Surgery scheduled

As some of you know I have been waiting a long time, hoping to have Cochlear
Implant surgery to allow me to hear.

Last July my insurance cancelled the surgery less than 24 hours before I was
due to have it done. And nearly two months after we had set up the
schedule. It cost me the chance to go to Newfoundland with some of my
cousins and the chance to talk to my brother after he became ill and before
he died.

I have been resolutely refusing to even think about the whole thing since
then. Going to my appointments and taking the hearing tests but blanking
the whole thing out of my mind. April 4th I went in for another hearing
test which I failed miserably. That's a good thing. Since last July I've
been on disability long enough to get Medicare and my hearing is bad enough
to meet their requirements for the implant.

I was most surprised when they scheduled the pre-op for April 18 and the
surgery for April 28. Much less lead time than a year ago. And I'm told
there has been a very recent major upgrade to the implants. I didn't say
anything here because I've been sticking to the refusing to think about it
routine.

Until yesterday when they called and moved my surgery up to the 19th. I
immediately went into panic mode. I felt like the room temperature dropped
15 degrees. But I've found ways to stay distracted and at this rate I'll be
busy getting things done that need to be done before surgery right up till
its time to go.

It takes a month after the implant while the surgery site heals before the
turn it on. Until then I won't know if or how well it will work for me.

All purrs and prayers and good thought will be most gratefully appreciated.

Jo

I've read about those implants. Warmest wishes for a new quality of hearing
and strong calmiing purrs for fast
and effective surgery!


"Jo Firey" wrote in message
...
As some of you know I have been waiting a long time, hoping to have
Cochlear Implant surgery to allow me to hear.

Last July my insurance cancelled the surgery less than 24 hours before I
was due to have it done. And nearly two months after we had set up the
schedule. It cost me the chance to go to Newfoundland with some of my
cousins and the chance to talk to my brother after he became ill and
before he died.

I have been resolutely refusing to even think about the whole thing since
then. Going to my appointments and taking the hearing tests but blanking
the whole thing out of my mind. April 4th I went in for another hearing
test which I failed miserably. That's a good thing. Since last July I've
been on disability long enough to get Medicare and my hearing is bad
enough to meet their requirements for the implant.

I was most surprised when they scheduled the pre-op for April 18 and the
surgery for April 28. Much less lead time than a year ago. And I'm told
there has been a very recent major upgrade to the implants. I didn't say
anything here because I've been sticking to the refusing to think about it
routine.

Until yesterday when they called and moved my surgery up to the 19th. I
immediately went into panic mode. I felt like the room temperature
dropped 15 degrees. But I've found ways to stay distracted and at this
rate I'll be busy getting things done that need to be done before surgery
right up till its time to go.

It takes a month after the implant while the surgery site heals before the
turn it on. Until then I won't know if or how well it will work for me.

All purrs and prayers and good thought will be most gratefully
appreciated.

Jo

Jo Firey wrote:
As some of you know I have been waiting a long time, hoping to have
Cochlear
Implant surgery to allow me to hear.

Purrs on the way. There is a commercial on TV for our biggest hospital,
about the Cochlear implant. It is about a boy who was nearly deaf from
birth and gets the implant, and shows him hearing his father's voice
for the first time. That commercial makes me bawl every time. I can't
imagine a life without sound. I sincerely hope the implant is
successful for you.

Sherry

[[Purrs on the way. There is a commercial on TV for our biggest hospital,
about the Cochlear implant. It is about a boy who was nearly deaf from
birth and gets the implant, and shows him hearing his father's voice
for the first time. That commercial makes me bawl every time. I can't
imagine a life without sound. I sincerely hope the implant is
successful for you.]]

One of my deaf-blind friends has had TWO cochlear implants. With the first
one, she got environmental noise, but not enough clarity to understand
speech. (Though even the environmental noise was a step up from what she'd
had before.) So she got another implant in the other ear, a few years
later. NOW she understands speech, as long as there's not a ton of
background noise.

To see my friend with the cochlear implants, and my photo diary of the
most recent AADB (American Association of the Deaf-Blind) convention, go
he

http://members16.clubphoto.com/donna.../guest-2.phtml

and click on any of the albums for each date (July 12 thorough July 18,
2003). Each day got its own album because I took so many photos during the
convention.

Donna

"Gabey8" wrote in message
lkaboutpets.com...
[[Purrs on the way. There is a commercial on TV for our biggest hospital,
about the Cochlear implant. It is about a boy who was nearly deaf from
birth and gets the implant, and shows him hearing his father's voice
for the first time. That commercial makes me bawl every time. I can't
imagine a life without sound. I sincerely hope the implant is
successful for you.]]

One of my deaf-blind friends has had TWO cochlear implants. With the first
one, she got environmental noise, but not enough clarity to understand
speech. (Though even the environmental noise was a step up from what she'd
had before.) So she got another implant in the other ear, a few years
later. NOW she understands speech, as long as there's not a ton of
background noise.

To see my friend with the cochlear implants, and my photo diary of the
most recent AADB (American Association of the Deaf-Blind) convention, go
he

http://members16.clubphoto.com/donna.../guest-2.phtml

and click on any of the albums for each date (July 12 thorough July 18,
2003). Each day got its own album because I took so many photos during the
convention.

Donna


Thank you for posting that. As someone who lost their hearing late, I've
allowed myself to become far too isolated. I'm profoundly deaf in my right
ear that they will use for the implant. With a good hearing aid I get some
sound in the left ear.

I can lip read. But as you know it isn't an exact science. Depends a lot
on who you are reading. My spouse is nearly impossible. He can't keep his
hands away from his face. And its no help that he has aphasia.

And I can't sign. Its hard to see the point when I don't know anyone else
that signs either. But Charlie has agreed that after the surgery, we both
need to learn at least some basic signing.

It was good to see the pictures and be reminded that I'm sitting at home by
choice. I can get out and go places and do things if I choose to. So I
hate having to tell people I'm deaf. BIg deal. How else can they know.
How they react is their problem. not mine. I do sometimes wish I didn't
look quite so approachable. Strangers try to talk to me all the time, in
the grocery store etc.

I really liked the t-shirts for the blind. If you can't see, you can't tell
there is someone there that may need to know you can't see.

Jo

It takes a month after the implant while the surgery site heals before the
turn it on. Until then I won't know if or how well it will work for me.

All purrs and prayers and good thought will be most gratefully appreciated.

Jo

You'l be receiving our best purrs! I'm getting Harri's purr engine
revved up now.

As one who's hearing has been failing for many years, I hope the
absolute best for you!

in article , Jo Firey at
wrote on 4/15/05 11:33 PM:

As some of you know I have been waiting a long time, hoping to have Cochlear
Implant surgery to allow me to hear.

Last July my insurance cancelled the surgery less than 24 hours before I was
due to have it done. And nearly two months after we had set up the
schedule. It cost me the chance to go to Newfoundland with some of my
cousins and the chance to talk to my brother after he became ill and before
he died.

I have been resolutely refusing to even think about the whole thing since
then. Going to my appointments and taking the hearing tests but blanking
the whole thing out of my mind. April 4th I went in for another hearing
test which I failed miserably. That's a good thing. Since last July I've
been on disability long enough to get Medicare and my hearing is bad enough
to meet their requirements for the implant.

I was most surprised when they scheduled the pre-op for April 18 and the
surgery for April 28. Much less lead time than a year ago. And I'm told
there has been a very recent major upgrade to the implants. I didn't say
anything here because I've been sticking to the refusing to think about it
routine.

Until yesterday when they called and moved my surgery up to the 19th. I
immediately went into panic mode. I felt like the room temperature dropped
15 degrees. But I've found ways to stay distracted and at this rate I'll be
busy getting things done that need to be done before surgery right up till
its time to go.

It takes a month after the implant while the surgery site heals before the
turn it on. Until then I won't know if or how well it will work for me.

All purrs and prayers and good thought will be most gratefully appreciated.

Jo


Huge hearing purrs coming! I sure hope it is successful!

"Jo Firey" wrote in message
...
All purrs and prayers and good thought will be most gratefully
appreciated.

Good luck and purrs and doggie drool that the surgery will be highly
successful.

Diane

Jo Firey wrote:

All purrs and prayers and good thought will be most gratefully appreciated.

Jo, this is reallt exciting news! I understand your nervousness. Lots of
purrs for everything to go swimmingly and for the implant to work perfectly.

--
Marina, Frank, Nikki, and introducing: Mere!
marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi
Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/
and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki

Jo Firey wrote:
As some of you know I have been waiting a long time, hoping to have
Cochlear
Implant surgery to allow me to hear.


snip

Congrats on getting the surgery approved and I hope it is a success.
My friend's son had one implanted a year ago (at 18 months) and is
doing beautifully. I hope your situation is as much of a success.

-L.