The first time was in 1997. When I woke from surgury I was suffering from severe vertigo, and I didn't have to move. It was bad enough that I couldn't leave the hospital for a week. I lost my balance, I had to learn to walk all over again.
I had staples, so within a few days of leaving the hospital they were removed. I had drainage, so my mother and I had to make a 6 hour trip back to the hospital to try and get it cleared up.
5 surguries, 1 picc line, 1 pvc 3 port line, 5 chest tubes, multiple IVIG therapy, IV anitbiotic bad 24/7, hypobaric chamber treatments, and many hospital stays (one lasting for three months), a two week stay in ICU and bells palsey just before the implant was removed three years later in 2000. I was 17 when I got it and 20 when it was removed, and the hospital stays? Lonely, mother couldn't stay with me because of my two brothers at home and dad worked to keep up with the bills.
Picture 2, 3, and 5 shows the result of infection from CI ten years ago, lovely scars aren't they?
Picture 1, and 4 shows the result of my recent implantation on April 23 and June 11, 2010. Nice and clean.
My ears are lopsided now. yay.
This time, they did it in two stages instead of all at once. Instead of staples they used stitches. So far no infections, no dizziness, nothing but good clean healing.
Switch on date is July 14 and 15th of 2010.
One of the risks of receiving a CI is that you can contract Bacterial Meningitis. It is common among CI recipients.
