Two Week Follow Up

On January 14,2010,I went for my two week follow up after surgery for the Chochlear Implant. The Nurse took me and the boys back to a room where she started taking 16 staples out of my ear and the boys stood behide me and watch her take them out.

Dr Schwaber came in and smiled and said you've got company today as he watch the nurse finish taking out the staples out. He said that there were four staples that were not straight. He asked me how things were going and I told him that John was little worried about the back of my head. I told him that a few days ago we bought in our two big dogs that we keep outside because it was cold. The big female dog was attacking digger, our small dog, in the kitchen and I was right in the middle of it. John was trying to get to me and he was trying to move a chair to get to me and it hit me in the back of the head. He checked my head and said that everything looked okay and the implants look good. He told me that he thought that I was going to do really well with the right ear and that I was doing really well with the left ear,and that it was a go-ahead for activation day,January 21, 2010

The Second Surgery

Jan 10, 2010 11 days after surgery

Fouth day after surgery

Three days after surgery

Me with Jeremy hugging me at Pizza Hut after surgery

My Loving husband John With me after surgery
My sons James and Jeremy With me after surgery
Me after surgery

On Wednesday, December 30, 2009, I had my second cochlear implant surgery. We arrived at the hospital at 5:40 AM. The staff gave us a card with the number on it for the privacy of patients so they feel more comfortable when being called to surgery. When the nurse called me back she was talking to soft that John could not hear her calling our number and had to ask her if she was calling our number. she also called a another lady to come back at the same time.


The nurse was new and had put me in the wrong bed and the other lady in the wrong bed. The new nurse came back in and said you need to let me get ready to put a catheter in you and John said what the *******? She said ," Your wife is having a kidney transplant."John said to her , "You have the wrong woman! My wife is having a chochlear implant put in!!!!" Then someone else came in and told us they were sorry and that she was new girl here.

Later they came to get me and I told John and the boys bye and that I love them very much and they look at me like it is the last they would ever see me and I told them I will be back. They wheeled me to pre-op waiting area where they set me up with an IV and preparations for surgery.

We had to wait on Dr.Schwaber to get there and while we were waiting on him the CI team stay with me. I was happy to know that the CI team was with me and there names are Somorrow,Dana,Judy,Kimberley, This was the same CI team I had the first time. Dr.Schwaber was running 15 minutes late. He finally showed up and they marked my head and they gave me something to relax me.

John told me the surgery started at 7:45 a.m. The nurse said they would bring the CI processor from my first CI out to him but the nurse never did bring it to him and he was getting worried that something was wrong. The doctor called him on his cell and told him that everything was fine and all 16 electrodes fired up successfully in the OR and that I was doing great. The head nurse had the CI processor to put back on me so I could hear when I woke up in recovery. I got into recovery at 10 a.m. and back with John and the boys at 11:30 and was released at 12 noon. John had a blanket and the neck pillow in the car.

On the way home we stopped at Walmart to get my medications and the boys said that they were hungry and that they would like to have Pizza Hut. I told John that I was up to having Pizza to so we stopped at the Pizza Hut on the way home and that was just down the road from Walmart. We ate Pizza and talked for a little bit and John had ordered more pizza to take home for the boys to eat. We were home at 5 p.m. I had to sleep with my head elevated for about a week and the pressure bandage was off the next day. I was not allow to drive for two weeks I go back to Dr,Schwaber on January 14th to have a post-op check and to take the staples out. One week later on January 21 will be activation day.

My Approveal And Pre-Op

December23,2009, John called the insurance company to see if I got their approval for surgery for the second implant. The insurance companies said yes, it is a medical necessity to have a second implant and that they would pay for it to be done. They also told me to have my pre-op done on December 28, 2009. John, the boys and I went to St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee to get my pre-op done on December 28,2009 Wednesday's surgery.


When they called me back to get all the paperwork done, while the nurse was doing this, she kept looking at me and said "I remember you and when you were here the last. It was 11 months ago to get the chochlear implant for your left ear." I said yes and she said "Isn't it funny that I got all your paperwork" The first time was months ago. John and I and the lady laughed so hard about it was really funny to have the same pre-op registration nurse.


She asked me if I was going for the second implant and I answered yes. She said "You are really doing well on your first one" and smiled as we were going to another station to get other things done. She looked at the boys and said your mom and I are buddies and told John to take good care of me until Wednesday as they would take over at the time of the surgery and then he can have me back. So everything is set for Wendnesday December 30,2009

My First Christmas With My CI

On Christmas day, December 25, 2009 I celebrate Christmas the first time with my CI, it was amazing. I could hear my grandchildren laugh and play. They squealed in delight over what they got from Santa, and from granddaddy, and granny Nee Nee. Also to hear the boys and their excitement on what they found under the tree that santa brought them. The boy screamed in delight when they saw their bikes, and their gifts and saw their BB rifles, bows and arrows,Wii games, and movies. It was wonderful, able to hear the happiness that everyone was having and to be able to hear the music and the round table and hear what everyone was saying and understanding. It was a amazing. I cannot remember hearing the children laughing and playing with such excitement. WOW..... these are the memories that I will remember for the rest of my life and cherish-these are special times that I can hear with my CI. I was so blessed this Christmas, and I just can't say it in words how grateful and blessed I feel to have family and friends such as you. Thank you Lord for our wonderful blessed year of 2009. Thanks for support from family and my friends from hearing journey.com, and from Facebook