So, as previously mentioned, I'm getting my second cochlear implant this coming Thursday. It's been three and a half years since my first implant and I think I've done pretty good. For a quick video on what an implant consist of, you can click here. The surgery itself takes about 2 hours total and I should be able to return home in the late afternoon. It's not the most fun under the sun but by no means terrible either. You have to wear a pressure bandage for 24 hours post surgery, which I think is about the worst part of it.
About two weeks after the surgery I'll go back to be turned on. This is when I'll first get hooked up with my processor. With my first implant I heard very little and what I did hear I couldn't make out. The brain has to get used to hearing sounds and recognizing them again. It can get a bit frustrating as you practice hearing. It probably took me 4-6 months before I felt really comfortable with my hearing through the CI. But after that I gave up my hearing aid in the left ear because it simply didn't compare with the new sound I was getting through the implant.
I still find new sounds all the time, which can be pretty exciting. A lot of people want to know what the sound "sounds" like. If its squeaky or robotic. For me it sounds natural. The same way it did before I lost my hearing. I had about 25 years of hearing somewhat normal and I can't think of much that sounds different from before.
So...wish me luck for Thursday and I'll be back with some post-op pics. Nothing graphic I promise. (although they do give you some awesome pics from the surgery)
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2 comments:
Wishing you luck! I'm glad the first implant went so well and I'm assuming that with this one, you'll be able to hear even better...always a good thing!
As a side note, since we don't know each other extremely well, how did you lose your hearing to begin with?
I guess I haven't seen you face-to-face in so long -- didn't realize it was an issue. (Online communication makes things so easy, doesn't it?) I'm hoping that the surgery is a big help to you, and I'm looking forward to reading more updates. Thanks for sharing with us!
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