This is my first day home alone. My folks left last night after staying an extra couple of days. My wife is at work. My little guy is at daycare. I am taking it easy, using the time to catch up on bills and paperwork. I miss everyone but feel very fortunate to have had them all with me during the past week. What a week!
I had my one week post-op checkup yesterday. My surgeon was patient as usual and answered my long list of questions. The main thing that had been bugging me was the slight drainage I was feeling from my Eustachian tube. My imagination and web research had been running a little wild and I had convinced myself I was having a leak of vestibular fluid from my cochlea. That is an uncommon problem after CI surgery which sometimes requires a second surgery to block the leak. As it turns out, I have a small blood clot in my middle ear from the surgery, which could be seen through the ear drum with an otoscope, and the drainage is most likely a byproduct of the clot breaking down. Nothing to worry about and it should resolve itself in a week or two. The otoscope was connected to a video monitor so I could see too. I had forgotten how transparent the ear drum is: we were able to see a part of the electrode wire snaking through my middle ear! Thankfully I can't feel it -- I don't think I'd like that! The rest of the checkup went well. My incision is healing well and I seem to be on track.
Yesterday and today have been really good days. Other than the persistent sore throat and a touch of vertigo I feel good. I only have a slight tightness on my scalp on the surgery side. Most of the swelling is gone and the top of my ear continues to recede back into its normal position. I haven't taken anything for pain since Tuesday. I continue to sleep inclined because I feel a bit too much pressure if I lay flat, but I don't think that's going to last much longer.
I expect my next post to be a detailed recap of the surgery, as promised.
4 days until activation!
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5 comments:
I can't believe you were able to see an electrode, and your eardrum! That's so cool, and yet I'd feel a bit sick if it were me! I'm still totally amazed that you are being activated so quickly, I've never heard of such a fast stimulation date. Lucky guy!
When Ethan had his first implant he experienced excessive drainage that they so they put him on a table and used a long instrument to suction it out, then he was put on an antibiotic. I never asked what the cause of that drainage was...and reading your post makes me realize it's a good thing I didn't poke around online either.
I can't tell you how nice it is to find an adult like you (and Jennifer!) who can articulate the experiences for those of us will little ones.
I read each post with great anticipation!
Jeff...how wild that you could see the electrode! I can feel it in my left ear...but not in my right. I have some sensory issues so I am a little more sensitive to the way things feel than other people are....lovely! I'm glad you got to the bottom of the drainage issue...I had no experience with that.
I'm glad you did OK on your first day home alone! Sounds like your recovery's ticking right along! :)
Hey Jeff,
Good luck on activation day! Glad to hear everything going well for you post-surg.
I keep wanting to try and stick a refrig magnet on the side of my head but they tell me still too much swelling right now.
I go for post-surg checkup Tuesday and activation on the 18th.
Take care,
Geo.
Hah, hah, he, Geo! I tried the same thing! Wouldn't work for me either. In fact at my 1-week post-op my surgeon tried to stick a display model on my and it wouldn't stick. He said the magnet in it was too weak and I still had some swelling at the internal magnet site. I'm hoping it sticks at my activation tomorrow :)
Jeff, I wanted to swing by and wish you lots of luck on your activation tomorrow! I haven't been around since I have a little issue regarding heat in my house :) Once I get nice and toasty warm and attempt to get caught up with the post and blogs I will be blog happy again. I didn't want you to think I forgot about you :)
Just remember, anything that you hear might not be what you hear in a week.
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