New exciting news about the CI Journey Erasmus Hospital Rotterdam

Hii sweeties.



I have something to say which I can no longer delay to tell you guys, as the date is already coming near now.



You guys know that I wrote a blogpost about the operation before right? If not, then please read this blogpost first before continueing this one:


http://yuuxsan.blogspot.nl/2015/01/first-blogpost-of-2015-ci-journey.html








So about a week ago, I got a new call from the Erasmus Hospital with the new date. We couldn't cancel it again as we already did the first time. It's better to just accept it and go for it now.


So they told us the new date for the C.I. operation and it will take place on:


March 12th this year.


I'm nervous but also excited because I can't wait until I can ''function'' better after I recovered fully. They're planning to save my low tones as these still do work well enough. I'm about 96% deaf on the high tones, both ears but I'll get only one CI as the second one will not be reimbursed and you don't wanna know how much those things costs ;D.



I'll wear a CI on my left ear and a normal hearing aid on my right ear. I hope there will be hearing aids with bluetooth in the future as my CI will have bluetooth (For phone/mp4 etc) so I can listen music through my CI.



But more info about the operation


I think it will take place in the afternoon and I hope I'll be drugged with calming pills because damn, I hate needles, I hate seeing blood, I just can't stand someone ''cutting'' in me so I hope I'll be fully drugged so I don't get panick attacks ;D.


If everything is fine, I can leave the hospital next day already, early, isn't it? =o= They send me away with bandages around my head and we don't have a car so we have to find someone to bring us home by car because, going home with public transport is absolutely not possible, imagine someone just being operated a day ago, travelling home by public transport? Idiotic.



Anyway,


here's an example of how it might look like after the operation (Yes, a piece of my hair will be saved off :( )



source: http://www.tomlinuk.com/ci/bigimages/day_08-big.jpg




I have here below some more information about the operation, took it from the internet:


*The operation can take up 1.5 to 6 hours.
*If necessary, your hair will be (in part) shaved.
*You will be under anesthesia. A small opening is made in the skull bone behind the ear. In the cochlea (inner ear) is a flexible ribbon-shaped electrode array (the implant) being slid inside. This electrode bundle must lie close to the nerve fibers to excite.
*During the operation, some tests are done to determine whether the implant is functioning properly.
*At the end of the operation a head bandage is applied. The head bandage can provide temporary discomfort for eyeglass wearers.



And then some risks I took from the internet:

There are also risks relating specifically to create a CI operation.

*During surgery, the facial nerve can be damaged. Thereby becoming one half of your face paralyzed (facial paralysis). This risk is less than 0.5%.
*It can also cause damage during surgery to the taste nerve (chorda tympani). The flavor in one half of the mouth falls away. The likelihood of this is 5%. Usually, the taste is recovering after 6 months.
*After surgery, a risk of 10% is temporary dizziness with any nausea or vomiting. It's a rarity that this dizziness of a lasting nature.


Also, after the operation some people might become really exhausted & such.


And then, there are risks that face wearing a CI:

*By a skin infection or a middle ear infection, the implant can be divested. This can happen by 2% of the adults.
*Someone with a CI is susceptible to meningitis. This is because there is a connection via the electrode of the middle ear to the inner ear, and this is in turn connected with the cranium. The probability of meningitis is less than 0.5%. Vaccination hold the chance minimized.
*Because of the CI you can suffer from tinnitus. Also in the non-operated ear. If you had tinnitus before the implantation already, it may worsen this after implantation. The chance of getting tinnitus or that increases ranging from 5% to 15%.
*Because the shell grows together with the electrodes, you will lose at least partially hearing that you had. There is a 40% chance that you will lose all the residual hearing.




So,  a C.I. operation is not just a normal easy operation. Lot can go wrong but I hope this won't.


After the implantation, I have to wait 6 weeks before they will connect the CI processor because the wound needs to heal first.



I might not be able to do things for a long time, the recovery time takes from about a half year to a year but some people even recover earlier.


I hope the operation will go well and I won't be in pain too much :( Because I really hate being in pain and not being able to do things, then I'll get bored so fast.


I hope I can go to the gym center fast again after my operation, of course I'll take it easy.


Don't hesitate to send me a message to ask how I'm doing and how I'm recovering, your support means everything to me and I'd like to chat if I'm not too tired or having pain because I will have less till nothing to do in the time I'm recovering from the operation and I hate being bored D:



Wish me good luck, cross your fingers for me and pray that everything goes well Dx



Thanks for reading and I'll see some of you guys at Tsunacon <3


Love you!


Big kisses & love,


Yuu San.