You gotta b'lieve Hon, or not!

HLAA Magazine - January/February Issue

2012-01-13T14:01:00.001-05:00

Me and my husband are featured on the cover of the January/February edition of the Hearing Loss Magazine which is from HLAA (Hearing Loss Association of America). We talked about our relationship, how we met and how we became friends and later became a couple and now happily married!

Here is the front cover of the magazine! This is actually our engagement photo! :)

We wanted others to hear about how we met, how we struggle with our hearing losses and how supportive we are to each other.

Here is the story cover...

We had a wonderful photographer named Cindy Dyer and her friend Ed. They captured wonderful photos of our wedding day and couldn't be more happier with them!!!! You can check out Cindy's blog here. Cindy is also the photographer and the graphic designer for the Hearing Loss magazine as well!!

If you are itching to read our story... the cover story is in PDF format here!

HLAA - January/February Issue

2012-01-12T18:55:00.001-05:00

If you are a current member of the HLAA, you should be getting the Hearing Loss Magazine every two months.

Check out the first edition of 2012! Me and my husband are featured in the magazine. We talked about our challenges of our hearing loss and how we met! We hope you will enjoy our story and inspire others!

Check back soon to see the PDF of the magazine on the blog!!!!

Discover NEPTUNE - Rockville Seminar!

2012-01-10T21:16:00.002-05:00

Hope to see you there! This is from AB's website:

Introducing Neptune™, the world’s first—and only—swimmable sound processor from Advanced Bionics. Developed for all ages and lifestyles, the lightweight Neptune processor features the industry’s first freestyle™ design, allowing patients to hear their world with the comfort and beauty of nothing on the ear.

To learn more about the features and benefits of this revolutionary new sound processor, attend one of the following seminars designed for adults and parents of children with hearing loss as well as the professionals who support them. Additionally, the seminar will offer a demonstration of valuable resources to support your journey to better hearing. Time will be provided for chatting with other attendees and speaking directly with manufacturer representatives.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Rockville, MD

Who: Adults and parents of children with hearing loss as well as the professionals who support them.

Registration Link: http://www.regonline.com/rockvilleconsumer0112

Captioning for each seminar will be provided.

Questions? Unable to attend the event, but would like to learn more?

Please contact the Bionic Ear Association (BEA):

Email hear@AdvancedBionics.com

Call 866.844.HEAR (4327)

AB's Neptune is now available Worldwide!

2012-01-06T15:19:00.001-05:00

Press Release Below:

VALENCIA, Calif., January 6, 2012 – Advanced Bionics (AB), the global leader in cochlear implant technology, announced today that it received approval in Europe for Neptune™, the world’s first and only swimmable, waterproof sound processor. On December 1, AB announced FDA approval for the distribution of Neptune sound processors in the United States and Canada. The addition of TÜV approval for Europe allows AB to distribute Neptune worldwide.

Fully intended for swimming and bathing, Neptune is designed to help cochlear implant recipients hear both in and out of the water. Recipients using other products on the market must remove their processor when they swim or bathe, which means they miss out on important safety instructions and opportunities for language development because they are not hearing during those times. Developed for all weather, terrain, ages and lifestyles, Neptune allows recipients to enjoy an abundance of water and sports activities thanks to its durable, waterproof design. Parents of pediatric recipients will appreciate the bonding and learning that comes with hearing during bath time, as well as the safety of hearing in the pool.

Designed after the chic styling of popular consumer electronics, the lightweight Neptune processor also features the industry’s first freestyle™ design, allowing recipients to hear the world of sound with the comfort and beauty of nothing on the ear. As a testament to the polished styling, the Industrial Designers Society of America recently honored Neptune with a Silver Shaggie award in recognition of excellence in product design.Neptune’s freestyle wearing category is new for the cochlear implant industry, giving recipients the ability to choose their wearing style. With the variety of convenient accessories, recipients can wear the Neptune processor anywhere and way they choose, such as in the hair, on an arm, under a collar, in a pocket—a high level of flexibility not available in the market until now. Neptune also comes in a wide range of fashion-forward colors for matching it to wardrobes or showing it off. And for those who prefer a more discreet look, it can also be easily tucked away. Parents will appreciate the many features included to ensure that Neptune is the perfect choice for small children, including removable controls that make it tamper-proof so that children can always hear their best.

Advanced Bionics was able to develop these industry firsts without compromising hearing performance. Neptune is fully compatible with the most advanced hearing technology, including ClearVoice™, HiRes Fidelity 120™ and AutoSound™, which are only available from AB.* These sophisticated sound processing strategies are designed to deliver the best hearing performance in real-world environments where recipients would otherwise struggle, such as busy offices, loud playgrounds, music recitals and crowded restaurants.

Neptune garnered an enthusiastic response from the cochlear implant professional community when it was announced at this year’s European Symposium on Pediatric Cochlear Implantation (ESPCI) in Athens, Greece and the 13th Symposium on Cochlear Implants in Children that took place in Chicago, IL, USA.

For more information about Neptune, contact a local Advanced Bionics representative or visit www.advancedbionics.com.

About Advanced Bionics:

Advanced Bionics is a global leader in developing the most advanced cochlear implant systems in the world. Founded in 1993 and a subsidiary of the Sonova Group since 2009, AB develops cutting-edge cochlear implant technology that allows recipients to hear their best.

AB offers the most sophisticated cochlear implant system on the market, the HiResolution™ Bionic Ear System, with five times more sound resolution than its competitors, designed to help recipients hear in noisy settings and enjoy the full dimensions of music.

With sales in over 50 countries and a proven track record for developing high-performing, state-of-the-art products, AB’s talented group of technologists and professionals from all over the world are driven to succeed, work with integrity and stay firmly committed to quality.

To learn more about AB and its innovative cochlear implant technology, please visit www.advancedbionics.com.

*ClearVoice is pending regulatory approval in the United States. HiRes Fidelity 120 is not approved for pediatric use in the United States.

Awesome Gift in the Mail :)

2011-12-27T21:00:00.000-05:00

Boy, it took me about 15 minutes to get this box out of the tiny mailbox!!! I actually took several trips to the mailbox to attempt to get it out! Well, it took me two steak knives and some surgery of the box. I was able to get my gift out. The box had plenty of room but when us homeowners try to get it out of the frame with the key, the hole is smaller.

Advanced Bionics sent us a gift saying Thank You for us being volunteers for AB. I thought it was the nicest gift I ever got in a long time!

Thank you AB!

The Group Shot of us taken in AB's HQ

in Valencia, California

December 8, 2011

Inscription:

Thank you for helping others

to Hear and be Heard

3rd Visit to Advanced Bionics HQ in Valencia, California

2011-12-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

I got invited to go back to Valencia for my third time and I am grateful for the opportunity to go back and learn about their products and how the implants work. The best part of the trip is to see others that I've met in the last two visits.

The primary goal is show us the Neptune, AB's new baby on the market. Its being shipped in the beginning of January 2012.

We got photos done by a professional photographer. One is the group photo of all of us Mentors and Chapter Leaders. We also got to play with the Neptune. They wanted to take photos of us wearing it any way we want to. I made my Neptune Pink and then clipped it to my hair. Oh my goodness. it was so light!!! Nothing on my ear. It took the weight off and loved it - too bad I couldn't take it home :(

We also got to spend some time with the CEO and CTO of AB, Dr. Gerhard Roehrlein. He was so interested in hearing our journeys and why we chose AB and why we have have been a loyal consumer and volunteer for AB. I thought Gerhard was a pretty cool guy from an engineer perspective. He knows how important it is for us to 'hear' and hearing stories from us enforced that. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to meet him.

Of course, I've got photos from the trip! :)

My friend Sam with Buddy!

Renee, Gerhard, Evelyn, me and Sam

We had a great time meeting Gerhard!

Our cute Flash Drive with all Neptune PDFs in there!

The rainbow of colors for the Neptune!

Advanced Bionics HQ!

Me modeling the Neptune.

I made mine pink (the photo does NOT show the pink well)

And the best part was it was off my ear finally!!!

Neptune!

2011-12-01T16:00:00.000-05:00

FDA released AB's Neptune to the market for United States... if you haven't heard about it.... you are gonna love it! Its the first SWIMMABLE implant! You can wear this in the pool and hear in the water. It's pretty awesome and will be great for kids when they play with their friends at the pool or the water park. They won't miss out ANYTHING!

Here is the release from AB:

VALENCIA, Calif., December 1, 2011 – Advanced Bionics (AB), the global leader in cochlear implant technology, announced today that it received approval in the United States and Canada for Neptune^TM*, the world’s first and only swimmable, waterproof sound processor.

Intended for swimming and bathing, Neptune is designed to help cochlear implant recipients hear in and out of the water. Recipients using other products on the market remove their processor when they swim or bathe, which means they miss out on important safety instructions and opportunities for language development because they are not hearing during those times. Developed for all weather, terrain, ages and lifestyles, Neptune allows recipients to enjoy an abundance of water and sports activities thanks to its durable, waterproof design. Parents of pediatric recipients will appreciate the bonding and learning that comes with hearing during bath time, as well as the safety of hearing in the pool.

Designed after the chic styling of popular consumer electronics, the lightweight Neptune processor also features the industry’s first freestyle^TM design, allowing recipients to hear the world of sound with the comfort and beauty of nothing on the ear. Neptune’s freestyle design is a new wearing category for the cochlear implant industry, giving recipients the ability to choose their wearing style. With the variety of convenient accessories, recipients can wear the Neptune processor anywhere and way they choose, such as in the hair, on an arm, under a collar, in a pocket—a high level of flexibility not available in the market until now. Neptune also comes in a wide range of fashion-forward colors for matching it to wardrobes or showing it off. And for those who prefer a more discreet look, it can also be easily tucked away. Parents will appreciate the many features included to ensure that Neptune is the perfect choice for small children, including removable controls that make it tamper-proof so that children can always hear their best.

Advanced Bionics was able to develop these industry firsts without compromising hearing performance. Neptune is fully compatible with the most advanced hearing technology, including ClearVoice^TM, HiRes Fidelity 120^TM and AutoSound^TM, which are only available from AB.* These sophisticated sound processing strategies are designed to deliver the best hearing performance in real-world environments where recipients would otherwise struggle, such as busy offices, loud playgrounds, music recitals and crowded restaurants.

Neptune garnered an enthusiastic response from the cochlear implant professional community when it was announced at this year’s European Symposium on Pediatric Cochlear Implantation (ESPCI) in Athens, Greece and the 13th Symposium on Cochlear Implants in Children that took place in Chicago, IL, USA.

Here are a few photos of the Neptune!

AB's Neptune with Aqua Mic

Colored Caps for the Neptune. They come in a rainbow of colors :)

The Neptune clipped in the hair underneath the hair clip.

The Neptune can be clipped on ANYTHING such as hair, collar of your shirt, tie, goggles, etc.

BEA's Fall Gathering!

2011-10-23T22:00:00.000-04:00

Today was the BEA's Fall Gathering since AB has been on the market. We had the event held at a pumpkin farm in Howard County... They had a huge pumpkin patch, hayrides, farm animals, and a cute gift shop.

We actually gave away Arlene's 2nd Book at this event and had a great turn out.

We also had a visitor from Massachusetts that has a bilateral surgery scheduled for November. This surgery is not very commonly done in adults since they want to preserve their 'good' ear in case something ever goes wrong with the implanted ear. Since his hearing aids aren't doing the work for him, he opted to get BOTH of his ears done on the same day! Yes it has its risks but each individual is different!

It was a great day with just the right amount of people just before Halloween. The environment was perfect with the exception of the tractor riding every 30 minutes.

Enjoy the photos!!!

Mini-Melody hanging out with the refreshments!

Our information table

Of course Buddy had to have bragging rights :)

Me and my BEA manager, Katie

Mike and Katie talking to a teacher that wants to get CIs

Mike's two kids - Joshua and Annie

CI candidates!

Awesome shot of Katie in the background with the balloon in focus!

More talking!

Another shot of our brochure table

All huddled up and talking about our CIs and how we benefit from them

Fish-Eye Lens shot

Another Fish-Eye Lens shot

Fish-Eye Lens shot - me talking to a teacher that is seriously thinking of getting CIs

Me and my husband, Tom

Thanks for all his awesome help!

The Honeymoon to the Bahamas!

2011-10-21T23:09:00.008-04:00

We had the most wonderful time on our cruise from Carnival to the Bahamas from Baltimore. We also requested an interpreter since it was recommended by several people. We are so glad we had Kristin. There are so many accents on that ship! I did meet one father that had a daughter with one implant from Cochlear. I offered to share my interpreter but his daughter doesn't know sign language at all :(

Here are some of our favorite photos from the cruise :)

The different country flags on the Carnival Ship

Me on Carnival Pride leaving Baltimore!

This isn't Titanic!

Playing Digital Scavenger Hunt - Had to find 4 people to join me doing a conga line!

Me with Ship's Mascot - Freddie!

Arriving at Cape Canaveral - doesn't the skyline look like a Carnival Ship?

Me and Tom at Nassau, Bahamas!!

Me and Tom at the Atlantis Resort in Nassau, Bahamas

Tom, Kristin and me

Kristin was our awesome interpreter!!!

Wedding!

2011-10-20T22:43:00.017-04:00

I finally tied the knot to my best friend I met 8 years ago thru an CART reporter in college. If it weren't for Fran, my transcriber - I would have never met Tom who can understand my frustrations, challenges, and goals in my life. Tom also has a hearing loss whom wears bilateral hearing aids.

Our wedding day couldn't be more perfect. We had the perfect weather and everything went off without a hitch. But we were both SO sick with bronchitis the week before the wedding. We weren't so sure if we were going to make our honeymoon or not. I got better the day before the wedding and my husband, Tom got better the morning of the wedding!

We had a fabulous wedding photographer that I found thru a really nice lady who I still haven't met to this day. Her name is Abbie. She mentored me over two years ago when I was in the process of getting an CI. She got married last year and her photos were exactly what I wanted for my album. Cindy Dyer is a photographer and graphic artist for Hearing Loss magazine that is by HLAA.

Cindy did our engagement photos and our wedding photos and I couldn't be more pleased! Here is a few photos from my family and our photographer.

Me & Tom kissing....

Woo-hoo!

My portrait

Reception Time!

Our rings

View of my dress and my bouquet that I made...

Us cutting the cake! It was sooo good!

Bridal Showers!

2011-10-02T06:51:00.001-04:00

Can you believe it? Just less than a month away til I say I do!

I had a huge bridal shower that was given by my family - Katie and Debbie. It was supposed to be Matt's graduation party. Me and my fiancée dressed up in the Raven's gear since they were playing that day! They sure surprised me! My entire family was there including my fiancée's. My grandfather's sisters were there as well his sister-inlaws. It was so good to see everyone!!

Then there was another one given by my best friend BrookeAnn and Jen. It was small but it sure was so much fun!!! There are a few photos of it below.

And finally, my work gave me one. The best part, they surprised me with my mom. I was in shock on how she got to Washington DC!!!! There are also photos below for that one too!!!

Brookeann, Me, Kim, Jen and Faith

Kim acting out!

Mom surprised me at work.

AB is back on the Market!!!

2011-09-13T18:39:00.005-04:00

Yeap, you heard it right! AB announced the re-entry of the 90K implant. Start calling your Implant Centre and start making those appointments to get your first CI or your bilateral surgery!!!! Cant wait for more and new exciting things in the future!

Here is the press release:

VALENCIA, Calif., September 13, 2011 – Advanced Bionics (AB), the only U.S.-based manufacturer of cochlear implants and a subsidiary of Switzerland-based Sonova, announced today the approval of the FDA for immediate market re-entry of the HiRes 90K cochlear implant in the United States. In recent months, Advanced Bionics received approval from several other regulatory agencies, including Health Canada and the European Notified Body, TÜV, to resume distribution of the HiRes 90K implant to Canada and countries accepting the CE Mark.

“Everyone at AB and Sonova is excited that we are back on the market globally. We stand by our commitment to putting patients first and delivering high-quality products for the best possible hearing experience,” said Hansjuerg Emch, Group Vice President Medical of the Sonova Group. “The support we have received across the industry for our integrity has been incredible.”

AB’s first priority is the safety and well-being of patients, which is why it instituted a voluntary recall in November 2010 after becoming aware of a rare issue with the HiRes 90K cochlear implant. Of the more than 28,000 implanted HiRes 90K devices, only two (0.007%) explanted devices were confirmed to have this issue. In the months since the recall was instituted, AB implemented changes to its manufacturing process to ensure that there is no effect on the safety or efficacy of the HiRes 90K cochlear implant.

While off the market, AB actively continued all research and development projects that were under way prior to the recall.

“Our upcoming launches and products currently in development will continue to lead the industry and help our patients hear their best and live a fulfilled life,” said Dr. Gerhard Roehrlein, CEO and CTO of Advanced Bionics, LLC.

Rumors....

2011-07-01T13:39:00.000-04:00

I'm hearing rumors about a totally swimmable CI! There isn't any material for the US but I was able to find some stuff on the UK websites and UK blogs about it.

Is it worth getting the 'NEPTUNE' by Advanced Bionics??

HLAA in Crystal City

2011-06-19T13:33:00.001-04:00

The HLAA conference in Crystal City was a BLAST!!!! This was my first time attending the event but I wasn't going there as a attendee.. I volunteered my time with Advanced Bionics booth to show the consumers how great AB's implant is! Even though we are not 'back' on the market. We were able to show off our SKIN-ITs which are like really durable and thick stickers for our CI. Mine lasted for almost a year!

I got to see my AB gang such as Sam, Evelyn, Jen, Dot, Becky and the list goes on and on and on!!!!

If you have never gone, promise yourself to save up the money and go one year! You will have the best time of your life! And the highlight is seeing WICKED in captioned!! My first play ever in caption.... I even sat in the very front row with my best friend Meredith who is a dwarf and needed to be seated closer to the stage so she can see the captions and the performance as well!

Enjoy the photos!! (They are compiled by all of my friends and me!) (and in no particular order!)

Sam pointing at Evelyn on the screen! Here she is in person!!!!

My fiancee Tom doing a side handstand on the light pole! Perfect timing with taking the photo!

Tina and Tina (from Chicago)

Tina and Sam

BethAnne and Tina

Evelyn and her pal, Shrimpy

Me (using a fisheye lens)

Me and Meredith

Barbara, Evelyn, Me and Jen

Wicked Play!

Meredith and Jen - look at the height difference!!!!

Sam giving Meredith some help on the bus!

Jen and Me

Crabtree & Evelyn

Tina signing Crab, Jen signing Tree and Evelyn pointing at herself!

Showing off the AB's booth!

Tina and Anna from UK

4 more months to go!

2011-06-10T12:44:00.002-04:00

4 more months til my wedding day! I'm all prepared and getting my last map soon before the big day! Had make up trials and hair trials too!

I did get an interpreter for my wedding.. I figured with everything going on that I am going to hear that day is going to completely exhaust me out. I thought having an interpreter for someone does the speeches will help me not to concentrate so hard. I want to enjoy my big day and have so much fun!

Here is our engagement photo taken by our photographer who happens to work for the Hearing Loss Magazine for HLAA!

The BEA Spring Gathering at the Washington DC Zoo!!!!

2011-05-15T23:44:00.014-04:00

You heard it right - we went out of our way to hold an event at the DC Zoo... the best part, there is no admission prices... but there is a parking fee if you want to park down there.

We had a great group of people showing up today! We thought it was going to rain all day... the weather held off til the closing time of the zoo! And boy, we got tons of pictures to show! If you couldn't make it, you missed a great gathering and we had so much fun meeting new people and becoming friends with them :) We sported some cute new stickers to show off our CI status. :)

Enjoy the photos!!!

Brochures, Bags, Monkeys, and much more!

Sign-In Sheets, more brochures!

Me and my BEA Manager, Katie

Some of the AB's recipients.

Scott's Family eating lunch before the big trek around the zoo!

Tina and Carrie talking while walking

Really Cute Panda.

Scott, Tina and Carrie

Support Group at the Arbutus Library

2011-02-26T18:19:00.009-05:00

We used a new location for the Winter BEA support group. This library is spanking brand new and CLEAN!

We had BethAnne from AB come and talk about the changes with AB. There are so many new changes... if you don't know... Sonova has acquired AB and they are also patterned with Phonak (the top digital hearing aid company on the market) which will mean that in the future, our CI's will get small!!!!

The two recalls were discussed.. the patients are explanted and re-implanted and doing very well! The root of the source of the recall was a shortage in the electrode.

Since they found the root problem, they are going to change the ways they manufacture the product and the steps towards it and work on getting it back to the market.

Also discussed about AB's new CEO, Gerhard Roehrlein. He has 25 years with Siemens and also a global pioneer in electronics and electrical engineering. I think this is going to bring some great stuff to AB! Cant wait to see what the future brings us!!!!

Advanced Bionics Recall

2010-11-23T23:11:00.002-05:00

Unfortunately, AB is on a voluntary recall due to TWO failures. One here in the US and one in UK. The two patients are experiencing severe pain, loud sounds and shocking sensations within 8-10 days after being activated.

At least that AB is being honest and pulling it off the shelf before anyone else gets hurt like the other two people. Not naming any companies, other brands tend to sweep their recall under the rug and hide it from others that its not easily found online.

AB's number one priority is the recipient. Which shows me that they do CARE about their recipients!!!

Support Group was a Success!

2010-08-14T20:04:00.000-04:00

It was a great turn out... but we had some visitors there that we had to kick out since I had a permit to have the space for the entire day. They weren't too happy. Sorry!

We had Meredith - who has a rare kind of dwarfism called Morquio Syndrome that is thinking of getting an CI. Her only challenge is that she had a spinal fusion which means if you have surgery and get intubated, they can't tilt her neck at all. We were told that Dr. Niparko from JHH has some surgeries as a local... eek! I can't imagine that!

Of course, Carrie showed up just one day post-op. My BEA manager, Beth Anne called her a brave soul. She didn't come alone :) Her mom drove her and brought her down. I think she was in good spirits and well medicated for her pain management.

I was happy with today's outcome. Let's hope that the next one will be even bigger!!! Here are some photos!

Tom with AB's Directional Signs

Me with AB Balloons!!!

Carrie (blue shirt) with Me and Meredith (purple shirt)

BEA Picnic

2010-08-14T04:30:00.009-04:00

It's early in the AM! Got so much prep work to do for the BEA's Picnic Gathering! I got balloons to fill up, directional signs to put up too!

My fiancee is helping me a lot to do this! We got people coming from Delaware and New Jersey! And we have a gal that just had surgery yesterday that is coming to the picnic! I know - already? She said that she really wants to go but I told her to take it easy. I was able to go to her surgery yesterday since I had a mapping that morning.

Wish me luck! Hopefully it doesn't rain or get too hot. We have a gazebo, so we should be in the shade all day!!!

Got a new SUV!

2010-07-04T10:36:00.015-04:00

Bought a new SUV yesterday! Got an 2010 Silver Santa Fe. The main goal of this SUV I picked out was to put one kennel in there without folding the seats down.

This SUV has so many bells and whistles. There is a cord that you can plug your iPhone or iPod on and play your music in the SUV.. thats pretty darn awesome. And this sucker has BLUETOOTH! Of course, who can live without power windows and power locks? And it also has heated windshield and mirrors... thats a nice bonus.

For the phone... right now, I'm not so sure how its gonna work for me. I tried using it with my mother in the truck. It kept saying Pardon Me? Grrrr. I tried to say the numbers and it wasn't coming up the way it was supposed to. The names were also difficult.. looks like its a new thing to train myself.. not the SUV!

I'll give it a few months and we will see if I can actually use the bluetooth.

Second Mapping and SUV

2010-07-02T06:00:00.005-04:00

Today's the second mapping, I feel that I need more information on the new ear (left ear) which is good. I'm hoping Steve can make it better so I can be able to distinguish sounds that I need to hear.

I think I'm more excited about getting my new truck later today! Ive waited so long to get this since I am constantly adding oil and antifreeze everyday to the car. I am just afraid it will simply break down on its own without a warning.

Wish me luck!

Car Died :(

2010-06-28T10:49:00.002-04:00

Yes, my favorite black Cavalier Z24 is going to heaven. It needs a new water pump and for all that labor, it wasn't worth fixing on a 9 year old car. Looking into SUVs since I have two dogs and want to be able to have people in there plus the doggies. The Cavalier didn't do it well.. the dogs took over the back seat and the front passenger seat was not usable since my 2 year old dog, Kaitu ate the seat belt on a road tip to my parents.

The Actual Activation

2010-06-25T17:00:00.015-04:00

Today's activation went well... it was different from the first one. I didn't get the sensation as bad like I got with the first one. Steve programmed me with Fidelity 120 instead of 90K since he knew that I would improve faster since I am already using Fidelity 120 in my right ear.

He had an assistant in the room and was teaching her how to use the AB's sound wave software on his computers.. I believe thats she is a teaching student at Johns Hopkins. I didn't ask many questions since I was more focused on getting activated :)

I could hear the sounds this time rather than feeling the sounds but it did sound very different. But since this is my 'bad' ear, it may not jump as high with my 'good' ear. We will see next week and the upcoming mappings!

Activation!

2010-06-25T09:37:00.005-04:00

It's the big day!!! Im not nervous like I was with my first activation. Just going solo this time. No family, fiancee, etc. Since I already know what to expect and Im also bring my flip video camera for my activation to compare it with my first one. Which i had a lot of sensation on my forehead which causes me to have migraines. I still get them only when there is a very loud noise.

Activation - June 25th

2010-06-01T09:40:00.003-04:00

Activation day is about 24 more days away. I am actually nervous! I know I've been thru it before.. I guess I'm just silly! I am curious how much it will help me more by having two implants rather than one. I have heard so many stories on how people do so much better with two.

Memorial Day Weekend!

2010-05-31T22:17:00.016-04:00

Yeap! I felt that I needed a vacation that didn't require too much stress. I knew I couldn't do anything strenuous since I'm only two weeks post-op. We went off to Deep Creek Lake. It was so pretty! The first day we got there, we went on a boat ride on the Deep Creek Lake.. they say its the first MAN-MADE lake. I thought it was pretty cool.

I had my best friend Brookeann braid my hair everyday since I couldn't do much with my hair since a lot of the hair was shaved and wanted to hide that area and the scar. I felt like I looked like Frankenstein.

I noticed that my car was overheating a lot on the way up there :( It was leaking antifreeze, not sure why.

I took my 2 year old dog, Kaitu with us. He had a blast playing with two other dogs that were at the rental townhouse and got to play in a huge back yard. It was a nice trip for post surgery. We normally do roller coasters and amusement parks for Memorial Day weekend but I knew I couldn't do it this year.

Here are a few photos :)

Me & Tom

My 2 year old, Kaitu jumping in the air to get the frisbee!

BEA Support Group - Great Turnout!

2010-05-22T17:00:00.001-04:00

It was a great turn out. I think I shocked everyone that I was 4 days post-op. I told them that I was bilateral as of 4 days ago... not activated but surgically wise. Most of them were amazed that I was feeling good in a short time. (The trick was - - - the best pain meds you can ask for!)

My balance is back on track as well, I explained to the group that with my first CI surgery, my balance was a bit out of whack. And this bilateral surgery could either make it or break it. Since the surgery, I've noticed a huge improvement in my balance, its better than before.

Hopefully the next support group at the end of the summer will be even bigger!!!

Baltimore BEA Chapter Support Group

2010-05-22T08:56:00.003-04:00

Yes! There is a support group held at the Elkridge Public Library... I know I just had surgery 4 days ago but I feel great!!! I have friends that will help me with all the lifting (since I can't lift anything more than 5 pounds for a few weeks due to the surgery).

Let's hope for a great turn out. I have Beth Anne and a clinical specialist coming in today to help anyone with any questions they need answered!

Surgery Day - Part Two

2010-05-18T13:29:00.007-04:00

Surgery was successful! No problems with my sugar! The OR nurse LOVED my CGM. Well worth it!

I was up and going home before 1155am! Got home at 1230pm! No complications, less bleeding than the other surgery which was less bleeding than normal. Thats pretty good! Dr. Limb liked how the procedure went and was pleased with the results. He's excited for me for my activation!

I woke up with NO pain at all! I was such a happy camper! Will do a posting on comparison from both surgeries. And was able to walk to my second phase of recovery! From waking up and getting over there was about 15-20 minutes apart. When I woke up, i immediately saw the nurse and asked for a drink and crackers. I was smiling away cuz I was pretty numb this time. Really nice nurse.

One bad thing... I got stuck 3 TIMES for a IV!!!!! This pre-op nurse must have been new and was not experienced in doing IVs. But I asked for my old pre-op nurse, Victoria. She didn't come in til later but she was able to get in a nice line for me and was happy to see her again.

Had the same anesthesiologist! It was a small world! She was glad to see me again! She was like number two already? I was like up, lets get the show on the road!

Didn't even say bye to my parents.. only my fiancee. I was put under about 10 seconds. This was so much smoother than the last time. Had a good surgical experience.

Surgery Day!

2010-05-18T04:25:00.001-04:00

Yup, today is my surgery day! Whoot!

I'm so pysched!

Sugars are running normal and will have my CGM and Pump during surgery!

Wish me luck!

AB Headquarters Again!

2010-04-30T22:29:00.006-04:00

I was invited to go back to AB's HQ for Chapter Leader Training! It was a great training session, got great ideas for my upcoming support groups! I can't wait to try out new ideas.

Finally got to meet a guy I've heard so much about in the AB world, Sam. He made me feel right at home in Valencia. And gave me some great laughs!

I was the ONLY person there with one implant. Everyone was bilateral but I told em all that I was going to be bilateral in two weeks... can you believe it.. two more weeks to go!

I met a fellow named Stu, he does the AB BEA for the UK side. I was able to understand his british accent since I grew up with a few UK friends. And he has one implant himself and I asked him why not two? He said that UK doesn't approve bilateral implants for adults like the US does. Thats a bummer.

The worst part, I had to leave on my birthday! Needed to fly back home for an information booth in Virginia the very next day. I was hoping to get special treatment from the airline since it was my birthday.... no one noticed :(

Here are some photos from the visit!

Tina & Stu

Paul, me, Sam and Wayne!

Bilateral Surgery

2010-03-23T09:08:00.003-04:00

I got my bilateral surgery! Its on May 18th! I am psyched! Ill finally be 'stereo'! Dr. Limb will be doing my surgery again. He did a great job with the first one and has awesome bedside manners.

Audiogram Comparison

2010-03-19T21:28:00.002-04:00

I know its been forever since my last post but will update my blog eventually.

I did a comparison of my audiograms so far to this point and thought it would be great to share with everyone.

Trip to AB Headquarters - November 2008

2009-11-20T12:24:00.005-05:00

I had the opportunity to go to Valencia, California to visit AB's Headquarters for Mentor Workshop training.

This HQ is nested in Valencia, the beautiful valley in California, about a hour north of Los Angeles.

I got to meet other mentors which was nice to meet other people with unilateral and bilateral implants. Even met a cute little gal that is bilateral. I think she was the age of 2 or 3. She was super darn cute!

The time there was so short and didn't want to leave everyone. We could relate to other people's issues and problems.

I was considered as COCHLEAR BABY since I was only turned on for 3 months.

During my time there, I met so many people that were bilateral and I think Ive made the decision to go bilateral in next 6 months to a year!

If you ever go there, be sure to stop at the plant and get a tour of how they make the electrodes! They are made by hand!

First Programming...

2009-09-11T17:39:00.002-04:00

I went to programming without my family.... just me and my fiancée. Steve, my audie likes my progress so far... I told him that I heard that sound at AuBonPain that far away.....

He did mapping I think, where he finds the level of tolerance in each decibel. Then about 10 minutes later.. he turns it on... OH MY GOSH! It sounds SOOOO MUCH BETTER! But stronger than a hearing aid.

I was a happy camper! Steve also added a 1X magnet in the implant.. removed the dummy and added the extra magnet since my hair is heavy and still a little swollen. But it was my heavy hair that was knocking it down a lot.

As we left the hospital, it was raining out... I whipped on my rain coat.. and walked outside JHH. Hmm.. what am I hearing now? It was the raindrops on my raincoat... WOW.... My first sounds with the CI! It was so pleasant to hear something so nice like that. Thats a nice way to start my learning experience.

One week since activation

2009-09-10T16:50:00.000-04:00

The first week was rough. Everything I heard did not make any sense. I'm starting to wonder if I made the right decision here. I know it may be too soon. But I'm sorta lost here. I was all excited about activation and can I hear? Well yea but it don't sound right....just a bunch of freaking noise. Come on here.

Second. My implant keeps falling off when my hair is down. Grrrr...emailed my audie this week and he said that he can add another magnet. Whatever that means.

The day after I got activated, I went to Ocean City for the weekend. I heard a few things but they weren't clear. The ocean, the traffic and a loud bang. That's it! What a weekend.

Tomorrow is my 1st programming. I hope things sound better after I leave JHH tomorrow.

Today's Activation

2009-09-04T13:59:00.001-04:00

Alrighty, it was really wierd. I felt the sounds and along with that I also felt a sensation or a pulsing on my forehead.

I was so nervous this morning and didn't eat breakfast at all! That's not a good thing for a diabetic.

I got this huge box of stuff in it. WOW! All these chargers, hooks, cap covers, batteries were included.

I'm not going to lie here, still can't hear a word since it's the inital stimulation. I think when I go back for programming, things will be different.

Anyway, here's a photo of me after the activation at Subway. I was hungry!!

T-Minus 16 hours til activation

2009-09-03T16:34:00.000-04:00

You heard it right. About 16 more hours til activation of my Advanced Bionics Cochlear Implant! Will have some videos up soon!

T-minus 4 Days...

2009-08-31T07:46:00.002-04:00

Activation Time! 4 more days! This Friday at 9am. I am sorta nervous and excited at the same time. Can you believe it took me 6 months to get to this point from my very first appointment and now to the activation date? People don't realize that this is a LIFETIME commitment! Its just not going there for programming, it requires you to go back every 6 months to a year and in addition to that, you have listening therapy to practice every day.

The AB website has free lessons that you can download to your iPod, or what ever iSomething. I am already prepared. I downloaded stuff to the iPhone and have it all ready til my audie tells me so.

Surgical Incision Healing

2009-08-30T22:37:00.006-04:00

I watched the progress of my surgical incision with the help of my fiancée Tom. Since I could not see it well, he took photos for me so I can see how much better it looked.

August 6, 2009 - 2 days post-op. Finally took bandage off.

Whew....the pressure off of my head is finally gone!!

August 8, 2009 - 4 days post-op. Saw the surgeon on

August 7, 2009 and was pleased with progress.

August 16, 2009 - 12 days post-op. Looking better!

August 19, 2009 - 15 days post-op. My first attempt to wear earrings!

August 29th, 2009 - 25 days post-op. Looks so much better!

You can see the scar has flatten out over time. And hair slowly growing back!

T-minus 8 days.

2009-08-27T08:09:00.001-04:00

Yup. You heard it right, 8 more days til activation. I'm ready to see what I can hear.

On the other hand. I'm still in very little pain. Some days are good and some are bad. The implanted side has scalp soreness. But it's not even close to the implant. I don't know if anyone else has experienced that before.

I can feel the shape and the actual implant itself. It's sorta wierd to have something underneath my skin. I'm still trying to get over the size of the bump.

2.5 weeks Post-Op

2009-08-21T11:28:00.002-04:00

It's been a whirlwind two weeks of pain and discomfort. I'm not gonna tell everyone that it didn't hurt. But it did. Today is the 17th day post-op. I finally woke up with no pain. And also slept on my implanted ear for a few hours. I was happy with my progress so far.

I asked my audiologist so many wierd and dumb questions like can I blow my nose now? Can I go back to water aerobics?

Two more weeks til activation!

Post Op visit with Dr.Limb

2009-08-09T04:16:00.003-04:00

The post-operative visit with Dr.Limb went very well. He was pleased with the outcome of my surgery. No complications during surgery. Also said that I had less bleeding than normal.

Here is a photo at the hospital. You can see that my face is swollen on the left. Surgery was on Tuesday morning, this photo was taken on Friday morning... not too bad 3 days post-op.

But I did have some dizziness that day and a few bloodsugar drops as well. But it was my first day out...did some errands with mom and picked up a big bottle of Tylenol for pain management for the next week or so.

Post-Op {24 hours later}

2009-08-06T02:39:00.004-04:00

My goodness, I will tell you what a difficult night I had after surgery. Barely slept at all. Could not get comfortable with the pain.

After the 24 hours, I started to feel a lot of relief, the pain reduced in about half and got more color back in my skin. Was able to stay awake longer.

Its 2:40am, I couldn't sleep, I am here at my desk blogging and doing my scrapbook, something quiet and relaxing. In about 12 hours, the bandages will come off and my first attempt to take a shower.

I do experience some jaw pain that my mentor, Abbie Cranmer mentioned to me via email. But no neck pain, I am afraid to move my neck so I haven't been able to move it as much.

Otherwise I feel that I am doing pretty good post-op wise.

I did find out earlier this evening, from one of my surgeons that I had a rough time in the OR. I don't know details yet. I will be getting this information from Dr. Limb and his peers on Friday on my post-op appointment. I do remember that I kept asking for more pain meds during recovery which limited my visit with my family and fiancee.

Oh did I tell you that I got engaged this past Saturday? I dont think I have kept my eyes off of my sparkly engagement ring! Will keep you posted on the recovery part.

Here's a photo of me. I'm not too happy here!

Post-Op Experience

2009-08-04T21:40:00.001-04:00

Post-Op was an challenge for me. I had problems with pain management during the first phase of recovery.

I remember bits and pieces coming out of the OR and the first hour of recovery.

I vaguelly remember seeing my surgeon, Dr.Limb saying that everything went well. Also his sidekick visiting me as well. I was so out of it during that time.

The nurse kept asking me if I was in pain. Scaling 1-10, I was always at 8 for a few hours maybe. But after a few times of waking me up, one of the nurses told me that in order to see my family and fiancée, it needs to be below 5.

Ok. Thanks SmartyPants, I just found a loophole to get outta there faster. The next time she came up to me and asked me what my pain level is, I told her it was between 4-5. Found my ticket home.

During that time, my pre-op nurse, Victoria visited me. I thought it was so sweet of her.

My mom took a picture of this photograph of Victoria that was on one of the walls in the pre-op area. She was so nice to me and I was scared shitless. She kept telling me that she would take care of me. She did.

Alrighty, back to the subject; another nurse comes by and prepares for me to WALK over to the second phase of recovery. And I was a little dizzy at the time. (I'm thinking how in the heck am I gonna get there safely??) So, I gently asked the two nurses if they could bring the chair to me and I'll hop on it. I was still in my sleepy stages during this time.

Got over there and got a spanking brand new nurse. Much nicer than the other one. She brings my family and my fiancée. Then my MOTHER starts snapping away her photos with her phone. I'm like what is SHE doing?!?! From the pictures below, you can obviously see that I was not in any mood to smile.

Told ya!

But here is a lovely photo of my fiancée, Tom.

And another of me and my dad.

Surgery Day

2009-08-04T18:00:00.000-04:00

What a day.... this morning, I had a bad dream/nightmare... I dreamt that I was at JHH and there was this really weird people... and then waiting in pre-op area and a woman named Mary Rattell came out and told me that the surgery was cancelled cuz Dr. Limb was sick.

Good news that I had my surgery (performed by Dr.Charles Limb) this morning. I was in recovery for sometime cuz of the pain levels...well bad news the pain meds aren't working for me. I have been dealing with the pain since I woke up at the hospital.

I am at my place, my mom is staying with me for a few days to make sure I am ok. I am just trying to stay busy by watching tv, chatting with friends to kill time on the pain.

We will see how tomorrow goes.

Almost there!! 4 more days.

2009-07-31T11:22:00.002-04:00

Yup. 4 more days til surgery date on August 4th. I'm pretty much prepared. Wish me luck you all!!

T-Minus 10 Days...

2009-07-25T04:15:00.002-04:00

10 more days til my surgery date! Wow, I am just counting the days! I am really excited to get it over with.

A lot of people are always asking if I am nervous about it ... Not really since this is my 2nd surgery. I had shoulder surgery done almost 3 years ago and I know what to expect during recovery wise like sore throat, in and out of sleep during the first few days.

My worries are migraines... will I get them hard? I've had tiny ones but the killer part is I CANT take anything for it til my surgery date.

I told my mom that I want to document everything on my pre-op then post-op. Its funny, I told my dad tonight, that I was worried on how much hair that they will shave off....grrr...I actually got it cut about a week or two ago. About 4-5 inches off; that way its shorter than before and less TANGLES since you can't wash your hair for a few days.... :(

Melody - Advanced Bionics Bilateral Doll

2009-07-22T06:16:00.002-04:00

Have you met Buddy's sister?? Her name is Melody. She is a year old now and is bilateral.

I recieved her several weeks ago. Boy she is a cutie! Enjoy the photos!

Advice from a CI friend...

2009-07-15T21:51:00.008-04:00

I got some advice from my friend that has a CI. It was actually other peoples' advices that they have given her when she was in the process. I thought I would pass it along to everyone else!

Here it is gang..

Pre-operative

1. Purchase things like triple-antibiotic ointment, hydrogen peroxide, cotton balls, q-tips, over the counter pain relievers, shower caps, gauze, Vitamin E capsules, and special shampoos (see post-operative below – some could use baby shampoo right away, while others had to purchase “no rinse” shampoos for a week’s use) PRIOR to surgery. Discuss the use of each with doctors and nurses. The important thing is to purchase these prior to your surgery date so that all is ready for use when you get home. If you know you will have pain medication prescriptions and antibiotics, get them filled before surgery so that you don’t have to worry about getting them after you get home.

2. Clean your house before you leave to go to the hospital! Wash all of your dirty clothes, etc. No one wants to come home from even outpatient surgery to a dirty, messy house. Make sure you wash your bedding so that you have clean sheets to snooze on at night! Find towels toplace over pillows so that ointment will not stain pillowcases.

3. Purchase extra pillows if you think you will need them, in order to prop yourself up better at night. Some CI patients borrowed a recliner in advance if they did not own one. This enabled them to sleep comfortably in a reclined position after surgery for a couple of weeks.

4. Purchase healthy microwave meals, or freeze a week’s worth of meals in advance. This will enable you to quickly re-heat food so that you do not have to prepare and cook meal immediately following your surgery. Put them in cheap microwaveable plastic containers so that you can throw them away and not have to wash dishes. Purchase fresh fruit the day before your surgery so that you have healthy snacks readily available. Wash them ahead of time so that you need only retrieve a piece from the fridge. Stock up on applesauce, popsicles which may help with jaw or throat pain.

5. Make a list of how to take care of your pets, plants, etc., and make sure a friend or family member has a key to your home in case you are kept overnight. This will ensure care for the critters should the doctors choose to keep you an extra day.

6. If you know you will not want visitors for a few days (especially as you cannot wash that hair of yours!) email or contact people you know may “drop by unannounced.

7. Most surgeons now require that patients get an age-appropriate vaccine (Prevnar or PCV7 and/or Penumovax or PPV23) prior to implant surgery. Make sure you discuss with your doctor the reasons for the vaccines, and when they recommend getting them.

8. Many surgeons require a physical prior to your surgery by your general practitioner. Some require that it be within 30 days of the surgery date. This physical may include additional tests like the EKG, CBC, BMT, PT/PTT, and chest x-ray. Discuss this with your surgeon at pre-operative visits.

9. Most surgeons ask that you stop taking aspirin, or aspirin-containing products during the 14 days prior to your surgery. Failure to do so, may cause your surgery to be cancelled. Some of these products are listed below, however this list is not exhaustive. If in doubt, please contact your physician and/or surgeon. These products may include:

Alka-Seltzer

Anacin

Arthritis pain formula

Arthritis strength BC powder

Arthritis strength Bufferin

ASA enseals

ASA suppositories

Ascriptin

Ascriptin ND Caplets

Aspergum

Aspermin

Aspertab

Axotal

Azdone

Bayer

BC Powder

Buffaprin

Buaffasal

Bufferin

Buffets

Buffex

Buffinol

Butalbital compound

CAMA arthritis pain relief

Children’s chew. Aspirin

Cope

Damason-P

Dasin

Darvon Compound

Epromate

Equagesic Tablets

Equazine M

ES Bufferin

Gensan

Genuine Bayer Aspirin

Goody’s Headache Powder

Isollyl Improved

Lortab ASA tablets

Magnaprin

Marnol

Micrainin

Midol

Measurin

Monentum

Norgesic

Norwich Aspirin

Pacanalgesic tablets

Pain reliever tablets

Percodan

Presalin

Persistin

Salatim Capsules

Saleto

Salocol

Sine-Off sinus

Soma Compound

St. Joseph’s Aspirin

Stanback Powder/Max Powder

Supac

Synalgos-DC Capsules

Talwin Compound

Therapy Bayer aspirin

Tri-pain caplets

Trigesic

Ursinus inlay tabs

Valesin

Vanquish

Verin

Wesprin Buffered

Zorprin

(Certain herbs and supplements should also be checked with you doctor. Go to

http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=SA00040 for more information)

10. Just in case you are dizzy after surgery, and you live in a home with stairs, make sure everything you need is on one level. That way you won’t have to go up and down stairs for a few days.

11. If you are the person in your household who pays the bills, make sure you do this in advance. You can have them prepared, but ask a trusted friend to mail them on a particular date, or you can mail them early. (Like the companies will complain for getting paid early?) You may not feel up to bookkeeping for several days, so be prepared.

12. Some CI patients were told they could not lift more than 10 pounds for 3 weeks after surgery. If you are the grocery store shopper in your home, you may want to stock up on groceries as you will be unable to lift grocery bags full of food.

13. You cannot wear contacts in surgery. You cannot wear glasses during surgery. However post-op, you will need to see to speech read, or to read notes written to you. Remove the “same side” arm on your glasses as the side you are having implanted. Keep the tiny screw and side-arm in a ziplock bag in a SAFE place so that you can re-assemble them later.

14. Go the library or video store so that you will have plenty of things you can do while “resting” with your feet up.

15. If you take other prescription medicines for blood pressure, diabetes, etc., make sure you have a week to 10 days worth before having to have it re-filled. The last thing you want to do the day after surgery is try to get a prescription re-filled.

16. Check with your surgeon about acrylic nails, false nails, or polish. Some do not require thatyou remove it, however some ask that you do. It is best to find out ahead of time, especially if you wish a professional to remove your nails. Ask about both fingernails AND toe nails.

17. If you have questions that need answers, bring them with you at check-in so that you will have the answers prior to being released.

18. If you have short and/or very thin hair (OR if you fear a horrific hair cut!) you may want to invest in some hats and scarves. Nice wide-rimmed hats with brightly colored scarves look great. The “guys” may want to do without the scarves – but baseball hats, cowboy hats, etc., are all great options.

19. You can find numerous CI lists online, some of which have pictures of post-op haircuts. If you see one you like, and would like the implant center to try to duplicate that “look”, print the picture off and take it with you! It won’t hurt to ask them to do their best to leave you enough to work with later!

Day of the Surgery

1. Whether you are wearing street clothes or pajamas home, make sure the shirt buttons all the way down the front. You will not want to try to pull something over your head. The same goes for your jacket or coat if it is cold. No pullovers! Sweat pants, or “other” slip on pants are a great idea as well. Skirts, dresses, hose? No way!

2. Plan to wear slip on shoes. You do not want to have to bend over and tighten, then tie or snap shoes. No high heels. No-skid soles are best for OBVIOUS reasons.

3. If it is cold, bring a light scarf that you can lightly drape over your head to protect it from the wind and cold.

4. Bring a small pad of paper and pen to communicate with others.

5. Bring your “CI ready” eye glasses (see pre-op above) and a ziplock bag or container to keep hearing aids in while in surgery. If you do not have someone to hold these for you and bring them directly to you post-op, ask a nurse to take charge of them so that you can put your hearing aid back into the non-implanted ear after surgery. Label the baggie with your glasses and hearing aids with marker, even if you are leaving them in another person’s care. You never know! They may get misplaced.

6. If you know you will be spending the night in the hospital, make several nice signs that say “Deaf patient – Please face to communicate”, or other instructions. This can be taped to your door, above your bed, etc.

7. Do not wear jewelry – best to leave it at home.

8. Bring a picture ID with you. Once checked in, you can give it to a family member or friend for safekeeping.

9. Bring crackers or other light snack with you. You may be in recovery for hours and they will forget to feed you more than likely. Ask permission to eat peanut butter crackers, or ask for Jell-o or soup. (Make sure family or friends bring a snack or money to purchase something from the cafeteria.

10. Arrive ON TIME as registration takes a great deal of time, and mountains of paperwork. Bring your insurance information even though they should already have this. Don’t take any chances.

11. Do not bring your purse, wallet, etc., unless you are leaving them in the care of a waiting family member or friend.

12. Talk to your doctor and anesthesiologist about anti-nausea meds. This can be given through your IV during surgery and helps many patients in your immediate recovery. If you are extremely nervous beforehand, you can be given a light sedative like Xanax or “other” through your IV. Talk to your doctor.

13. Want a Kodak memory? Make sure you bring a camera and instruct those around you to “snap happy”. YOU will not feel like taking pictures, but you can have designated people to take pictures, or even run a video camera.

Post-operative

1. Do not allow doctors or nurses to give you verbal instructions. Ask them to write. EVERYTHING down. Even if you have a family member or friend listening as well, something may be forgotten.

2. Make sure there are clear instructions about incision care. Make sure it is written down.

3. Make sure there are clear instructions written about HOW and WHEN to wash your hair. You may want to find this information out ahead of time in case you need to purchase special shampoos, etc.

4. After surgery, if you have to sneeze, do so with your mouth open! Closing your mouth, or trying to hold the sneeze back may damage your ears and break the clot from the surgery.

5. Avoid crowds and little ones if possible. You do not want to catch a cold, virus, etc. Your immune system will be weakened from the operation.

6. Do not drive for at least a week, however some surgeons ask that you do not for as long a two weeks. Obviously, if you are dizzy and weak after 2 weeks, you still should not drive. “When” you can drive varies a great deal based on the responses I received. Ask the doctor. Many who responded said they were told no driving as long as they were still taking prescription pain meds.

7. Make sure you have a reliable way to contact your surgeon and implant center (with the actual names of a couple of nurses), and your general practitioner.

8. Returning to work varies individual to individual. Speak to your doctor about this, and stay in contact with your employer so that they know how you are doing and your anticipated return date.

9. This may vary hospital to hospital, but no airline flying for at least 3 weeks after surgery.

10. Ask for an identification card the implant center may have available that you can carry with you in the future, to verify that you have a cochlear implant and that it cannot be removed. Security checkpoints in certain buildings, all airports and train stations, etc., will need to see proof of your medical implant.

Activation Date

2009-07-15T21:48:00.003-04:00

I know, I know... it took me a while to sit down and actually type this up, I guess its the lazy summer days.

I got the activation date.....September 4th. Killer part about the date is... the fact is just before the weekend. And I have plans to go to the beach for the weekend. I am sure I am going to be turning heads a lot there and trying to figure out this stuff.

20 more days til surgery. I'm ready to go under the knife and get this over with.

See ya all next time!

The Surgery Date

2009-07-01T20:32:00.003-04:00

Yeap! I am already posting my surgery date! I got a call this morning from Dr.Limb's office and its been 24 hours since my appointment with Steve...

Drumroll please!

August 4, 2009 at 730am. Means that I have to be at JHH at 530am!

Almost a month away!

I called my mom and she was like thats so soon! Uhhh... yea! Exactly what I wanted. I wanted the surgery before September so I don't miss classes.

I am hoping to get my activation date , 2nd day follow up, 1 week follow up and the 1 month follow up dates within two weeks. I already got in touch with Shawntell, this lovely lady that makes my appointments via e-mail.

I will post an advice list that I gotten from my friend Denise Portis, a fellow blogger and CI'er. Had some great tips that you wouldn't even thought of...

This is not my first sugery, the last one was in August of 2007 for a bone spur in my shoulder. Painful as heck during recovery. Every time I laughed, coughed, sneezed, hic-cupped, or whatever, hurt like heck! I kinda of know what to expect post-operatively since this one was almost sorta of recent.

Keep an eye out for the next post with the activation date!

Last appointment at JHH

2009-06-30T10:10:00.002-04:00

Yup. You heard it loud and clear! Last appointment was with Steve Bowditch. He did an aided auditory testing also speech perception test. The aided part, the right ear (which will be the implanted side) shows a drop around 2000Hz from 60-80db.

The speech perception....well I felt that I did terrible cuz I really didn't recognize the words. Only a few of them. CID was at 14% and HINT score was at 18%.

Hopefully within 2 weeks, I'll have my surgery date. Tee-hee! I can't wait!!!

While I was there, I also picked out my processor, color choice and cap color choice. All of ya probably already know by now that I picked Advanced Bionics. Signed and dated my device selection papers. Ordered 2 Silver Processors with Sophista Color caps.

See ya all later! Will post again with surgery date!!!

T-Minus 6 Days...

2009-06-24T23:15:00.002-04:00

Yup, 6 more days til that LAST appointment before surgery! This appointment is with my audiologist, Steve for a new hearing test. This will let me know if my hearing is stable or has declined more since March.

Wish me luck!

Dr. Charles Limb - My Surgeon Appointment

2009-06-13T08:21:00.002-04:00

Sorry for not posting... I finally had my appointment with Dr. Limb. Quite a remarkable guy with a great academic background from Harvard and Yale. My parents were pretty impressed with him. He asked a bunch of questions about how I grew up, how I became deaf, etc.

I was almost 3 months premature baby which gave me a few health problems. My hearing loss and diabetes. The doctors (back in 1977) believes that I have a nerve damage (Nerve Deafness).

On the other hand, today...I am trying to find out the real cause of my deafness. I am so curious but there isn't any answers now. Maybe in the sometime future, I will know. The technology and the science is so much better today than 32 years ago.

Back to Dr. Limb; he answered my parents questions and mine too. He said that JHH has never damaged anyone's facial nerve up to this point. He also said that he will shave hair on the implanted side, not much... but he will shave a tiny amount on the non implanted side that way they can keep in track of my facial nerves and make sure they aren't damaged thru the surgery. At the end, he feels comfortable doing my surgery and will see me next time in the operating room....

Surgery date? He said that it can be end of July or sometime in August... I was like REALLY??? I am looking forward to getting this done and hear the trick and treaters for halloween.. one of my favorite holidays. But... it all depends on my last appointment at the end of the month with my audiologist, Steve Bowditch for the auditory testing.

So far, its been going well and smoothly.

Dr. Charles Limb

2009-05-17T21:52:00.001-04:00

Here is the article on John Hopkins Magazine on Dr. Charles Limb. Click to read article.

Cochlear Implant Picnic

2009-05-17T08:46:00.003-04:00

It was a blast! I got to meet a lot of people and finally Elizabeth McDonald from AB. It was so nice to meet someone with a face!

I was right about the burgers, but not CI shaped... But they did have burgers.. wished they had the cheese to go with it...

I got a few freebies, some freebies for Echo and Kaitu, drawstring bags, bubbles.

There was a mixture of age groups, the most common I saw were either kids or senior citizens. I was told that seniors are the most popular group of CI's.

It was worth going and meeting other people.... but I did get lost. I deleted my email that had the specific directions to Centennial Park. I thought it was the main entrance but it was in the East Entrance in a private area for large groups.

My Typography Class on Thursday Night

2009-05-14T23:27:00.000-04:00

I am in graduate school at University of Baltimore. Taking two classes, Typography and Creative Concepts. I was in my last Typography class on Thursday night with Maxwell Boam.

Max Boam also works with the JHH magazine. My classmates asked Max to show us his work that he has done. One of the pieces that he showed us was a article of Dr. Charles Limb, my surgeon for the upcoming CI. I found out that he was a musician. I thought it was so interesting!

I am still awaiting for the article to be found on the JHH website.. Once I get it, I'll put in another blog post.

Two More Appointments Made...

2009-05-12T08:22:00.002-04:00

Two more appointments were made for the audiologist and surgeon. The receptionist made them on the same day, but the killer part was it was July 24th. I was like what? She mentioned that Steve Bowditch (my audiologist) is rather booked up.

She also asked me if I want to be on a cancellation list for Steve's appointments. I was like sure, why not, it wouldn't hurt.

I got the name of the surgeon. Dr. Charles Limb.

Apparently the JHH Listening Center website is going under construction, most of the links don't work right now.... :(

John Hopkins Visit

2009-05-07T15:57:00.002-04:00

Today was the day for initial consultation. My parents and fiancée went with me this morning.

Meeting Steve Bowditch was a pleasure. I think he reassured my family by answering their questions. My dad had a lot which surprised me cuz I didn't think he would be interested in the process of me getting a CI.

Two more appointments, one with Steve and the other with the surgeon. Then the surgery date will be scheduled.

Reality is coming! I am very eager to get the process moving forward. And today was the first step! Woo hoo!

John Hopkins Hospital

2009-05-01T23:08:00.002-04:00

Whew! After 6 LONG weeks of waiting! I finally got an email from JHH. I go in Thursday for my evaluation appointment, which will include new audiogram. I am eager to find how how my hearing loss has been since March. Is it stable or has it gotten worse. I will find out that day if I am indeed a candidate for the CI.

Wish me luck you all, it happens to be the day after my birthday when I got this news. Not bad of a late birthday present!

Next post will be next week with results from JHH. I am hoping to see some of you at the JHH Cochlear Implant Picnic!

Johns Hopkins 10th Annual Cochlear Implant Picnic

2009-04-23T19:41:00.003-04:00

Yup, you read it right, a Cochlear Implant Picnic. It's on May 15th from 4pm to 7pm. It's on a Friday, an weird day to have it on, not on a Saturday or Sunday. A Friday. Most people work til 5pm or so. Its at Centennial Park in Columbia, MD. Hope to see some of you CI'rs there!

I wonder if there will be implant sized mini burgers and mini cookies that is the shape of the magnetic device. Hehe...

Ill be there with my parents, grandmother and my friend Dan. Dan is interested in getting the Cochlear Implant. A good way to talk with people and get their feedback.

Books on Tape

2009-04-23T19:38:00.002-04:00

Alright, I tried to do my Comparison Analysis. Forget it. These Books on Tape (Actually on CD) are so difficult to understand, I wish I can find some without the music background. My honey could understand a bit of it but he mentioned that the background music was just too much. I'll keep on looking for more books on tape and then try them out at the library and see if I can understand anything. I just need a CLEAN audio. No crappy music on it! Wish me luck you all.

A Comparison Analysis - Children's Books on Tape

2009-04-16T19:24:00.006-04:00

Yea, I decided to do a before and after comparison analysis. I want to see how much I can understand and full hear with my hearing aids with worsening hearing and how much I can hear after my Cochlear Implant Surgery.

I may be ahead of myself here, but I am so curious. I really want to document the good and the bad things I can or cannot hear.

From Michael Chorost's video, he mentioned that he learned how to hear all over again by reading and listening to Winnie the Pooh - Books on Tape/CD. This inspired me to start my comparison.

Last week on Saturday, I went to Daedalus Book Warehouse Outlet in Columbia and started my search for children's books on tape. My friend offered to take me there since she spoke very highly about it. I went there....Nada, Nothing!

I decided to go to the library and get a few movie soundtracks, like Aladdin and Annie. And I was curious if my local library had children's books on tape.

This woman took me back to the kiddie section and viola! I have never seen SO MANY children's books on tape in my life! I was in heaven! I pulled a few out, like the Berenstain Bears, a book that I loved as a kid, read majority of their collection.

I am hoping over the weekend, I will try one of the books on tape and write an analysis. Keep an eye out!

Different Cochlear Implant Vendors

2009-04-09T19:16:00.005-04:00

I have been asked what company that I am planning to use. There are three companies that I know of, Advanced Bionics (AB), Cochlear, and Med-El.

I'm not gonna lie here, I picked AB, because of the great advanced technology that they have come up with. Their special hooks, the T-Mic, the direct connect, and the standard hook. All I can say is 'WOW'. The T-Mic really sounds pretty cool from what I have heard from my mentors and friends that have AB. I know that there have been two recalls but it shows that they are willing to go for the improvement in their processor, implant piece. Also their advancement in the software as well.

I have a lot of CI'ers that have AB. Very few have Cochlear and None have Med-El. There is one thing I heard about Med-El.. they have the tinniest processors that I haven't seen in a long time!

But what's important to me? The advanced technology with the newest software that recently been out not too long ago. Gotta weigh your options!

Video of Michael Chorost

2009-04-08T20:18:00.002-04:00

I found this video online that describes what an Cochlear Implant is. Thought it was very informative!

Click to view the video!

I wish I had a YouTube video to embed in the blog.

The D-Day

2009-04-05T20:38:00.010-04:00

Yea, I am gonna call this the D-Day... Back November 2008, I went around my workplace to take photographs of some paralegals and newly hired attorneys for a Class of 2008 Yearbook that I was going to produce. Sometime after 10am, went to an office and was ready to take a photo, then I heard this static and then it went silent in my right ear. My first impression, was that my battery died, or it was going belly up again. After the photo shoot, I hurried back to my office to get a fresh battery before my next photo shoot appointment. Turned it back on and put it in my ear... it sounded it had a lot of static in it. I was frustrated, that the hearing aid went up AGAIN and I knew that I would have to send it back to get it repaired AGAIN. And another $200 out of my pocket.

Sent it back and got a refurbished hearing aid just before Christmas, I got excited, it was like I was getting a new toy, put it on, heard static and then nothing again... I was so disappointed and gave the hearing aid back to my dad and asked him to take it back to get it fixed AGAIN.

Got it back in mid-January. Tried it again, nothing... Sent it back again.

Got it back again in February. Same old results, nothing. So, I decided to get a new hearing test to see if there is something wrong. Made an appointment in March.

March rolls around, I go in the hearing booth and plop my butt on this school style chair and got my big and heavy headphones on my head and a handheld respond button in my hands. The heavy door closed on me, and ready to take the test.

They did my left ear first, which is my bad ear, heard some things, pressed that button and then it was time to switch to my right ear. Heard NOTHING. Maybe just one or two sounds and that was it. I just sat there waited for those beeps and hums to come to me. Nothing, the door opened up, the audiologist takes the headphones off and then put this special headphone, it was weird, it goes behind your ear. I heard or felt a few things for my left ear, and NOTHING for my right ear.

Then the door opened up, saw my mothers face, Dr. Susan's face, it was a disappointment look they had. Right off the bat, I knew. Dr. Susan said that you have a 25db loss in your right ear. I was like really? My mother's face told me everything that I needed to know.

Dr. Susan said that maybe you have an infection in your ear. In the back of my head, I knew that it was not no DAMN infection, this happened in November. She got me an emergency appointment right way with an ENT doctor.

Waited for about half hour for the ENT doctor to see me. He looks in my ears and says they are clean and didn't see any infection in my ear. He said that he wanted to 'TRY' to do a shot in my eardrum with steroids since I can't take oral due to my diabetes. He also told me that there is a chance that I can lose the rest of my hearing in case of this tiny hole doesn't heal up on his own. I immediately asked him, how often is this 'shot' done? His reply was it was still new. Alright, FORGET that!

He looks at my audiograms and compared them to my first one in 2005. Off the bat, he told me that I was a candidate for the Cochlear Implant. My first reaction was nothing, I was at loss for words.

After my appointment with the ENT doctor, I hurried back to Dr. Susan's office to get my right hearing aid to increase the volume so I can hear. It sounded very different, not the same as before.

I tried to get the hearing aids to the way I normally hear it, volume wise adjusted over the weekend.

Went back to work on Tuesday. First thing I did when I got to my office is to check my voice mail with the CapTel phone. I could NOT understand my own voicemail. I knew from there that the CI was my only option. It was still early in the morning, people in my office haven't arrived to work yet. I must have cried at my desk for a while cuz the one thing I did the most in my office was phone calls. That made me more 'hearing'. I was indeed 'DEAF'. From that point, it made me so determined to go forward with the CI process with John Hopkins Hospital.

My thoughts for the day

2009-04-05T11:00:00.003-04:00

I had someone talk about their hearing loss and believed that it was stressed related. I certainly believe that is what happened to me. In the fall of 2008, I was taking a graduate course at University of Baltimore. A 6 credit class that is held on Saturdays from 9am to 3:30pm.

The two professors seem to enjoy the torment of the students in the class. If you were sick, they say that you better show up in class. They don't care if you been in a auto accident or in the hospital. And if you miss class, they will be talking about how you missed the class and make fun of you. I know a student that her father died and she missed the class cuz of his funeral. And they belittled her and made fun of her when she missed the class and when she came back in the following week. I mean, come on, her dad died. That has to be the hardest thing for her to go thru since she was close to him. Have some RESPECT here. Things happen, you know?

I have never endured so much stress from a college professor in my entire life. I have been attending college since I graduated High School since 1995. And I enjoy getting my education cuz the technology keeps on changing and you gotta keep up with it.

From the first post, I mentioned that I suffered from TMJ (Stress-Related), Sudden Hearing Loss (I am so certain that the stress I endured made me have a 25db sudden drop in my hearing).

I don't think that attending classes is about stress, its about learning. From the class in the fall, I didn't learn a damn thing. We had a sub for one day, her name was Helen. Oh my god, I learned so much from her in 10 minutes than I ever did in that semester from these two looney bin teachers.

Ah, I needed to get that out to the world today. I am still pissed off at the teachers for what they have done to me. Shame on them. It will catch up to them one of these days.

My Audiograms

2009-04-04T20:27:00.007-04:00

I took the time to get my two audiograms scanned, one from 2005 and the other from this year (2009). You can see the difference in my db loss. My left ear is currently stable at 100db and my ear went down from 75 to 100 db. I had a CT scan to see if I had Vestibular Aqueduct Syndrome. The scans came with these findings: Unremarkable CT scan of the temporal bones. Specifically, no evidence for enlargement of the vestibular aqueducts. Damn, back to square one. I really would like to find out the cause of my hearing loss at birth and the cause for the sudden drop. I guess only time will tell.

CI World

2009-04-01T18:45:00.004-04:00

Since the last posting, I have met and spoken to so many CI'ers. I am getting way too excited about the entire CI process. I am so amazed how much they can actually hear. They have told me things like they can hear someone chew and swallow. Ew, that was a major turn off. But it will vary on each CI'er. And it is something that can be fixed during a mapping.

I submitted my application to John Hopkins, the killer part, is that it takes between 6-8 weeks for records to review my application and then call me to schedule an appointment. 6-8 WEEKS?? Are you freaking kidding me? I want my hearing back so bad...I am just so frustrated cuz I am having a huge difficulty recognizing the weird sounds that are around me.

On Tuesday, I had a meeting at work with my department. Did I understand everything at the meeting? NOPE! I know.. I should have requested an interpreter but I figured that I would understand everything since it was only the 7 or 8 of us. Then during the meeting, I heard this loud noise, had no idea where it was coming from, I am looking around and trying to figure out what the heck it was. My co-worker Nancy realized that I was puzzled and mouthed to me "Its a vacuum next door." I was relieved to hear that it was the vacuum, not my hearing aid crapping out or another sudden hearing loss drop that I experienced back in November.

Starting over again...

2009-03-19T22:36:00.006-04:00

I deleted all of my previous blogs, just to get rid of the past from last semester. A lot has happened due to stress from the Words and Images class at UB. I developed TMJ, causing me a lot of problems with my ears, and jaw. Recently got a bite guard to help me out during the day. Also recently lost 25db of my hearing, that's a major hearing loss drop. Shame on those teachers that love to stress out the students to the max and don't give a damn about them. It will come back to haunt them one day.

I decided to start blogging my new journey to my new 'ears' in the upcoming months. Felt that if other CI bloggers do it, why not me?

I won't lie, I am scared shitless about the entire operation part. I am scared of the pain, the stress I will go thru, the what-if's that lie ahead. I'm sure that's pretty normal for every CI'er.