Surgery Day

etalton,

Glad the surgery went well. I found it hard to open my jaw after surgery but this seemed to go away after 48 hours. I massaged my jaw very gently and it helped.I also slept in a recliner for 4 days after the surgery and It helped with the swelling. Just take it easy and keep us posted!
 
Hey, good to hear it went well. Hope the site heals without any problems. If you seen what Surgeon does to your head and positions and pressure to surrounding areas and laser cutting of connective tissure not to mention nerve branches, I am suprised people don't hurt longer afterwards. Im sure you cannot wait till activation and mapping starts.
 
hohDougRN said:
Hey, good to hear it went well. Hope the site heals without any problems. If you seen what Surgeon does to your head and positions and pressure to surrounding areas and laser cutting of connective tissure not to mention nerve branches, I am suprised people don't hurt longer afterwards. Im sure you cannot wait till activation and mapping starts.
Click to expand...

hohDougRN,

If you don't mind my asking, what part does laser cutting of connective tissue and/or nerve branches have in CI surgery? My understanding is that the surgeon drills into the mastoid bone creating a hole so that electrodes can be inserted into the cochlea. Could you explain further, please? Thanks! :)

By the way, my second CI surgery was captured on camera because of a news story the media wanted to do about CIs. My surgeon offered to give me a copy of it on VHS, but I refused since I wouldn't be able to see it anyway and I don't think anyone else I know (family, friends) would be interested in watching it either.
 
My surgeon told me up front the first day that they would be cutting a nerve completely. He said they used to "push" it out of the way, but patients complained of a metallic taste that just didn't seem to go away. One snip of that nerve, and no metallic taste and other nerves pick up the slack. Don't know about any others though...
 
set2 said:
etalton,

Glad the surgery went well. I found it hard to open my jaw after surgery but this seemed to go away after 48 hours. I massaged my jaw very gently and it helped.I also slept in a recliner for 4 days after the surgery and It helped with the swelling. Just take it easy and keep us posted!
Click to expand...

The jaw seems the worst of my little problems, but I think that is also due to TMJ that I have, my jaw often bothers me. It is feeling better already and I have not taken any pills other than a few tylenol for the discomfort. Thanks...
 
hohDougRN said:
Hey, good to hear it went well. Hope the site heals without any problems. If you seen what Surgeon does to your head and positions and pressure to surrounding areas and laser cutting of connective tissure not to mention nerve branches, I am suprised people don't hurt longer afterwards. Im sure you cannot wait till activation and mapping starts.
Click to expand...

I have to agree with you there. Just reading what the surgeon needed extra in the operating room told me I should be having more pain. Microscopes and nerve something or others..can't remember the name. And when you consider they peel your scalp back, etc..it can boggle the mind. Or as my youngest put it, after watching a CI implant done online, "OMG, it was freakin gross!!"
And that was just days before my surgery...Got to love your children..
 
I have only watched 1 CI operation in Operating Room in my life, I don't remember if laser used. It is used a lot in microsurgeries, neurosurgeries, vascular surgeries.
 
etalton said:
I have to agree with you there. Just reading what the surgeon needed extra in the operating room told me I should be having more pain. Microscopes and nerve something or others..can't remember the name. And when you consider they peel your scalp back, etc..it can boggle the mind. Or as my youngest put it, after watching a CI implant done online, "OMG, it was freakin gross!!"
And that was just days before my surgery...Got to love your children..
Click to expand...

Ewww! Based on your description, I'm glad I can't see CI surgery for myself. :giggle:
 
etalton said:
The jaw seems the worst of my little problems, but I think that is also due to TMJ that I have, my jaw often bothers me. It is feeling better already and I have not taken any pills other than a few tylenol for the discomfort. Thanks...
Click to expand...

Wow, etalton. It sounds like you're doing really well pain-wise. After both of my CI surgeries, I ended up taking Vicodin for up to 3 days.
 
Well, part of me just hates the idea of taking the drugs. And, since it's not really so much painful as just uncomfortable, pain pills aren't going to fix that.
All I am taking is the anti bio, and I am happy with that.
 
etalton said:
Well, part of me just hates the idea of taking the drugs. And, since it's not really so much painful as just uncomfortable, pain pills aren't going to fix that.
All I am taking is the anti bio, and I am happy with that.
Click to expand...

There is a reason they give it to you. I took them for the first 5 days. It allows your body to heal so you do not have to focus on that pain. it also let me sleep some. The bilateral was so hard to get comfortable and I didn't sleep for days.
 
Etalton,

I don't want to sound like a nag, but you'll feel better if you take your pain meds. After I took mine, I felt absolutely no pain. It made eating, sleeping and daily activities so much easier.

You'll want to nip the pain in the bud before it gets to the point where it's intolerable. If that happens, it may take awhile before you experience any relief.
 
Congratulations! Glad to hear you are doing well. Best wishes with activation!
 
I will take that under advisement but it is amazing how much better I feel now that the bandage is off and I have been able to unbend my ear. Poor thing was in the most horrid shape. :giggle:
 
etalton said:
I will take that under advisement but it is amazing how much better I feel now that the bandage is off and I have been able to unbend my ear. Poor thing was in the most horrid shape. :giggle:
Click to expand...

That's good, etalton. I can still remember how good I felt once my bandages were removed. After my first surgery, the bandage was wrapped so tightly against my forehead that it actually caused me pain. After my second surgery, it happened again. As a result, I woke up in recovery with a migraine.
 
Etalton..yeah I remember..I had stopped the painkillers as soon as I had the bandage removed.

My ear was that too out of shape and still has a crease in the ear holes for earrings.but it's nothing in front of the miracle of hearing!

I'm glad you are feeling better!!

HearAgain , I had gotten an migraine on the night before the day we removed the bandage.only an painkiller in my IV made it more tolerable.
 
Vivie said:
Etalton..yeah I remember..I had stopped the painkillers as soon as I had the bandage removed.

My ear was that too out of shape and still has a crease in the ear holes for earrings.but it's nothing in front of the miracle of hearing!

I'm glad you are feeling better!!

HearAgain , I had gotten an migraine on the night before the day we removed the bandage.only an painkiller in my IV made it more tolerable.
Click to expand...

Vivie,

You mentioned an IV. Was this when you were in the hospital?

What happened to me was kind of strange. I woke up with a migraine in recovery, but didn't realize it was a migraine because of how groggy I was. Nurses gave me several doses of Tylenol, but it didn't help the pain. It wasn't until very late in the evening on the day of my surgery (when I was more alert) that I realized what was going on. I told my nurse I had a migraine and was given my prescription of Imitrex which killed the migraine in less than 15 minutes.
 
Hello HearAgain..yeah I was still at hospital , as I had some severe bleeding in operation..so I was kept inside , for 15 days..on the 5th day I was ready to audition for the Spiderman movie..lol! was going stir crazy inside!

fortunately...the time passed with Dr.House...but when they told me that I'm released I had the papers ready in less than 5 minutes! LOL!

If I'm not rude what's a bipolar Survivor ?
 
Vivie said:
If I'm not rude what's a bipolar Survivor ?
Click to expand...

It's an expression that means a person has "survived" the awful and unpredictable mood swings/symptoms of bipolar disorder. (Bipolar is a mental illness characterized by extreme happiness, high energy and restlessness also known as "mania" or depression and anger/agitation/irritability also known as "depression."). If you know someone who has bipolar, then you'll know exactly what it means to be a "bipolar survivor." Does this help clarify? :)
 
Back
Top