Successful Pre Op

Hi everyone,
Well, five days have passed since surgery and Michelle has really bounced back. She's had a couple of rough mornings, but has been at school both Monday and Tuesday of this week. We saw Dr. Stidham today. She took off the little bandages that were covering the incision. Michelle was happy about that. The incision looks great: clean, closed up, and much smaller than I expected. You honestly can hardly tell its there. Michelle told me I could put up a picture of it, so I'll do that tomorrow.

She is getting stronger by the moment. Dr. Stidham will see her again in three months, as there is still fluid in her ear (which is normal). Once again, we were reminded of how much we like this doctor! She just makes us feel so comfortable....we're truly blessed.

More as the weeks progess..and we get closer the 29th.
Cyndi

Bouncing Back...slowly

Day two...Michelle is doing well...although she is tired. The bandage came off yesterday, so that feels better to her, I think. She's still a bit nervous about bumping or touching the site, but as you can see, now that we've been able to comb her hair, you'd never know she has a 2 inch scar behind her ear.

Getting her up and moving today is key...since we're hopeful she'll go back to school tomorrow.

Snoozing in the car on the way home..

Home and Happy!

Hi everyone,

Well, my best laid plans for posting yesterday dissolved once I got the word that she was out of surgery and in recovery. We got to go in while she was still sleeping, so we were there when she woke up.

The surgery was successful, and unlike 10 years ago, they were able to test the reliability and reaction of the auditory nerve before they closed her up. The nerve is still viable and responded to initial stimulation...which is GREAT news. You never know, after not being stimulated for 10 years, whether or not the nerve is still "working." Now, it will be a matter of what the brain will do with the sound it gets.

We hung out in the recovery room for a few hours, got her up, dressed and ready to head for home. She was an amazing trouper and was quite happy to see her brothers when we arrived in Chico around 5:30.

FINALLY HOME....much happier!

Now, it's rest and recouperate until we head back for our first mapping: April 29th. We'll know more at that appointment, and will certainly continue blogging about it!

Waiting...

Hi everyone...
Michelle went into surgery at about 10:45. Dr. Stidham said she should be done by about 12:15 or so, and then we'll see her when she wakes up.

We're just waiting now...in the family resource center..of course..had to find a computer!

Gotta love that pic of her just before surgery, huh? She won't be happy I put that up...that was just after they gave her the "happy juice"--I think maybe I need a prescription for that!

We'll post a quick pic when she wakes up, before we head for home.

THANK YOU--everyone...for the calls, emails, text messages..for your support. I'll breathe a little easier when she's awake.
Cyndi

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I'm ready to go...the happy juice made me feel goofy!

(anybody notice I have my angel quilt from Grandma Kathy with me?)

All is good to go..

Just finished our "pre-op" day--thought we might have time to shop a little--but no such luck!

Started the day with a thumbs up from the surgeon....then headed to the hospital for a pre-op with the children's surgery specialist. She checked Michelle out, answered all her questions and reassured her of the procedures for tomorrow. Michelle came away relieved, I think.

Then we headed upstairs to audiology to meet with Danielle. She's a great audiologist. Michelle got to see the new hearing aid (she wanted to see the acual implant, but it had already been sent to the OR and was sealed up anyway!) We scheduled the "stim" appointments (short for stimulation--what we call "hook up" or mapping) for April 29th. That'll be the big day--when we "turn on" the new implant. That procedure, like the surgery had changed drastically in the last ten years. More details about that when we get through tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone who has wished Michelle well...we're ready for tomorrow and to have this part behind us.

I'll try to post a few pics just before and after surgery tomorrow before we head back home to Chico.

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Doing hw @ Starbucks before pre op.

Day before...

We're in San Ramon....having a Starbuck's waiting for the pre op up the hill at the surgeon's office....then on to the hospital for a meeting with the audiologist and children's surgery support team....

Due at the hospital tomorrow morning at 9:30 if Michelle gets a clean bill of health today...

We'll keep in touch!

One more week

Hi Everyone,
Well, just about one week now! Surgery has been moved up..we will arrive at the hospital at 9:30 and Michelle should be awake around 1:00. Surgery is scheduled for 11:00. She's got a little cold...probably what Brad had in SLO. Hope that won't stop the surgery.

She's anxious...understandably...aren't we all. It'll be nice to have the surgery out of the way..even though the long wait will be the 4 weeks until "hook up."

It's getting closer...

Just returned from four days in SLO (my alma mater)--had great time at the beach and visiting my nephew Kirk and Cal Poly. Michelle's already thinking she needs to be a mustang! I agree!

Came home to a packet from the surgery center....we are all set for a 12:00 surgery on the 4th. Could be at 10:00...the 10:00 patient is ill...time will tell.

Pre-ops here in Chico, one at the hospital, and one in San Ramon...then the surgery, then back to San Ramon 5 days after surgery for the post-op. I remember doing all this ten years ago..it's all coming back...including the release we have to sign that says there is that outside possibility nerve stimulation won't work. Have to just think positive.

Michelle is, like she said, I think, both nervous and excited. So am I.

I keep forgetting about the reality of the month delay between surgery and "activation."
She won't get to try out the new implant for four weeks--the incision has to be completely healed. That wait will be longer than this wait for surgery...but not quite so nerve-wracking..

April and May will be months of extra miles on the van, I think!

Two Weeks From Today....

It is two weeks away from my surgery. Kind of excited and nervous at the same time. I will miss school for two days. Can't swim for one month. Out of PE for two weeks. Mom is wondering about the other kids getting a CI because the surgeon does five a day. Won't get "hooked up" until a month later. Bye for now.

Brown it is

Michelle has decided on brown. A good choice, I think. Had a call from the surgeon's office today..it's real! Pre-op here in Chico with Michelle's pediatrician next week, and then pre-op at the surgeon's office on the 3rd...surgery on the 4th. We don't have a surgery time yet. Dr. Stidham does SIX a day--impressive!

3 weeks out

Is it really possible that April 4th is only 3 weeks away? I talked with the surgery scheduler this week and although we are still waiting on insurance approval, she does have Michelle on the calendar. We will hopefully do the pre-op the day before, rather than having to make a trip down earlier in the week. That will make it a little easier on Michelle.

The audiologist from Children's Hospital called today to ask what color Michelle wanted: silver, beige or brown. I immediately said, "Silver," since that's what she currently has, but then it dawned on me...she should be making these decisions! So we talked and she has the weekend to decide. Brown would match her hair best...but if you think about it, she can't really see what it looks like. In fact, she's seen herself in pictures and says, "Oh, that's what it looks like!" Sometimes I think she forgets she even has it on..which is great!

We also had to make some decisions regarding batteries. I found myself unable to make educated decisions, so I told the audiologist we'd call back on Monday to give them our final decision on color and all!

This is making it seem very real!

Doctor's Appointment

Michelle and I drove to San Ramon the night before our doctor's appointment and spent a wonderful evening with Michelle's cousin, aunt, and uncle. Lucky us! The next morning, we met with the new surgeon (the original surgeon retired a few years back!) and we really liked her: Dr. Stidham. She was very supportive of our decision to move forward with a 2nd implant for Michelle. Within two days of our appointment with her, Danielle Knowlton, the audiologist at CHO (Children's Hospital Oakland) called with a tentative date: April 4th! That's right around the corner...so that's the current status. We are waiting for insurance approval and a call from the hospital to schedule the pre-op.

Michelle's Thoughts on a 2nd CI

What am I suppose to type on this? Um- Hi?? I think that I am suppose to put my thoughts on here. My mom is making me do this, but I don't want to because I don't have anything to say. Um??? I am a swimmer so I can't hear in the water. This is my third winter swimming and my fourth summer is coming up in May. I would like a second CI because it would help me with localization and it would also help me in loud places like the cafeteria or at a pep rally. The new CI is splash proof, so I could use it when my coach is talking to me! (Still can't wear it when I swim though, darn!)

My mom will make me type more...so I'll guess I'll write more when I have something to say, which might be never!
Bye for now.

Meeting with the Surgeon

Well, we waited almost six months (who knows why?) before we made an appointment with the surgeon. Michelle and I had lots of conversations about what a 2nd implant could do for her....and finally decided it was worth a trip to the surgeon. Michelle's dad is very much in favor of the implant, so he made the appointment for us in San Ramon on February 21st.

Annual Mapping

In July, we had our annual mapping at Children's Hospital, Oakland. We talked with Danielle, the cochlear implant team audiologist, about the possibility of a second implant. She was somewhat hesitant since Michelle had not had her right side auditory nerve stimulated in over ten years. But, she suggested we talk with the surgeon at California Ear Institute in San Ramon if we wanted to pursue the idea further.

Summer in Colorado

About six months ago, we attended a camp in the mountains of Colorado, for families of CI kids.

We had the BEST time. Michelle made some great friends and I spent the week visiting with parents of CI kids. My boys, Matthew and Bradley, met other kids their age, some with implants and some without. This was my first experience of seeing kids with bilateral (2) cochlear implants.

Looking Back

Welcome to my first official blog! I have a 13 year old daughter, Michelle, who is delightful. (yep, I'm biased!) This blog is really about her and the journey she's had in her short 13 years.

In a nutshell, here's her story, written by me, about 5 years ago. Michelle was diagnosed with a bilateral profound hearing loss at 9 months of age. As far as we know, she has been deaf since birth. She wore hearing aids until age 2, when we began to explore a cochlear implant as an option to help Michelle hear.

No one in our family is deaf, and although we learned to sign and communicate with her from the start, we wanted to give her the gift of sound, if at all possible. Michelle received a cochlear implant in October of 1997 and was "turned on" in November. We have never looked back. She has done quite well with her implant and is in a regular 7th grade classroom. She's a good student, has great friends and has a warm heart.