My time has come!

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My CI date is March 18th - I have so many mixed feelings;
nervous, worried, scared, excited, dreaming of better hearing, improving
quality of life, teary eyes, happy, eager, the list is endless.

I have been reading so many threads here at All-deaf. The more that I
read, the more I want the same successful results. Thank you all for
sharing your journey's with us here online.
 
Wishing you a very successful journey and much happiness! Congrats and keep AD'ers updated too. :thumb:




:)
~RR
 
SuziMaria said:
My CI date is March 18th - I have so many mixed feelings;
nervous, worried, scared, excited, dreaming of better hearing, improving
quality of life, teary eyes, happy, eager, the list is endless.

I have been reading so many threads here at All-deaf. The more that I
read, the more I want the same successful results. Thank you all for
sharing your journey's with us here online.
Click to expand...

I remember you. Best wishes with it all. It seems the key to success is to be patient with yourself. Be prepared for it to sound horrible to start off with but then have the expectation that things will get better.
 
Thank you! Ive waited a year for this date and now it has come!
I pray this implant will be successful. I have nothing to lose and no way to go
but UP! :)
 
SuziMaria said:
My CI date is March 18th - I have so many mixed feelings;
nervous, worried, scared, excited, dreaming of better hearing, improving
quality of life, teary eyes, happy, eager, the list is endless.

I have been reading so many threads here at All-deaf. The more that I
read, the more I want the same successful results. Thank you all for
sharing your journey's with us here online.
Click to expand...

I wish you a wonderful journey. And please give yourself time to adapt and learn to use the device. :)
 
Best of success in your endeavors!

As others have said, be patience and you will be pleasantly surprised.
 
ooo good luck with the surgery and activation and everything! I, myself, am still working on getting funding of some sort for a CI myself.
 
Im home! Is it normal to have black & blue eye? Im just so uncomfortable,
can't sleep and boy does my body hurt like if I were run over by a truck.
Should I call my doctor?
 
Yes black and blue eye is normal. Some people have different ways of healing. My neck had a huge yellowy bruise and a small bruise above my eye due to the electrical simulation they use on my face so the doctor knows exactly what facial nerves to avoid. I did not have a black and blue eye, but I know a few people that did.

Yes it's normal that you will feel very "uncomfortable" for a few days. I find putting my head on a bunch of down pillows, and resting on a very soft couch helps a lot.

if you're feeling a lot of PAIN...do not get them mixed up with being uncomfortable...and the pain meds are not helping, then go tell the doctor.

If you find yourself that you cannot sleep well, maybe you can ask your doctor to prescribe you a mild sleeping pill. I know I had a difficult time sleeping well during the night (mind you, I suffer from insomnia at the same time).

If you find your neck feeling stiff/sore...try to "stretch" it out a little. Turn your head sideways a few times. Over time it will get better...it's because you're laying down on the operating table and having your neck turned for a few hours...so it's bound to be stiff.

I found what helps is putting an ice bag on my implanted side, and sleeping on the couch (due to restricted movement, so I have my back against the back of the couch...if that makes any sense), and popping in my pain meds every 5 to 6 hours. After about 3 to 4 days, i was able to get up and move around, slowly. Then 1 week afterwards I was able to drive, do some stuff (although my head was itching and had slight pings of pains...ice packs helped!). 2 weeks afterwards, I was pretty much fully healed. Can't wait for my second one. LOL!

Watch a lot of movies, and just chhhiiiiiillllllllllllllll! :) It will get better...the pain will be all worth it. Even now, looking back, I'm thinking...wow, I don't remember!
 
Whoa. I'm wayyyy behind!!! I had no idea. Congrats, SuziMaria! You've had your CI surgery two days ago, how are you feeling? When do you get turend on?

I was the same way, before I had my 1st CI surgery last year, I spent many hours reading various threads & everything I could about CI's. Many many long nights at the puter wanting to make sure I made the right decision for me, and I truly feel I did. It's one of the best decisions I've ever made. :)

SuziMaria said:
My CI date is March 18th - I have so many mixed feelings;
nervous, worried, scared, excited, dreaming of better hearing, improving
quality of life, teary eyes, happy, eager, the list is endless.

I have been reading so many threads here at All-deaf. The more that I
read, the more I want the same successful results. Thank you all for
sharing your journey's with us here online.
Click to expand...
 
Thank you Lady Sekhmet. My eyes are much better now. I did rest and get comfty for the last two days. Took the head dressings off today and washed my hair, boy did that feel really good! Now I can wear my glasses to read the computer screen. :) The surgern harly cut my hair! Im trying to locate my implant but can't find it! Ha! I see the markings right behind my ear lobe but not on my skull.

My activation date is April 3. Im so eager and excited, nervous too. I have no idea what to expect. I can only pray this implant is my answer to better hearing. I certainly would be happier with more than I have at the moment.

Thank you all for guiding me and answering my questions. You have all been such a great help.
Hugs, Suzi
 
Glad the surgery went well and you didn't lose much of your hair!

With activation, things won't sound too hot to begin with (in fact it will sound horrible!) but if you are expecting this then it won't be such a big shock to you. However, things will likely start to get a lot better and you'll get into the kid with a new toy stage. I suggest keeping a journal, so that you can mark your trials, tribulations and progress over the weeks.
 
R2D2, When I first got my 2 Opticon Sumo digital hearing aids, female voices sounded
manish and unclear. Later I started picking up unexpected sentences from behind me
not lip reading and things got better. This is sort of what Im expecting with the
CI. I was listening to my old 70's music CD's in my car and life seemed wonderful
and I was on the waiting list for the CI.

I had a head scan on the left ear (my favorite ear) getting ready for the implant and there showed up a mass right near my ear bones where the CI would have been planted.
I had a biospy on this mass and loss all my hearing in the left ear. No, Thank God there is no cancer or tumor. This happened just recently. The biospy was in Novemeber 2007. The surgern's risk was only 1% that I could lose my hearing. The tennitus in my left ear is overwhelming and unbearable. The digital aids was helping with the tennitus.

My surgern deceided to go with the right ear for the CI - a last minute decision.

You're right, I might keep a journal. :)

I have a question regarding the CI. I work in a restaurant, all around kitchen help; cooking, chopping, refrigerator, dishwasher, baking, serving, all of it. Im wondering
if I should tell my boss that I can not use the dishwasher because of the steam would be
damaging to the CI? And what about the cooking over the grill/fire smoke? Anyone
experience this? Wondering what I should do about my job? Or leave my CI at home?
 
SuziMaria said:
R2D2, When I first got my 2 Opticon Sumo digital hearing aids, female voices sounded
manish and unclear. Later I started picking up unexpected sentences from behind me
not lip reading and things got better. This is sort of what Im expecting with the
CI. I was listening to my old 70's music CD's in my car and life seemed wonderful
and I was on the waiting list for the CI.

I had a head scan on the left ear (my favorite ear) getting ready for the implant and there showed up a mass right near my ear bones where the CI would have been planted.
I had a biospy on this mass and loss all my hearing in the left ear. No, Thank God there is no cancer or tumor. This happened just recently. The biospy was in Novemeber 2007. The surgern's risk was only 1% that I could lose my hearing. The tennitus in my left ear is overwhelming and unbearable. The digital aids was helping with the tennitus.

My surgern deceided to go with the right ear for the CI - a last minute decision.

You're right, I might keep a journal. :)

I have a question regarding the CI. I work in a restaurant, all around kitchen help; cooking, chopping, refrigerator, dishwasher, baking, serving, all of it. Im wondering
if I should tell my boss that I can not use the dishwasher because of the steam would be
damaging to the CI? And what about the cooking over the grill/fire smoke? Anyone
experience this? Wondering what I should do about my job? Or leave my CI at home?
Click to expand...
Currently all of three brands are water resistant now. I believe you could be able to wear CI at your workplace. I doubt it's preventing you from wearing it but a improvement! Do a test trial and see how it fares for you. (of course after you are activated)

I used to work in restaurant before but I was wearing HA that time, it did not affect my HA so I treat it the same with my CI if I were to work in restaurant again. (I love to cook so it's not affecting me in my own kitchen at home eh)

I am sure there will be a ease of communication in workplace once you get used to your new implant.
 
SuziMaria said:
My surgern deceided to go with the right ear for the CI - a last minute decision.

You're right, I might keep a journal. :)

I have a question regarding the CI. I work in a restaurant, all around kitchen help; cooking, chopping, refrigerator, dishwasher, baking, serving, all of it. Im wondering
if I should tell my boss that I can not use the dishwasher because of the steam would be
damaging to the CI? And what about the cooking over the grill/fire smoke? Anyone
experience this? Wondering what I should do about my job? Or leave my CI at home?
Click to expand...

The Freedom processor have a special micorphone cover, user replaceable that can act like a grease trap when working in the restaurant. You may have to replace the mic covers more frequently. Usually those covers last roughly two months for me. The biggest issue I would have if I was working in the restaurant is all the noise and specially the frying noise will drive me up the wall since I turn off my implant when I getting food in a cafeteria style restaurant. I would have a special program setup just working in a restaurant and that just my opinion and it is most likely the noise in the kitchen is going to be overwhelming at first.
 
john57 said:
The Freedom processor have a special micorphone cover, user replaceable that can act like a grease trap when working in the restaurant. You may have to replace the mic covers more frequently. Usually those covers last roughly two months for me. The biggest issue I would have if I was working in the restaurant is all the noise and specially the frying noise will drive me up the wall since I turn off my implant when I getting food in a cafeteria style restaurant. I would have a special program setup just working in a restaurant and that just my opinion and it is most likely the noise in the kitchen is going to be overwhelming at first.
Click to expand...

I agree with John - just something to be mindful of. The autosensitivity program might work well for you in noisy restaurant environments. Sometimes audies don't give it to you until several weeks after you have been activated but it might be worth discussing this with her/him at your activation appointment.
 
Im so glad that I asked! I had no idea. Talking about noise, wow when those
stainless pans drop on the floor - it's LOUD! I just didn't think about any of this. Was
more concerned about smoke, greese and steam. I appreciate all of your help. :)
 
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