..And I get a have a Cochlear Implant!
17th March 2017
11am
The day of the op has arrived! By the exclamation mark you can tell I was excited.
I felt quite calm that morning. I think all the yoga and mindfulness activities paid off. There were definitely a few positive omens lying around! My operation falling on Paddy’s Day being one of many! I was second on the list that morning to have the operation and I could go home later that evening provided all went well.
The team were fantastic at communicating everything to me with my one hearing-aid and not just to my mother. Everywhere I go, a certain amount of assertiveness is required in order to feel comfortable with acoustic surroundings. It’s a 9-5 job. It requires energy to keep it up all the time and sometimes you just don’t feel up to it. Today was indeed one of those days and staff in return knew how to support me and were fully aware. This helped with keeping calm as I then felt supported and in control of my treatment unlike others stories of poor access to communication needs in healthcare.
“Life is tough darling, but so are you”
– Stephanie Bennett
I’m amazed and overwhelmed with the support around me, the messages, the cards, texts, emails form family, friends of family, neighbours, relatives and my own friends and work colleagues. It’s at times in need that you see the important people in your life isn’t it? Growing up frustration was hardest to shift. I used to go into silent mode for hours. Over the last 2 years, I’ve worked hard to overcome this by being mindful, problem-solving and keeping things in perspective.
“Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations”
Going up to the theatre now. See you on the other side!
2pm
I woke up an hour after surgery and bawled my eyes out for no reason! Probably because I was now off my “high” from the general anaesthetic! 😀 It was very rosy indeed, like that moment when you get tipsy and you love everyone you meet. Apparently I was raving about how we celebrate Paddy’s Day back home and I even asked the anaesthetist out for a post-op drink in O’ Neill’s right before he administered the IV drugs. Just before the surgery the nurse spotted that I still had my bra on so we quickly got rid of it before heading into theatre!
I remember having a huge headache and feeling groggy but this wore off a bit the more I drank water as it helps get rid of the anaesthetic. There was a metallic taste in my mouth due to bruising of the facial nerve during the operation. I was never so hungry in my life when I saw the ham sandwich put in front of me and soon after the funny taste disappeared. For some people this taste can stay for days.
I finally met the superhero that gave me my new miracle ear. We did quick MRI scan at 4pm to check my bones were back in the right place. I got a massive thumbs up and it was then official that my operation was a success! The surgeon was explaining how the operation works and that in my case it took a bit longer than usual as I had a very dense smaller bone in my ear “one would have needed an extra bowl of porridge this morning for strength!”. I found out he has completed 450 plus operations successfully so it was reassuring to be so high up on the list.
If you’re interested to understand more about how the cochlear implant works, this link is a really good animated demonstration:
We eventually got home to mum’s delicious fish pie- I ate it like a horse!
Sásta Lá Fhéile Pádraig!
(Happy St. Patrick’s Day)
deafinitely Irish 