I’m actually adding this comment at nearly 1:00 a.m., Nov. 8th, having gone to bed about 10:30 and awakened by intense tinnitus at 12:45. This is the Facebook post I shared yesterday evening.
A hearing update.
Community Hospital at SW 89th and I-44 is an amazing facility! It was easy access for us and morning traffic wasn’t nearly as bad as we thought it would be. We left the house at 7:45 and arrived at 8:15. We left the hospital a few minutes after 1:00, I think, probably about 1:15.
UPDATE to add this paragraph: Daughter Cathy Murrow Brown drove up last night and spent the day with us, driving us to and from the hospital. Thank you, sweet daughter!
The implant team was efficient and professional and made me feel completely at ease. I always knew what they were doing – well, right up until the anesthesiologist got involved. The surgery started about ten o’clock. I remember asking what time it was when I first came out from under the anesthesia - it was 12:01 p.m. We left the hospital a little bit after one o’clock.
Dizziness is a common symptom after surgery of this kind. At this point, I have not experienced any of that. I’m told that the sense of taste sometimes goes away for a while, too. That may be at work with me, but not 100%. I ate a hamburger for lunch (not the wisest food choice, as it exacerbated the soreness in my throat) and I could at least tell it was a hamburger, but not as tasty as usual.
My throat is exceedingly sore and my mouth is quite dry, due to the breathing tube during surgery. I hope the soreness goes away soon. It’s bearable, though, but certainly a discomfort.
The incision doesn’t hurt at all, at least not yet. I was aware of it initially, but the sensation of pain hasn’t materialized, really. We picked up some pain meds at the pharmacy as soon as we got back to Norman, but Dr. Berryhill thinks I can probably get by with Tylenol. In fact, they gave me Tylenol (a grape syrup) during pre-op.
Dr Wayne Berryhill! I cannot say enough good things about the man! He put me at ease the first time I met him and I highly recommend him. He has offices in Norman and in Edmond. The entire surgical team made me feel at ease, from the time we arrived until we left the hospital.
Honestly, I have been ‘at ease’ since I (finally) made the decision, in early June, to undergo this surgery. Everyone involved in my care has been absolutely wonderful to me.
My tinnitus seems a bit more prominent in my left ear now – yes, the implanted side. I’m told that upon activation of the device, tinnitus sometimes goes away – sometimes, but not always. I’ll keep my fingers crossed!
I’ll wear the plastic ‘bowl’ protecter for the first 24 hours, then can remove it. I can wash my hair after 48 hours – but no water in the ear! Gently washing the incision with soap and water is encouraged – but no scrubbing. I’m moving pretty slow, but I’m moving – so that’s a plus.
Rev. Janice Sharp visited us prior to surgery, She is delightful and is the newly-hired director of care ministries at our church, St. Stephen’s UMC in Norman. I appreciate the many comments that friends have already made on another FB post, showing my ‘before’ and ‘after pics. Friends have already committed to bringing us a few meals. I opted for soup for this evening’s supper – a wiser choice than the one I made at lunch! Thank you, friends, for your love and support in this adventure.
As I expected, my level of hearing is pretty much wiped out now. The right hearing aid is working as it’s designed to do, except it has lost its mate! Essentially, I am aware when people are speaking, though I often don’t realize I'm being spoken to (the same as before the surgery). The volume level is minimal. It’s going to be a long, quiet time between now and Activation Day!
Activation Day is my next ‘big deal’ in this journey. It’s scheduled December 5th and I can hardly wait to learn what my levels of hearing will be for speech and music – or whether I will only hear noise. Other CI patients have shared their experiences, which run the gamut = screeching sounds, Mickey Mouse, echoes, robotic, tinny, and nondescript noises at one extreme, and understanding speech with some clarity – and even hearing music – at the other.
It’s been a long day. It’s been a good day!
Gotta go! Door Dash is here with our soup!
