Cochlear Implantation Surgery 7/28/15

ambrosia

ambrosia

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Long time no see guys! So this has been a long road for me, but I have a date.

I went for a cochlear implant evaluation back in March. I'm posting the results of that. My audiogram was basically blank. Most of you guys probably can read it, but if you can't those arrows at the bottom of the circles mean no response.......which was basically my whole audiogram. In the second pic you can see I only responded to the tones twice, once in a frequency with one ear and on in the other. My hearing loss in my right ear has caught up to my left in the last year/year and a half. My speech recognition scores wearing my hearing aids was 0. I actually didn't even know we were doing that part of the test :shock: I could hear her talking but it sounded like it was in another room, I thought she was just talking to my mom and the other audiologist that in the room.

so here they are
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With my otosclerosis my doctor thought we should try a stapedectomy first, to see if we could get my hearing up to wear hearing aids could help again. Actually they kind of have to, it's less invasive and a step that could avoid a CI, so you do what you gotta do. We did my left ear, just one, to see how it'd do. We did that on May 7th.

Some happy pics :)

Pre Surgery

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Post Surgery

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I had to wait 6 weeks post surgery to do follow up hearing tests and try a hearing aid. It didn't work so great, which didn't surprise me at all. I gained about 15 db but it wasn't enough to get me out of profound range sooooooo onward to a CI. I've opted for an AB implant. I'll probably be around more asking questions and whatnot.

The x's are my left ear, the one that got the stapedectomy. I need a new mold, maybe that will make the hearing aid sound better but right now it sounds awful, it's crackly and staticy. I think it's feedbacking but it doesn't sound like squealing, it sounds like constant crackly static....which is feedback but just not sounding right. I'm not in a hurry though. I haven't worn that hearing aid in forever and my right ear I haven't worn the hearing aid for it in months.

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It's weird lately. For 20 years my right ear has been my good ear and my left my bad one. But since the surgery they've switched. I can hear some things without an aid in it. Very loud sounds, and sharp ones, like clapping (if it's close to me), things banging together, glass on glass, metal on metal etc. It's been a couple months since the surgery and it still freaks me out, makes me jump. I'm still announcing when I heard something "I heard that!" but not as often :) I imagine that will get worse after I'm activated and I will become stupendously annoying.
 
Welcome back Ambrosia and good luck with your surgery. I just had my second CI done four days ago.
 
If the CI surgery is successful you won't even bother using a hearing aid in the other ear at all anymore. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
 
Welcome back... fingers cross for success! :)
 
will cross my fingers for you! :)

Good to see you poking your head in too.
 
things will be fine look forward to next posthttp://www.alldeaf.com/images/icons/icon14.gif
 
Welcome back ambrosia.....
(Lights a joint....ponders deep msyteries.....)...
Uh..mmm,
Sign will.....(eheh)
 
AlleyCat said:
Good luck! Hadn't seen you here lately.
Click to expand...

Nah, I got really busy at work, busy working out and busy Netflix binging :D Just busy, and got out of the habit of checking in here. I think it might have been a much needed break from here.

Thank you!! Thanks everybody :D I am very excited
 
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You should head on over to AB's Hearing Journey as well as you can get some good information specific to AB there. Good luck with your surgery!!
 
Ambrosia: much success in the forthcoming operation so that you feel /know it was worthwhile as you recover.
Cheers for a speedy recovery.
 
update, surgery went very well according to the Doc :D He scraped out the otosclerosis and the electrodes went in like a charm. That's great news, I was worried about that. He said the scraping may give me facial spasms, none so far, but that may be after I'm turned on, so we'll see. Some pics

coming out of anesthesia
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Right after I pulled the dressing off
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After I showered, it looks better already :) wicked happy with the job he did on my incision and shaving my hair
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little bit of a close up here on the bruising and swelling on my neck, that's sore but I think will be doing better soon.
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All in all I'm doing great. I have an activation date for August 12th :D:D
 
Oh one more pic, on the drive home. I could not wait to get that thing off my head by the next day, well earlier today. It was just squeezing the hell out of me, so damn uncomfortable. At the point of taking this pic it wasn't bothering me too much haha

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WOW....your surgery site looks amazing. So happy to hear you are doing so well. You're so lucky the surgeon didn't go crazy with the shaving of your hair. Surgeons are so different when it comes to CI surgery and activation time frame. My surgeon makes me wait a total of six weeks before activation. I'm hoping to convince him to do it sooner. Best of luck to you on this new journey. I think you will do great.
 
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