On Friday January 22, I got up to get John off to work. We were setting at the Kitchen table having a wonderful conversation and laughing and we were both so happy that I could hear so well and things were going pretty good. Later I took James and Jeremy to school and I was hearing very well.
While I was paying for James's lunch in the cafeteria I was talking to the cafeteria manager about the implant and how it works. She said that she had a grandson that has a hard time hearing.I told her how to get in touch with hearing journey.com and Advanced Bionics and to set up an appointment to see if her grandson qualifies for the chochlear implant. Then all of a sudden my right ear a sound and then it was not connecting. The sound was like a sonar ping in a submarine indicating a target. I called Dr.Donna Schwaber and told her what was happening.She ask if I tried changing the magnet and I told her yes, that I even tried the battery and the t-mic and I could not get the environmental sound in the room. I could only hear that one sound. She said that the processor was not working and that she would call Advanced Bionics and see if they can send me a new processor overnight and I told her thank you very much.
The next day the new processor came and I changed the processors out and the new processor was making the same sound and I was getting really worried it might be something serious. I called Dr Schwaber at her home and she told me to come in on Monday January 25 at 2 p.m. and we can see what going on.
That Monday I went in and they called me to the back and Donna hooked me up to the computer. The first thing she noticed was that the processor was cutting itself off and she told me to relax. It was the lock and that the two magnets were not locking. She tried a new setting to see if they would lock and they would still not lock. She said that she had to change the radio frequencies in order to get it to lock. After that , my left ear started having a static sound. I called her back and told her what was going on, She said for me to call Advanced Bionics and talk to them. So I called them and they believed it was that two magnets on my left ear were bad and they sent me two new ones. Well, it wasn't the magnets. I called Danna back, and she said that she thinks she can fix it. That it could be something she can fix and it may be the radio frequency that she changed on the right ear that might be causing it. So I go tomorrow to get everything right. Thanks to my family,Audiologist(Donna), friends from hearing journey and face book for their support.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Bilateral Activation
Me with my new processor on and to show you a new trick thatDonna show me.
Dr.Donna Schwaber head Audiologist and me with her Husband Dr.Mitchell K.Schwaber M.D. This is the husband and wife CI team that is so good to me.
Two weeks ago on January 21 I had my activation day. John was with that day and in no time they called us back. She asked me how I was doing and if I was ready for the big day! I told her that I was very excited and that I was keeping my expectation low and she said that's a good idea.
She told me that things would sound robotic again, and to be patient and it might go away in a few day or weeks. John asked her if it's almost like a radio transmitting frequencies and she said no. Nothing like that and she explained to him how it works.
She hooked me up to the computer and told me to take the left Chochlear Implant off and told me to be quiet and still while she tested the electrodes. As she was testing them, I could hear the electrode fire up and she turn the computer to where I could see how it works. Each time the electrode was fire up it was a higher pitch. As I was watching, all 16 electrodes were fired up and I was getting excited as I was hearing all the different pitches as each was turned on. It was totally different from the first time because all I could hear was beep beep.
She told me she would be turning the processor on and after she turned it on, she ask me "Can you hear me or understand what I'm saying? I said yes and I broke down in tears. I was so excited because I could understand her and John without the left chochlear implant on and not looking at her all the time.
She had me put on the left processor and she asked me how things sounded with it. Things sounded normal and she was getting excited because she said that a good thing and that I would do really well on that right ear. She had me on three programs and of them are hires P 120 and one is not.
She asked me to try each one for a couple of days to see how they sound and to let her know and we can go from there. She said that I will see you in one week, but the appointment had been change to February 4 at 10 a.m.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
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
Saturday, January 9, 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 surgeryOn 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.
Friday, January 8, 2010
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
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
Monday, December 14, 2009
My Last Mapping Before The Surgery
December 8, 2009 I got my last mapping I will get before my surgery.My audiologist said that she set me on the S program the last time I was there and she wanted me to try each one of them.Well, I tried them since the last mapping, and I have noticed that I had a hard time understanding when someone is talking to me in a quiet or noisy place.
I told her that I took a replacement test before came to the office and that I had dropped from 86% down to 75% with the S program which is not good for me. She told me that she wanted me to try some new programming that was totally new and to see how I do. And she said that she was going to be back on the P program and that she would not let me on high fidelity 120 yet. She said she wanted to try new tips and strategies that advance bionics have provided her.
So I'm trying a new programming with the tips and strategies that AB has provided her. She asked me if I've been practicing on hearing journey.com, and I told her yes, that I do the practicing and exercises on there. She told me that she wished that all of her patients would try to practice focusing on what's being said. She telling me that she has asked former patients if they had been practicing in the listening room on hearing journey.com she tells me that they say well,"No," that they thought it was a waste of time and they thought that when they got the implant or implants that they would be able to hear normally like a hearing person. And she told them, that is not a quick fix, and that they are going to have to do practices and exercises to get better. She told me that she had told them about me and that I was a good example on how well you can do by going to the listening room and practicing each day for one hour or two, and not only there, but to listen audiotapes, and music. She asked me if I was listening to audiotapes and music, and I told her yes, that I was doing this on the computer. Going to Youtube.com, and listening to music there. She was happy to hear that I was doing so well and keeping up the good work and that she put me on 100% T-Mic.
We talked about people that have hearing loss, and the ones in the deaf community and how they feel about where they are between the hearing world and the deaf world.I told her that I knew people in the deaf community, and they feel that they are safe and secure in that community.I believe there are some in the hearing world that have hard time understanding the ones that have in hearing loss and wear hearing aids or are deaf.Though they tell us to turn up your hearing aids if we can't hear them, they give up push us a side. And she said that is true, because the hearing people don't really understand how hard it is for us.
She asked me what I think I would consider myself being in, the hearing world or the deaf world? And I told her that I don't think I'm being either world that I am in CI community and I'm between the hearing world and the deaf world. Because I hear during the day, but at night, I'm deaf, and then I had the best of both worlds.So that's why I say that I am between the two worlds, and that I have a wonderful technology to where I could be from both worlds.
She said that she would try the high fidelity 120 after the second implant is done in a few mappings after the activation day. She said that she set activation date, January 21, 2010 at 10 AM, and that is the day after my granddaughters birthday and a week after my birthday and Johns.
She told me that on December 7, she had called the insurance company and they told her that she did not put the "word for word test" in the report, and she had faxed a new report to them with the" word for word test" that they need to have to approve the surgery.
She commented that she will keep calling the insurance's company until they give the approval.Thanks to my CI team I have a good chance to get the second implant.Thank you, Dr. Donna Schwaber for pushing to get my approval for the second cochlear implant.I have take the replacement test again to see where I'm at with the P program and I scored a 88% at this time.
I told her that I took a replacement test before came to the office and that I had dropped from 86% down to 75% with the S program which is not good for me. She told me that she wanted me to try some new programming that was totally new and to see how I do. And she said that she was going to be back on the P program and that she would not let me on high fidelity 120 yet. She said she wanted to try new tips and strategies that advance bionics have provided her.
So I'm trying a new programming with the tips and strategies that AB has provided her. She asked me if I've been practicing on hearing journey.com, and I told her yes, that I do the practicing and exercises on there. She told me that she wished that all of her patients would try to practice focusing on what's being said. She telling me that she has asked former patients if they had been practicing in the listening room on hearing journey.com she tells me that they say well,"No," that they thought it was a waste of time and they thought that when they got the implant or implants that they would be able to hear normally like a hearing person. And she told them, that is not a quick fix, and that they are going to have to do practices and exercises to get better. She told me that she had told them about me and that I was a good example on how well you can do by going to the listening room and practicing each day for one hour or two, and not only there, but to listen audiotapes, and music. She asked me if I was listening to audiotapes and music, and I told her yes, that I was doing this on the computer. Going to Youtube.com, and listening to music there. She was happy to hear that I was doing so well and keeping up the good work and that she put me on 100% T-Mic.
We talked about people that have hearing loss, and the ones in the deaf community and how they feel about where they are between the hearing world and the deaf world.I told her that I knew people in the deaf community, and they feel that they are safe and secure in that community.I believe there are some in the hearing world that have hard time understanding the ones that have in hearing loss and wear hearing aids or are deaf.Though they tell us to turn up your hearing aids if we can't hear them, they give up push us a side. And she said that is true, because the hearing people don't really understand how hard it is for us.
She asked me what I think I would consider myself being in, the hearing world or the deaf world? And I told her that I don't think I'm being either world that I am in CI community and I'm between the hearing world and the deaf world. Because I hear during the day, but at night, I'm deaf, and then I had the best of both worlds.So that's why I say that I am between the two worlds, and that I have a wonderful technology to where I could be from both worlds.
She said that she would try the high fidelity 120 after the second implant is done in a few mappings after the activation day. She said that she set activation date, January 21, 2010 at 10 AM, and that is the day after my granddaughters birthday and a week after my birthday and Johns.
She told me that on December 7, she had called the insurance company and they told her that she did not put the "word for word test" in the report, and she had faxed a new report to them with the" word for word test" that they need to have to approve the surgery.
She commented that she will keep calling the insurance's company until they give the approval.Thanks to my CI team I have a good chance to get the second implant.Thank you, Dr. Donna Schwaber for pushing to get my approval for the second cochlear implant.I have take the replacement test again to see where I'm at with the P program and I scored a 88% at this time.
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