It's Starting To Sink In

Wow.. it IS actually going to happen! I have a date. I am one month away from surgery and 2 months away from activation. I think now is a time to explain a bit on how this all works.

First of all, everyone is different so there are no guarantees. The right way to go into this is with expectations low but hopes high. I think I have that covered. The way I see it is, I will have sound. It may not be perfect but then again it might. Anything I gain will be a plus!

Next step is surgery. There are plenty of complications that could happen just like with any surgery but I see that as a way to the prize. If by chance things don't go as planned, I am confident that I will still be happy with my decision to do this. The surgery itself takes about 2 hours normally. I posted a video of the surgery in one of my first posts if anyone cares to see it. It is an out-patient surgery that does not usually require a stay at a hospital. Most people do well with this surgery with only minimal discomfort.

Recovery time does vary from person to person. There will be about a 2" incision behind my ear. I will wear a tight bandage for the first 2 days and am told that is when things get better. Once the bandage is off, I can shower, wash my hair (with caution) and start to feel human again. LOL Once the surgery is done and implant in place, we have to wait for it to heal and swelling to go down before activation.

Activation time varies from surgeon to surgeon. My surgeon says 4 weeks. Some people have been activated in as little as a week but that is not the norm.... yet. I don't have my schedule yet so I don't have an exact date for activation but this will be the day I hear my first sounds. Then the work begins.

There is no way to tell what I will hear come activation day. I could start off hearing well and understanding some things but I may only hear "beeps" when there is noise. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It just means I have to work harder. Having a cochlear implant is a whole new way of hearing. My brain may not be able to recognize that. I will have to teach my brain what it is hearing. In time, things will become better, little by little.

I'm not sure which path my journey will take me. I have survived the past two years so I know I can handle whichever way this goes. Anything will be better than the silence I now live in. We shall find out in two months!