The cochlear implant operation was on Halloween, Wednesday October 31s. This selfie was on the day after Halloween, Thursday, November 1st 2018.
A cochlear implant is an electronic medical device that does the work of damaged parts of the inner ear (cochlea) to provide sound signals to the brain.
.....
Here’s the status of this process I am just beginning:
I am now pain free❣️The operation was just to remove bone in my skull and place a large computer chip the size roughly of a 35mm slide, which is an imbedded processing unit, attached to a magnet. It is all in the bone above and behind the ear. The surgeon also inserted a long embedded wire from the skull into my left cocleus. It is internal and not visible.
In another three weeks I will have an external unit fitted behind my ear just like a regular hearing aid. It will have a magnet to hold it against the implanted magnet. The magnet is about the size of a quarter. They will activate it and tune it for me. Then it can take anywhere up to six months for me to train my brain to recognize signals it’s getting from the bone and any residual hearing in the ear.
Right now, I hear nothing from the left ear.
A normal side effect is that my balance is reduced. I have had to retire my signature walking stick. Hopefully, it will be temporary 🙏. I’m back to the aluminum stroller with green tennis balls 🎾 on the legs.
Tags:
"Bionic Man" Bionics "Cochlear Implant" Stroller "Walking Stick" TMC "Tucson Medical Center" Ear Pain Antibiotics Tylanol Stitches "Retrain The Brain"
IMG_6225 V2
Loading contexts...
