It's been one week since I became a dual implantee. This time around the surgery and recovery seems a lot easier.
It also looks as if I've joined an elite club. As far as I can tell, there are only about 3000 bilateral CI folks in the world (see Wiki source). If anyone knows a more current/correct number of bilateral CI folks, please comment. (I admit to being lazy here as I did not spend more than 10 minutes researching the number).
Anyway, I was up and about the day after the surgery, although I stayed home. Minimal ringing in my newly implanted ear. Minimal dizziness. I didn't take any pain killers. So far only a total of five or six regular off-the-shelf Tylenol. I was able to drive on Wednesday.
Most of the "agony" of the past week had to do with not being able to sleep with my left ear on the pillow. (It's true: I'm such a big baby. Heh heh).
Other interesting things: I have more sensation on the skin of my left ear than I had on my right side after the first surgery. And my sense of taste (on the left side), while a bit dull for the first couple of days, seems to have "almost" returned to what it was before the surgery. So I'm happy about that.
The new Nucleus® 5 implant on my left side is a lot thinner than my right side Nucleus® 4 implant. I can't even feel the left side implant under my skin. There is no rise, no bump, nothing I can feel at all. The right side implant "bumps out" about a millimeter.
Here's a photo of my noggin' as of today (sorry for the skin color mismatch here, but do-it-your-self point-and-shoot-photos tend not to win any Pulitzer prizes!).
The right side ear was implanted in March this year (2009). The scar has almost faded to the same color as my hairless head. You can also see the "impression" of the BTE coil that I had just removed before taking the photo.
The left side of the above photo shows last week's implant scar. It's all closed up and water tight (I can take showers) but it it's still on the mend. I remember the right side looking like that for at least a month or so.
Activation is set for Saturday, December 5. I'll write more at that time.
...dan...
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7 comments:
Good luck! Let us know how you like the new processor.
Your audiologist is activating you on a Saturday? Does she normally work on weekends?!
Hey ya PinkLAM !
Thanks for the luck ! Saw my surgeon today, and all is set for Saturday activation. I don't know if Pam (my audiologist) usually works Saturdays or not, but she is this time around (heh heh). ;-)
I'm all set to go tomorrow. Will blog about it later in the day.
...dan...
December 5th?????????????????? You're already activated? I wanna hear more! (about your story that is... :)
Oh my ... I'm way behind in posting .. so many things to tell you .. so little time. Left side was activated on Dec 5... things whet from good, to bad, to ugly, back to good ... got to meet with the regional CI implant Engineer and Marketing Reps and chatted about the new N5 design and operation... gosh, i need to write about all that, but sadly, can't do it today....
...dan...
Hi Dan,
I like reading your blog since when you started posting about learning Chinese. And I'm glad your incisions heal so very nicely (have a similar haircut :-) but was surprised about their shape. Are those standard incisions? My own, which I had in Germany about a month ago, is just the lower part behind the ear..
Hello Notquitelikebeethoven !
I have seen many different incisions for CIs (on the web). I've even seen some CIs installed near the back of the head! However, I am not quite sure why. Maybe it's specific to the manufacturer of the CI. I'll ask my doctor next time I see him and let you know.
Thanks for writing.
I like your blog (I need to practice my german language skills though!).
...dan...
Thanks, Dan! I guess I'll have to ask mine, too. I think it's interesting that there seems to be so much variation.
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