Friday, September 30, 2011
Presentations on cochlears to Tanana Junior High students
Several classes at TMS in Fairbanks have viewed a video on cochlear implants and a video on the surgical implantation. As a candidate for a cochlear implant I am sharing my pre-operation and information on cochlear implants and how I became a candidate. They asked so many questions about how I lost my hearing, how old was I, can I hear when I take out my hearing aids and how much it cost and am I scared. I was able to answer all of their questions. Am I scared? Not really, nervous to find out if I can hear better, but with no hearing, it is exciting to see how I do. It will be a learning curve to say the least. I am trying to stay positive and inspired. I am hopeful. I promised them I would return after getting it implanted and show them the real thing. I am excited!!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Everything is falling into place.
In order not to keep bugging my family and friends with all this news, I thought I would start a blog about my experience in going deaf and becoming a candidate for a cochlear.
The long journey started when I was 19 years old in 1979. I was a college student when I began to have dizzy spells and hearing issues. I would fall down, throw up as the room spun around in circles. Went to see a specialist-diagnosis Meniere's disease and nothing could be done for hearing loss except live with it. So I proceeded to complete my degree, take medication for dizziness and live with somewhat hearing people, but did not require hearing aids at that point as I could hear in most environments.
In 1983 I got married and moved to Texas. I still had occasional bouts of dizziness, now seeing allergists who attributed it to allergies. When I got pregnant with first child, all dizziness went away until after done being pregnant and it would come back. Each subsequent pregnancy, I had the same experience. Through dizziness the hearing and ringing would get worse, but get better too. In 1993 we moved to Alaska and I have my final and fourth child in 1995. I lived with the dizziness and hearing gradually getting worse, but did not come as often, In 2005 I had so much trouble I contacted an ENT who again did MRI and diagnosed Meniere's however hearing in right ear was non-existant at this point and some hearing loss in left ear-now I was fitted with hearing aids-bicros. I dealt with using them on and off until a year ago when I had to use them all the time. In Feb. 2011 I had another hearing test which revealed a slight drop in hearing in left side. Adjusted hearing aids. In April had the worst dizziness, ringing and hearing loss ever. This time the hearing did not get better after dizziness and it sounded tinny. ENT had me do another MRI and hearing tests. No difference in MRI by hearing is not longer classic for Meniere's -wrong diagnosis. Time to see a specialist in Seattle to see if candidate for cochlear and what hearing I have.
August 30,2011, hearing test and examine by Dr. Douglas Backous at Swedish. I can hear at 84% in a very quiet environment and at 14 % in a noisy environment. He explained we do not live in a quiet environment. I am an candidate. What does that mean??
I talk more with Audiologist: Stacey Watson, who tells me all the pros and cons of cochlear implants, I pick out implant and such and now wait for insurance.
In the meantime of waiting for insurance, I contact audiology Drs in Anchorage to discuss the follow-ups after implantation. Insurance OK's implant and process begins
Appt made for surgery-Oct. 17,2011
Flights arranged
Hotel needs arranging
Subs are secured for my absences
THE JOURNEY BEGINS!!
The long journey started when I was 19 years old in 1979. I was a college student when I began to have dizzy spells and hearing issues. I would fall down, throw up as the room spun around in circles. Went to see a specialist-diagnosis Meniere's disease and nothing could be done for hearing loss except live with it. So I proceeded to complete my degree, take medication for dizziness and live with somewhat hearing people, but did not require hearing aids at that point as I could hear in most environments.
In 1983 I got married and moved to Texas. I still had occasional bouts of dizziness, now seeing allergists who attributed it to allergies. When I got pregnant with first child, all dizziness went away until after done being pregnant and it would come back. Each subsequent pregnancy, I had the same experience. Through dizziness the hearing and ringing would get worse, but get better too. In 1993 we moved to Alaska and I have my final and fourth child in 1995. I lived with the dizziness and hearing gradually getting worse, but did not come as often, In 2005 I had so much trouble I contacted an ENT who again did MRI and diagnosed Meniere's however hearing in right ear was non-existant at this point and some hearing loss in left ear-now I was fitted with hearing aids-bicros. I dealt with using them on and off until a year ago when I had to use them all the time. In Feb. 2011 I had another hearing test which revealed a slight drop in hearing in left side. Adjusted hearing aids. In April had the worst dizziness, ringing and hearing loss ever. This time the hearing did not get better after dizziness and it sounded tinny. ENT had me do another MRI and hearing tests. No difference in MRI by hearing is not longer classic for Meniere's -wrong diagnosis. Time to see a specialist in Seattle to see if candidate for cochlear and what hearing I have.
August 30,2011, hearing test and examine by Dr. Douglas Backous at Swedish. I can hear at 84% in a very quiet environment and at 14 % in a noisy environment. He explained we do not live in a quiet environment. I am an candidate. What does that mean??
I talk more with Audiologist: Stacey Watson, who tells me all the pros and cons of cochlear implants, I pick out implant and such and now wait for insurance.
In the meantime of waiting for insurance, I contact audiology Drs in Anchorage to discuss the follow-ups after implantation. Insurance OK's implant and process begins
Appt made for surgery-Oct. 17,2011
Flights arranged
Hotel needs arranging
Subs are secured for my absences
THE JOURNEY BEGINS!!
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