Thankful Homecoming I made it home from surgery safe and happy. I suffered no adverse effects, had no dizziness, and walked fine. My taste remained normal — no metal taste — and there was no facial numbness, tingling, or facial...
My Cochlear Implant Journey, Part 6: Surgery Day
PB&J On Standby The Friday before surgery, I received my pre-op instructions and my scheduled time of arrival. I was to stop eating and drinking at midnight the night before and was instructed to shower with antibacterial soap the night...
My Cochlear Implant Journey, Part 5: Preparedness and Hope
The date fast approaches. With my surgical date just around the corner, I’m reminded of the need for not only physical preparedness but mental preparedness as well. I went for my second vaccine. As you probably remember, I received the...
My Cochlear Implant Journey, Part 4: Choosing the Brand
I started the process of choosing a brand and model of cochlear implant, and I got a bit of a shock — the patient does most of the research on their own. I’ve been trained in implants, how they work,...
My Cochlear Implant Journey, Part 3: Vaccinations
Vaccinations To protect me from meningitis and other serious infections that can result from cochlear implant surgery, I’m getting two vaccinations. The vaccines occur about eight weeks apart. Their names are Prevnar 13® and Pneumovax®. I got my first vaccine...
My Cochlear Implant Journey, Part 2: Surgical Consultation
Surgical Consultation The first step to determining if I can get a cochlear implant was to make an appointment at one of the centers in Pittsburgh with a neuro-otologist and cochlear implant surgeon. My insurance required that I go to...
My Cochlear Implant Journey, Part 1: Join Me
Join Me on My Journey When I first meet a patient, I tell them I’m very hard of hearing. In fact, it’s part of my welcome speech introducing them to HearWell Center. I explain that I need to lip-read to...