48 hours from now I will be in surgery. Wow! This REALLY is going to happen! I am not nervous about the surgery, just as I thought. I am however becoming more and more anxious. Not about the surgery but instead about the outcome once it is activated. I am rested now, having a few days off. Not working gives me lots of time to think.. not always a good thing! LOL
There was a sign I saw on facebook a week or so ago that I also posted there. This is what it said..
Dear Past: Thank you for your lessons
Dear Future: I'm ready
Dear God: Thank you for another chance
This really hit home with me. I hope to take this chance and run with it.
I must have been good this year! Christmas was very nice and I was so surprised at all the acts of kindness. I bought myself a Kindle. I have never owned any of the electronic gadgets but this purchase is to help me with rehab. I absolutely love this little thing! Confusing at first but once I got it all straight, it is something I should have already had. Who knew? I do read a lot and this will sure be nice compared to having a book in tow. It will also read to me which is where rehab comes in. I can follow along with text to try to understand what I am hearing. I also got a gift card, basket of baked goodies, a candle and some PJ's.
As you can see, I am rambling! Jumping from one thing to another, I probably shouldn't be posting. I decided to go ahead so years from now I can look back and see where I was. Anxious, anxious! I think that best describes what I am feeling. Tomorrow I will see that everything is done before surgery. Cleaning, laundry etc. I had the arm from my glasses removed so I can see after surgery. I have my neck pillow, dry/erase board and comfy clothes all together. I have stocked up on soups, yogurts etc. I can't think of anything else I need to do but I am sure there is something!
We are not getting a room in Tampa so Tuesday morning I will be leaving the house at 3am, at the hospital by 5:15 and surgery at 7:30. I am glad it will be an early day. By lunchtime we should be heading for home. :-)
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Pre-Op Is Done
My day started at 3:30am this morning. Tampa is 2 hours from here with NO traffic and you just never know about I-4. Morning appointments I leave 3 hours early and usually make it with a few minutes to spare. I hate being late. I also don't like to throw on clothes and out the door...
I left here at 5am for a 8am appointment. Being that early I didn't hit much traffic (*note to self*) so arrived in time to have breakfast first. Glad I did! I don't know if any of you have been to Tampa General or not but it is like a city in itself. There is even a Starbucks there. When I am done with the doctor, nurses and paperwork, I am off to the hospital to get pre-admitted. These ladies I dealt with at the hospital were amazing! Not one of them cared that I could not understand a word they said, they just waved it off and said "we will make it work". And we did! My only real fear in all of this is waking up from surgery with everyone wearing masks and me not knowing what anyone is saying. I was assured this will not happen. I can't wait to see how this works out. I do have a dry/erase board I will be taking with me just in case.
Finished up there and everything completed now. I stopped on the way home and I have all the meds. I need. I also stopped and got the arm removed from my glasses so I will be able to see after surgery. I think everything is covered now and six days to go.
Surgery will be at 7:30 Tuesday morning and I have to be there at 5:15. I am still debating on getting a room or leaving from home at 3am....
I left here at 5am for a 8am appointment. Being that early I didn't hit much traffic (*note to self*) so arrived in time to have breakfast first. Glad I did! I don't know if any of you have been to Tampa General or not but it is like a city in itself. There is even a Starbucks there. When I am done with the doctor, nurses and paperwork, I am off to the hospital to get pre-admitted. These ladies I dealt with at the hospital were amazing! Not one of them cared that I could not understand a word they said, they just waved it off and said "we will make it work". And we did! My only real fear in all of this is waking up from surgery with everyone wearing masks and me not knowing what anyone is saying. I was assured this will not happen. I can't wait to see how this works out. I do have a dry/erase board I will be taking with me just in case.
Finished up there and everything completed now. I stopped on the way home and I have all the meds. I need. I also stopped and got the arm removed from my glasses so I will be able to see after surgery. I think everything is covered now and six days to go.
Surgery will be at 7:30 Tuesday morning and I have to be there at 5:15. I am still debating on getting a room or leaving from home at 3am....
Friday, December 16, 2011
11 Days Until Surgery!!.... almost 10 now :-)
I only have 3 more days to work! I will be so glad when those days are done because work has been really stressful. I got an email today from the surgery coordinator saying my pre-op has been rescheduled. I will go Wednesday at 8am and since it is in Tampa, I will have to take that day off work and leave home at 5am. LOL Wednesday will be the perfect day to do this though. I can make it through two days then get a break and only have one more day to do. I will make it! The good thing too is we are off work the week of my surgery so I may not miss any work if I do well with surgery. I just have to wait and see. I am so looking forward to having this done that I don't think I will get nervous at all about surgery. My surgeon is one of the best in the country so I know I am in good hands there.
My nerves will come into play when it is time for activation. That is the moment of truth. Will I hit the jackpot as so many have that I know? Or will it be a ways down the road before I can make sense of what I am hearing? There is no way to predict the outcome. Everyone is different. I am willing to work however hard I have to to make this work for me but will that be enough? We shall find out the end of January.
I got the sweetest gift in the mail last week. A total surprise. There is a lady that is local (Orlando) that I have been talking to online. She is a month ahead of me in getting a CI and she will be activated next week. We have talked a bit and she offered to send me a few things I would need for surgery since she is seeing the same surgeon I am. This consisted of pre surgery body wash, RX ointment for the wound and nausea pills in case I need them. That in itself was very sweet of her. Low and behold when the package arrived there was more. She also included a beautiful Christmas card, a dry/erase board to take to the hospital and the most comfy PJ's you have ever worn! This package brought tears to my eyes. Once I am activated, we are going to have to meet for lunch sometime to see if we can hear each other. This will be great fun!
My nerves will come into play when it is time for activation. That is the moment of truth. Will I hit the jackpot as so many have that I know? Or will it be a ways down the road before I can make sense of what I am hearing? There is no way to predict the outcome. Everyone is different. I am willing to work however hard I have to to make this work for me but will that be enough? We shall find out the end of January.
I got the sweetest gift in the mail last week. A total surprise. There is a lady that is local (Orlando) that I have been talking to online. She is a month ahead of me in getting a CI and she will be activated next week. We have talked a bit and she offered to send me a few things I would need for surgery since she is seeing the same surgeon I am. This consisted of pre surgery body wash, RX ointment for the wound and nausea pills in case I need them. That in itself was very sweet of her. Low and behold when the package arrived there was more. She also included a beautiful Christmas card, a dry/erase board to take to the hospital and the most comfy PJ's you have ever worn! This package brought tears to my eyes. Once I am activated, we are going to have to meet for lunch sometime to see if we can hear each other. This will be great fun!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Quick Update
I got another email from my audie yesterday. She said they have not been trained yet to program the Neptune so she is not able to order it. But... she will order the BTE for me and when the Neptune is available, I will be able to upgrade! It may happen by the time I am activated which is Jan. 26th but she can not say for sure. Doesn't matter to me when, at least I know I can have it! I am still excited!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Neptune!
Neptune... this is the name of the sound processor I will be getting. I am very excited about it for many reasons. This processor is not a BTE (behind the ear) processor. It is what is called a BWP (body worn processor). I really think this will be the best option for me because I was never comfortable with my old hearing aids. I wore them of course so I could hear but it was not comfortable. It is not a vanity thing at all. I would strap bullhorns on my head if it meant I could hear! LOL
Technology has come a long way. This processor is the size of a tube of lipstick! There will be lots of options as to where I can wear it. This is powered by one AAA battery. You can use disposable or rechargeable batteries. This is a great option! There will be no worry of "do I have the charger with me?" I will always be able to hear. Another great feature this baby has is it is water PROOF! I can go swimming and still be able to hear! This is the only processor that offers that.
This processor was just approved by the FDA last week. Maybe this is the reason my journey has taken so long. I do believe things happen for a reason so maybe this is it. I wasn't sure if I would be able to get this one but my audie says I can. I am happy! 21 days to go.....
Technology has come a long way. This processor is the size of a tube of lipstick! There will be lots of options as to where I can wear it. This is powered by one AAA battery. You can use disposable or rechargeable batteries. This is a great option! There will be no worry of "do I have the charger with me?" I will always be able to hear. Another great feature this baby has is it is water PROOF! I can go swimming and still be able to hear! This is the only processor that offers that.
This processor was just approved by the FDA last week. Maybe this is the reason my journey has taken so long. I do believe things happen for a reason so maybe this is it. I wasn't sure if I would be able to get this one but my audie says I can. I am happy! 21 days to go.....
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Counting The Days Once Again
I can actually start counting the days until surgery. Wow! This has been a VERY long journey and I am so glad to finally know it is going to happen. I am putting in a lot of over time at work or this would probably be more but exhaustion is coming into play here. Along with that the tinnitus is roaring away. At times the "commentators" in my head are trying to get louder than the roar, it is quite a battle. I worry it will get worse after surgery. I'm not sure I will deal well with that. I hope I can handle it. 28 days to go...
Thursday, November 24, 2011
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!
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!
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