Wednesday, July 2, 2014

April 25, 2000

Hi again!

The last couple days, I haven't been able to sleep well due to anticipation and feeling nervous about the upcoming surgery. I decided to sit down and write down about my experience of going through surgery and getting my first cochlear implant. My surgery date was on April 25, 2000. It happened to be on my brother, Tyler's 10th Birthday. It was spring break so I had the week off to recover. I skipped out going to Florida that year for this opportunity. It was my sophomore year in high school. I was 16 years old. 

My right side of my head was shaved. Goodbye long hair. Surgery took up to 3-3 1/2 hours. It went smoothly. I had a amazing surgeon. Dr. Rizer of St. Joseph in Warren, Ohio. He was the kindest, compassionate man I've ever met. He always made me feel at ease and relaxed every time I met with him. On my day of the surgery, he spent time with me and make sure I was OK - right before I fell asleep, he asked me what my favorite subject was. I don't remember what I said but after I woke up, he told me that it was MATH. My favorite subject was ART. It made me laugh. So, I remember waking up and going home soon after I was able to get up and walk. Woke up with no pain, at least I didn't feel any. I had a white bandage wrapped around my head and that stayed on for a couple days. I wasn't allowed to shower for about 5 days. I soon discovered that I had no balance. I took one look down on the floor and found myself falling over and I was caught by my mom's friend. Close call! I didn't do that again. When I returned back to the high school, I wore a hat for about a month. :) 

Sleeping was difficult to do. I did not sleep at all my first night. I couldn't lay down on my bed. Every time I did that, my left ear would "scream." Best way I could describe it is like a annoying shrill/high pitched noise/ringing that went on constantly. It did not hurt but just full of discomfort. I couldn't get comfortable so I decided to try the couch. That failed too. So for the second night, I tried out on the recliner and decided to sleep in a upright position. That worked out good. I finally felt comfortable and slept well. I slept in the recliner for a week and half until I felt that I could sleep in my bed again. When I did, it felt great. I missed my bed!

It took a month to fully heal and recover and it was time to turn on the cochlear implant. I was so excited because I was ready to ditch the hearing aids! My parents were with me when I heard for the first time. I heard the audiologist's voice questioning me if I could hear her. My parents spoke next. Then the mapping process started. It is pretty simple. Mapping is the term for programming a cochlear implant to the specifications (volume and sensitivity) and needs of its user. I remember that it took a while to figure out what worked and what did not. All I did was to let the audiologist know if it is too loud or too sensitive for me. I would hear a beep, either too low or too high, until it reached the right area. When it did, I would let her know and she would set it to the program that is on the speech processor/microphone. So after that was completed, I went home. First thing I did was to grab my CD player and put in a CD. I immediately fell in love with music. Especially country music. I loved Garth Brooks! (and I still do.) I started exploring the genres and found myself really liking soft rock/alternative rock/classic rock. I found that I didn't like rap, but more because I couldn't understand any of it. It was all gibberish to me! My first concert with my cochlear implant was at Blossom Music Center two years later. That was in 2002 and it was to see Kenny Chesney, Montgomery Gentry, Phil Vassar, and Deanna Carter. That was a amazing concert. I also was surprised by my parents to have a meet & greet with Kenny Chesney. That was pretty cool. It was also my early 18th Birthday gift too! I guess you could say music is probably my favorite thing to hear. It makes me very happy and I think that I wouldn't know what to do if I couldn't hear music ever again. That I hope I'd never have to encounter. 


                                  

                  

  



Anyways, back to 2000. Hearing for the first time, it sounded so robotic. Not everything sounded PERFECT - in fact, whenever people spoke to me, they sounded like Disney characters, like Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck, even Chip & Dale. That lasted a while, at least a couple weeks to almost a month. I had to adjust and train my brain to accept what sounds were supposed to be like. It required A LOT of time and patience. When I think about it, I can say that it has been 100% worth it to how I am able to hear so well today. :) 

My first processor was the Platinum Series Processor. It is a body-worn option. My batteries were rechargeable & lasted up to 8 hours each. It was very convenient. I still have it as my backup if I ever need to use it. 




My second processor I currently have is the Harmony BTE (Behind-The-Ear) - which I've had for about two or three years now. My color is tan/beige. Battery life is the only difference. Unfortunately, it does not last 8 hours like my first processor. The Harmony BTE requires so much power for battery life that it gets drained pretty quick. I had 4 small batteries, also rechargeable, but they only lasted 4-6 hours on a good charge. It depends on how well it is charged. I currently have about 9 batteries. I often made sure I did not leave the house without the extra batteries in my purse. If I did not check, I'd end up deaf for rest of the day. I found that annoying because I really enjoy being able to hear! I would find myself feeling frustrated but yet still thankful that I am able to have this to allow me to hear at all. Technology is amazing.






So in my next post, I plan on introducing you to the Nucleus 6 and its options I will have with it. :) 

Also, if you're curious, here is a map of the cochlear implant looks like & how it works:











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