Cochlear question

crucking_fazy

crucking_fazy

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Just lost all of my hearing back in October to the point where my powerful HA's don't help no more. My ENT sent a referal to Thomas Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia to start the process of getting a CI as long as there is no problems like calcuim build up or abnormal cochlea or whatever else there is that could prevent me from getting a CI.

My question is: Will i be able to race 4 wheelers after I get my CI? The racing I do is cross country which involves racing in woods where rocks, mud, roots, ruts, water, hills, some jumps, etc and the race can be very rough with all the jarring, shaking, viberations, etc. I have no plans on wearing the processor or whatever it's called, the part that looks like a HA and hangs on your ear. I'm worried about the internal part getting jarred loose or damaged from the rough riding.

Jan. 30th is when i go for my first visit at the hospital. I would like to know as much as possible before i go so i can ask the right questions that matters the most.

Thank you
 
Get a helmet that you can put extra padding in as the only way to damage the internal would be if you hit your head really hard in the internal site. So extra adding in a helmet should protect your head no prob! :)
 
my helmet is already pretty snug and have lots of padding.

another question, how long after surgery do i gotta wait before i can race? I know it's common sense to wait till the cuts heal up. but what about after they heal, how long?
 
that is something you should ask your surgeon. You may have a weight limit for a couple weeks at least. The surgeon will tell you everything you need to know, and/or give you a sheet of paper on what to do after surgery.
 
The usual time frame for your head to heal from Implant surgery is 4 weeks. In my case I could go swimming 2 weeks after operation but had to wait almost 6 months to lift hand weights over my head.
My experience almost 5 1/2 years ago
Good luck in Cochlear Implant journey.
 
crucking_fazy said:
Just lost all of my hearing back in October to the point where my powerful HA's don't help no more. My ENT sent a referal to Thomas Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia to start the process of getting a CI as long as there is no problems like calcuim build up or abnormal cochlea or whatever else there is that could prevent me from getting a CI.

My question is: Will i be able to race 4 wheelers after I get my CI? The racing I do is cross country which involves racing in woods where rocks, mud, roots, ruts, water, hills, some jumps, etc and the race can be very rough with all the jarring, shaking, viberations, etc. I have no plans on wearing the processor or whatever it's called, the part that looks like a HA and hangs on your ear. I'm worried about the internal part getting jarred loose or damaged from the rough riding.

Jan. 30th is when i go for my first visit at the hospital. I would like to know as much as possible before i go so i can ask the right questions that matters the most.

Thank you
Click to expand...

I call it the speech processor. Regardless, the internal implant should be fine unless you hit your head directly where it is located. It won't become loose or anything as the tissue grows over it and holds it into place. Also, there are some YouTube videos on implantation and you can actually see them stitching it into place.
My advice is to buy a good, high quality helmet with lots of padding and ride carefully.
 
It has been about 7 months since my CI surgery. My skull is still pretty sore in places where they shave your skull for surgery. Also behind my ear is still sensitive where they shaved the bone to make room for the processor since I have tiny ears. Every surgeon is different, every patient is different and all recoveries are different.

Good luck on whatever path you choose!!
 
crucking_fazy said:
My question is: Will i be able to race 4 wheelers after I get my CI? The racing I do is cross country which involves racing in woods where rocks, mud, roots, ruts, water, hills, some jumps, etc and the race can be very rough with all the jarring, shaking, viberations, etc. I have no plans on wearing the processor or whatever it's called, the part that looks like a HA and hangs on your ear. I'm worried about the internal part getting jarred loose or damaged from the rough riding.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you are not the kind of person that takes it easy after surgeries....like me. I took a 3-day motorcycle class about 4 days after I had my gallbladder removed. I was back at work 3 days after my first CI surgery, and 2 days after my second CI surgery. :lol:

Anyway, your surgeon will tell you no lifting heavy stuff, no hardcore sex, etc, etc, for a couple weeks or so. Really, the part that is going to affect you is your cochlear fluid balance....you need to wait until your cochlea fills back up with fluid before your sense of balance is restored, and I would wait a few days to allow your skin to form scar tissue around the cochlea so that nothing moves. It is not like you need to be immobile for a few days, but I would hold off the extreme activities for 3-5 days.
 
Thanks everyone, now I am feeling better about this CI surgery as it looks like I don't have to give up my favorite hobby. I was worried about having to give it all up or can't race for a long time for whatever reasons. My race season don't start till late march, so if i get the surgery soon, I can miss a few months of racing if I have to in order to get a lifetime of some hearing back.

Green427, you are right, i'm not the kind of a guy that can take it easy after surgery or injury... i get ansty and miserable just sitting around doing nothing. I once nearly got my finger amputated from a work related accident (not my fault or caused by being HOH), and had to have emergency surgery. I was playing a hockey tournament two days later. lol. I once broke a bone in my hand and had a cast on for one whole day and took it off so i could go back and play hockey. lol. Also broke my finger during a professional tournament, taped it up and kept on playing.

I find it funny when you all tell me i can't lift weights over my head after surgery. It's not like I'm going to lift my 400lbs race quad over my head when racing. lol. j/k
 
Green427, how long does it take about to get your balance back, especially waiting for the cochlear fluid balance to come back?
 
Crucking...Was implanted in May 2012, still having occasional balance problems and some soreness after sleeping all night. I am grateful that CI's are available as an option to restoring my hearing. I am going bilateral in Feb., looking forward to it. Hope you have great success!!
 
woodstockman said:
Crucking...Was implanted in May 2012, still having occasional balance problems and some soreness after sleeping all night. I am grateful that CI's are available as an option to restoring my hearing. I am going bilateral in Feb., looking forward to it. Hope you have great success!!
Click to expand...

what do you mean you are going bilateral? Does that mean having two CI's instead of one?
 
If one doesn't lift hand weights over one's head than the matter is hypothetical. There is a "slight risk" of splitting the "stitches/healing" which would require a quick visit to emergency to "restitch"!

In my case accepted what my surgeon said. I deemed it not a major problem considering I was able to resume swimming within 2 weeks of the Implant operation.

This was over 5 years ago.
 
Hey crucking, good luck on qualifying for a CI! I think that's awesome.

I was first implanted in April 2000 and became bilateral in Sept 2011. I'm too a very active outdoors person and used to worry about any impact on my implant whenever I played softball or basketball. Over time my worries lessened to the point I don't even think about it anymore. Since you probably have to wear helmets to race, your implant will be protected from an impact anyway plus, if it's properly nested, it will not become loose no matter how jarring the ride.

If you do qualify for a CI and become implanted, I strongly recommend you follow your surgeon's instructions on when it's safe to go racing again.

As for not wearing a processor while racing, that's certainly your prerogative. However, there is a CI company that makes a processor that is waterproof and dust, even mud, proof. It is an off-the-ear processor, i.e., it is not behind-the-ear. I have that processor (in fact, two) and I use it to go wetsuiting in the ocean to swim to boulders off the beach fishing for striped bass and bluefish. I can clip it to my wetsuit without fear of losing it in the water. It takes a pounding from the salt water and big waves and rocks without complaint. So, chances are pretty good it will take lickings from you racing. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to race and hear at the same time? :)

Please do keep us posted on your CI evaluation process.
 
Thanks Geoff. The more research I do on CI's and the more ppl telling me it will be okay, the more confident I get and excited to be implanted. There is no doubt I will follow my surgeon instructions... this cost too much to mess with if it is not ready for the races.
I did see some information about them processors being water, mud, etc proof and that is fricking awesome. If I get a processor that I can use in races, the ones that are water, mud, dust proof.... I definitely would wear it. I hated it when I cannot hear anything behind me. I constantly have to keep looking behind me on tight trails to let faster racers (professionals or better riders) pass me. I cannot wait for Jan. 30th to come to get this ball rolling and get implanted if I pass all the tests. I don't see a problem why not...HA's stopped working for me back in Oct. of 2012... Haven't heard a thing since.
Anyways, how was blue fishing this season? I used to go many years ago and man.... they are strong fish pound for pound. First time i ever hooked one at age 12, it nearly pulled me over the railing of a charter boat. I couldn't believe it when it was only a 21 pounder that nearly put my 120lb ass in the sea. lol.
I plan on going back to the mudhole off of NJ someday...
 
You're welcome, crucking! I know how hard it is to be or almost completely deaf. It's not alot of fun. I was completely deaf for 59 days at one point and although I still functioned and was able to continue to be productive at work thanks to lipreading, it was exhausting and isolating.

I can't believe you said the "mudhole", lol! I go on a part boat one or twice a year to fish the Mudhole for monster blues. This past summer was very good in terms of size and quantity. I hooked some so big they straightened out the hook! :-o We should get together one day next summer. :)

I think you've got the right idea about wanting to hear while racing. I believe hearing makes you more aware of your surroundings and you perform better at whatever activity you participate in. Hearing also helps give you that sense of security of being engaged with sounds. Be able to hear with a CI processor while sweating bullets playing softball in summer heat and humidity was certainly a far better alternative than not wearing it. I felt much more a part of my team and the game than not. I was able to get all dirty sliding into bases or diving for groundballs without worrying any damage to the dustproof processor. It was an amazing feeling to be that worry free while wearing any hearing device.

Feel free to email me at gturner1956@gmail.com to ask me any questions or concerns about going through the CI evaluation process, surgery and CI options available to you.
 
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