BAHA as a Teacher

Just wanted to get a quick post out today letting you all know how my BAHA is going in the classroom.

It has gone amazingly well! It makes classroom management so much easier. I used to have a problem hearing students on my right side. The BAHA has completely changed this.

I actually had to change the battery in one of my high school classes. It was very inconspicuous and took me all of 10 seconds while the students were working on a project. It obviously wouldn't bother me if it died and I couldn't change it because I have full hearing in my left ear, but it is still great to have.

It does bother me a little bit when I'm wearing my hair down and the rubs against the hearing aid. I don't notice it as much as I did at the beginning but it is still noticeable sometimes. It just sounds like a muffle. (Who would've thought?!)

My audiologist Mike also gave me a setting for when I'm in the gym coaching volleyball. It is awesome! It drowns out all the background noise and helps me concentrate on who is talking near me. I also use it when I'm listening to music in my car with my window down on my left. It is AWESOME!

So, all in all, it's a great addition to my teaching!

Stages of Healing

Beware: There are some pictures where my hair looks like a bad grease job from the 80's - sorry ahead of time! I figure the benefit of seeing this outweighs the grease ball :)

Here's a few pictures of the healing process of my abutment. 

4/30/12 - This photo was taken the day of surgery.

5/5/12 - Crazy that how much of a difference the next picture looks!

5/6/12 - Couple days after.

5/9/12 - Healing well, but part on front still not healed (you can't see it)

5/21/12 - Good healing!

5/23/12 - Front still healing.

6/23/12 Healed!

 

 8/26/12 - Perfect (taken today :) Check out that scar.. or lack of one!

I used bactricin (?) and it really helped a lot! I recommend getting it from your doctor after your initial post-surgery check up. It really sped up the healing process.

Questions to Ask BEFORE Surgery

(Sorry I haven't posted in a while - I am starting back to work [school] and getting ready requires a bunch of time! I will try to be better over the next few months.)

As I've said, I failed to ask any questions before my surgery. Not sure what I was thinking!

Here's a list of a few questions I wish I would've known the answers to before surgery:

What limitations will I have immediately after surgery? 
Examples: You can't sleep on the side of the abutment; You can't lift more than 10 pounds for a few weeks; You have to wear a cap and a piece of gauze on it for a week or so - You change the gauze everyday, or I did, to keep it dry - it's unnoticeable under hair - check out this website for more info on what it looks like; You can't shower (get it wet) the first couple days - honestly, I got SO SICK of washing my hair under the sink (so did my hubby) and I started showering after 4 days - I would very quickly dry it off with a hair dryer (I did a lot of research and made the choice myself against my doctor's orders.)


What long-term limitations will I have? 
Examples: You have to clean it almost everyday for the rest of your life - no big deal - but I never thought about it before (just a toothbrush in the shower); It makes wearing sunglasses more "interesting" - I had to cut one side of plastic ones so that they don't touch the hearing aid when I wear them but still rest comfortably and the metal ones I had to bend down - I'd say this is especially important if you wear glasses; It is still weird (but not uncomfortable) to sleep on my right side. I've actually gotten pretty used to it - it took about 6 weeks.


How will I have to clean it? How much time does it take? 
They may say that they'll go over this after the surgery, but I still would've liked to know.


How many times will I have to meet with you and the audiologist after the surgery?
Mine was twice with the doctor (once because I have some soft tissue that hasn't healed correctly, but apparently it will take awhile, so I'm good.) And twice with Mike, my audiologist, appointments a month apart.


Can I talk to anyone who already has it? 
I created this blog because I didn't know anyone else. Maybe they do and could put you in touch with them?

I will continue to edit this post as I think of more!

Surgery

Like I said, I received the paper in the mail with my information in regard to the surgery and my post-op appointments. Obviously I had to change the dates, but they were very happy to oblige my requests :)

So, they scheduled me for a 3:30 surgery. Now, I'm 27 years old. I'm an adult. (Sort of.) But... a 3:30 surgery!! WHAT! No food until after the surgery?! You've got to be KIDDING ME. (They weren't.)

I took four days off. They say if you have the surgery to take Thursday and Friday off, then the weekend, and you're good to go on Monday... back to work. Now - I had my surgery on Monday, so I took Monday - Thursday off and went back to work on Friday.

I fretted (yep, just said fretted) until the day before the surgery. I took 4 days off and I could've worked on Monday because my surgery wasn't until 3:30. (Again, 3:30!!!).

Well, it turns out I got VERY LUCKY and they changed my surgery to 9:30 a.m. Actually, when the nurse called me she was nervous I would be angry because it was such a stark time difference. I could've kissed her I was so happy!

So, I get there about 7:30. My Mom took me because my husband had to work. (I wasn't really worried about anything going wrong, they do say the BAHA has a 95% success rate.. I guess I was just optimistic?!)

The hospital was state of the art... I fell on my back in 2005 and had surgery close to home. I most definitely had a better experience at Providence Park in Novi. It was awesome for my Mom - they assigned me a number that tracked my whereabouts on a big screen TV with my number... and let her go anywhere in the hospital with one of those restaurant beepers thing-y's while knowing where I was.. i.e. Surgery, Post Op, etc.

Like I said, I had surgery in 2005 and had a really bad reaction the anesthesia so I let them know that. They gave me a anti-nausea medicine that they injected into my IV. It helped a lot... maybe you could ask for it, as well? Say you get nauseous easily? I don't know.. again, not a doctor and you should make your own decision.

So as I said, I was there at 7:30 and they immediately took me into pre-op. I sat there for about two hours. I have anxiety but chose not to have any medicine because I didn't want to be sleepy for the doctor. I was nervous becuase I totally forgot to ask ANY questions. None. I didn't ask any at all. So, I took out my phone and made an Evernote about the questions I had.

When he came to see me before the surgery I had the chance to ask him all the questions and felt better, but still... I felt unprepared because I hadn't thought about it until 30 minutes before my surgery!! What was I thinking!?! (I am posting about things you should ask your doctor after this post... or at least some suggestions).

I went into surgery around 10:00 and got out around 11:00 a.m. My Mom said she went to lunch becuase they said I had just gotten out of sugery and would be awhile... and she was buzzed in the middle of it to come get me because I was awake and ready to go home!

I was ready to go within 40 minutes of surgery. I'm no doctor, I don't know how I was ready so quickly. In fact, when I was ready the nurse didn't believe me. I needed water and crackers, and ate so much of it the nurse was shocked. Man was I hungry!

So we left around noon and even stopped at McDonalds for chicken nuggets :) Here's me with a picture of the piece they send you home with... Then with the actual abutement (what they call the thing that they screw into your head.. hehe). Umm, SIDE NOTE: You are SUPPOSED to leave that thing on the side of your head for 24 hours.. I did but snapped that shot super quick and put it back on right away.

They give you this brown cap which is about 1.5" in diameter and snaps onto the abutement. They have this piece of sponge under the cap which is lying against your head on top of stiches. I freaked out A LOT becuase it was damp/wet after I woke up the next day. Apparently that's normal. You simply replace it. I took a piece of gauze, cut it into a small square, and replaced it to keep it dry. 

You can't wash your hair within a week, which is how long it'll be until you go back to the doctor for your post-op.. Maybe 10 days at most. My husband and Mom washed my hair for a few days... Until I got VERY sick of it. I did some self research and I'm absolutely NOT saying to do it... but I washed my hair myself and dried my ear off RIGHT AWAY for about five days. Again, I'm not a doctor and I highly recommend following your doctor's orders... 

I was home and resting for the rest of the day. No sleep for me. But, I did sit and watch TV for the day. My head was incredibly NUMB. They numb that bad boy up really well before... (NOTE: They say you may be awake for that part, but I don't remember a thing! I was seriously stressing/FREAKING OUT about, too.) I think I was still numb a couple days later.. is that possible? No clue.

My doctor told me it would hurt less than the dentist. He was NOT LYING. If it was absolutely necessary, I could've gone back to work the next day. It would've been extremely difficult because I didn't know what to expect, but tolerable. I do not recommend it.

Michigan Ear Institute - 1st Experience

After those six weeks of researching and more researching, talking to my Mom, husband, and trying to find SOMEONE who had the BAHA (never did), I decided that I was going to go ahead with the surgery IF I was a good candidate. Man, waiting six weeks to find out if I was a good candidate - having this opportunity  within reach and not being able to act on it, was horrendous! Just a.w.f.u.l.

Once I was in the exam room, they checked my ear, spoke a little about my past, and, knowing that my inner ear was intact, we went through a variety of options... AKA, they suggested, and I shot them down. 

As you read on, please remember that this is my own opinion and I'm NOT a doctor. I'm also not knocking the decision you have made in your life or if you are a parent, the life of a child. This is simply what best suits my life.

For example, they wanted to build me an eardrum. I don't need that. Also, from what I understand my facial muscles might be cut into - yea, not something I want to deal with for the rest of my life if something goes wrong. 

They wanted to build me a outer ear - which wouldn't give me hearing, just reconstruction of the external ear.  I've gone through a lot of crap for how my ear looks, but quite frankly, I am used to it and even proud of it, and am most definitely a strong woman because of it. It doesn't bother me and I'm fine without it. 

They told me about an external hearing aid that would sit on top of my ear and reroute the sound waves to my other ear around my neck by a wire (?). Not even sure I'm explaining that right. Basically, my ear structure wouldn't support a device like that. 

Then they brought up the BAHA (yes!). Immediately, I said it was what I wanted. They said I was the "perfect candidate." Music to my ear :)

So, they told me just a bit about it, I spoke with my doctor who was doing the surgery, and hoped my insurance paid for it. I have a really great insurance plan and they ended up paying for the entire thing (after a grueling couple days of playing the waiting game to find out). The total was $27,500 had I not had insurance, which included the surgery, post op appointments, hearing aid, and audiology appointment, etc. There was a possibility that I would have to pay $500 for set-up with the audiologist, but didn't have to thankfully. I probably would've made payments, I love it that much!

I then scheduled my surgery. They even scheduled my follow-up appointments on the paper they sent me with all the information in regard to the surgery.. 

The surgery was scheduled for April 30, 2012. Basically, another long wait!