since her loss is more Neuro.

We are considering having surgery to have it capped off. The screw cannot

come out as it was implanted into her skull. It has given us nothing but

trouble from the beginning. Before we do this, I was wondering if anyone has

any

issues with this. The surgeon who did the BAHA more or less walked away

when she developed problems with it.

Her ENT feels if we will never use it we should have it capped. After all

she has been through with it, I tend to agree. But what if?????????

I would appreciate anyone's feedback with any experiences. The infection is

getting worse instead of better and she flips out when we clean it.

THanks

Cathie, mom to 11 yr CHARGEr

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[Guest guest]

THanks Chantelle for the input.

There is no magnetic device, it is not a Cochlear Implant, but a BAHA. A

BAHA is a screw that it implanted into the skull so you can atttach the hearing

appliance. Bone, Anchored Hearing Appliance.

We are cleaning it 2x/day. Maybe I will try covering it, I thought air to

it may be better, but something seems to be aggravating it agian. ALso, her

hair is very, very long, to her waist!

Thanks

Cathie

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[Guest guest]

and Chantelle,

I never thought of the metal intollerance. That is something worth checking

in to. I cannot wear anything but gold earings, Sterling silver even

upsets and infects my ears.

Thanks -

Cathie

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[Guest guest]

had a silver trach for 10 years. She didn't need to have it that long,

but for us, it allowed

us to manage her so well, along with the gtube, and nobody said to 'get it

out', so we just went

with it. She breathed and talked around it, ate fine by mouth, but they

said 'hang onto everything

till we're sure we're done with all surgeries', so that's what we did.

(no implants-baha, etc.)

;-)

in Ma.

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[Guest guest]

From what ive heard of others, what is the strength of the magnetic device

in her skin? did they try turning that down, ie making it less strong? I

really think (Kennedy's mom) needs to jump in as im just remembering

one of her suggestions.

Im sorry its causing so many problems for .

As for infection... could you try keeping her hair away from he area, and

use antibiotic creams to help it heal? maby regularly disinfect the area

wich im sure your doing, but at night why not have those white gauze pads

cover the area so she dosnt scratch it in her sleep?

ive seen these little " corn remover bandaids " so i was thinking if they had

one that was a large enough O shape, why not use those to put around the

infection but leave the actual infected area clear of bandaid material?

I hope 's infections clear up soon!

(::::[::]::: and (((((hugs)))) for from her CHARGE friend

Chantelle

>

> Anyone that has had a BAHA implant I need your help.

> 's BAHA site is infected again. The skin is growing over it and it

> is

> inflammed and looks very angry. We are not using the BAHA and havent for

> some time since it was providing no benefit. We are back to using

> a hearing

> aide since her loss is more Neuro.

> We are considering having surgery to have it capped off. The

> screw cannot

> come out as it was implanted into her skull. It has given us nothing but

> trouble from the beginning. Before we do this, I was wondering if anyone

> has any

> issues with this. The surgeon who did the BAHA more or less walked away

> when she developed problems with it.

> Her ENT feels if we will never use it we should have it

> capped. After all

> she has been through with it, I tend to agree. But what if?????????

> I would appreciate anyone's feedback with any experiences. The infection

> is

> getting worse instead of better and she flips out when we clean it.

> THanks

> Cathie, mom to 11 yr CHARGEr

> <BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> AOL now offers free

> email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at

> http://www.aol.com.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hmmm kennedy's baha has a magnet that the little box applience sticks in

place. Maby its the hearing box itself that has the magnet that attatches to

the screw.

Im going to leave that thought alone untill or someone elce jumps in. I

know has a friend who has had the same problem with her daughter's baha

as you are experiencing with .

I did wonder out of my own curriosity, what materials/metals is the screw

made with? maby there is something in or around the screw that is irritating

or infecting the area? Could be allergic to the screw at all?

When i mention covering it, I dont mean cover it all day, just when she is

sleeping. Maby while the infection is bad like right now, keep her hair up.

I dunno, your her mom lol you know her best so trust your instincs!

most of my ideas are more applicable to someone like myself who wouldnt mind

if the wound area was cleaned. im not tactaly sensitive around my head and

not much of my neck eather now that im older, but then again, im an adult,

she is still a kid lol. I have a high tolerence for pain so I have to think

harder of better solutions for someone who probably is tactly sensitive or

dosnt have as high of a pain threshold.

Actualy, im not sure my pain threshold is as high as I lead people to

belive, i just put up with it and do a good job of pretending it dosnt hurt

when it hurts very much. I think I may have a discussion with Tim,

our charge family psycology proffessor, about this point. I will leave that

for another post lol.

Anyways take care and I hope someone can give you better advice, im just

interested in the whole conversation. Take care!

Chantelle

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" I let my mind out to wander, and it never came back! " ~ unknown

[Guest guest]

Hi Cathie,

I'm really sorry to hear about the ongoing infection from the BAHA. I hope

there are good answers that help the situation soon.

Chantelle brought up an important point about possible metal allergy.

In our case, metal intolerance, (not allergy), in myself is one of the main

reasons I have not considered a cochlear implant or BAHA for Kendra. After I

made those decisions, based on my own difficulty with metals, such as changes in

skin color and infections, Kendra was also tested to have metal intolerance.

When I wear certain kinds of metals in jewelry, my skin sometimes turns gray or

black around the jewelry and also tends to become infected. Then I feel sick.

If the metal isn't removed quite soon, the 'sickness' turns into a strep

infection. There is also swelling, redness and topical infection.

The diffuculty with metal that we have is related to an immune issue. Kendra is

treated for the immune issue.

My thought is that perhaps, if has the same metal intolerance, and if it

is related to the cause of the continued infection, perhaps she could also be

treated.

We have lots of evidence that Kendra has this kind of difficulty. She was

unable to tolerate a metal trach. It had to be removed immediately as she was

having so much difficulty breathing. And, as I mentioned, she was tested and

shown to have a problem with excreting metals. She has a metal intolerance.

She has a damaged or otherwise affected metallothionein protein.

There is at least one CHARGE child I know that does not seem to have such a

metal intolerance. Yuka, please jump in here to correct me if I'm wrong, but I

believe that did have a metal trach. I don't believe he had difficulties

with it.

I wonder, if a relatively quick solution is nto found, if there is another

surgeon who has had success removing a BAHA. I appreciate you sharing this

information with the list, Cathie, as it gives others an opportunity to consider

various aspects of implants that are not frequently mentioned.

I am hoping and praying, and knowing and believing there is a solution for

's issue.

Love,

BAHA's

Anyone that has had a BAHA implant I need your help.

's BAHA site is infected again. The skin is growing over it and it is

inflammed and looks very angry. We are not using the BAHA and havent for

some time since it was providing no benefit. We are back to using a hearing

aide since her loss is more Neuro.

We are considering having surgery to have it capped off. The screw cannot

come out as it was implanted into her skull. It has given us nothing but

trouble from the beginning. Before we do this, I was wondering if anyone has

any

issues with this. The surgeon who did the BAHA more or less walked away

when she developed problems with it.

Her ENT feels if we will never use it we should have it capped. After all

she has been through with it, I tend to agree. But what if?????????

I would appreciate anyone's feedback with any experiences. The infection is

getting worse instead of better and she flips out when we clean it.

THanks

Cathie, mom to 11 yr CHARGEr

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email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at

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[Guest guest]

When i wrote allergy, your right i ment intollerence, sorry, I couldnt think

of the right word. I have intollerence to some metals too. My mum " i think "

might have mentioned having that, but she was telling me about my copper

ring i had at around age 8 making my finger green.... so that was way to

long ago to remember if she also had a sensitivity. Im just bringing that up

as maby it could be familial with metal sensitivities, that as you said

would be worth considering before people have their children undergo

surgeries.

As i write all these i do have metal screws in my jaw from my jaw opperation

as a teen and ive never had problems with those. It may be the case that

there are different materials they can make the screws out of. I am speaking

with no background on this fact, so dont quote me, but it may be something

parents can discuss with audiologist, the surgon or their pediatrician prior

to surgury where metal would be put inside a person's body.

Anyways take care!

Hopeing things start looking up for and her infection issues.

Chantelle

--

http://spacecatsgarden.blogspot.com/ => My blog space

" I let my mind out to wander, and it never came back! " ~ unknown

[Guest guest]

Cathie,

Kennedy's site goes through the exact same thing off and on (I actually use

that exact word, " angry " to describe it). I would say that if you're sure

you're not going to use it, have it capped off. It's a wound to be cared

for EVERY DAY for as long as she has the abutment and if you're not using

it, I wouldn't want to have that to deal with everyday.

>

> Anyone that has had a BAHA implant I need your help.

> 's BAHA site is infected again. The skin is growing over it and it is

>

> inflammed and looks very angry. We are not using the BAHA and havent for

> some time since it was providing no benefit. We are back to using a

> hearing

> aide since her loss is more Neuro.

> We are considering having surgery to have it capped off. The screw cannot

> come out as it was implanted into her skull. It has given us nothing but

> trouble from the beginning. Before we do this, I was wondering if anyone

> has any

> issues with this. The surgeon who did the BAHA more or less walked away

> when she developed problems with it.

> Her ENT feels if we will never use it we should have it capped. After all

> she has been through with it, I tend to agree. But what if?????????

> I would appreciate anyone's feedback with any experiences. The infection

> is

> getting worse instead of better and she flips out when we clean it.

> THanks

> Cathie, mom to 11 yr CHARGEr

> <BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> AOL now offers free

>

> email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at

> http://www.aol.com.

>

>