A Couple More BAHA Questions

[Melissa778]

Ok, I have read bits and pieces about the BAHA and I intend to go that route after my AN surgery in May......But I have one question....what the heck is the Dawn for?   I'm jsut reading and learning abotu the BAHA so excuse me for beign clueless

Melissa

[claire1]

HI
You guys are sssooo funny. I can see how you can make lite of a serious situation. Just the other day I was telling my daughter that my alarm clock ticking was keeping me awake on my good ear so I rolled over on my AN side and had the best sleep ever/ minus the constant ring and such.   LOLOLOL
Thanks,I needed that
Claire


I think I'm finally getting the point of the "AN JOURNEY" that everyone talks about

[ppearl214]

I think I'm finally getting the point of the "AN JOURNEY" that everyone talks about

Claire, the "journey" is what you make of it... and how our bodies react during this time.  Seatbelt on but not too tight...  "follow the yellow brick road" as it works best for you!
Phyl

[leapyrtwins]

Melissa -

Dawn can be used post op to wash you hair    It actually removes the "grease" left behind by neosporin or bacitracin - thank you Lori, for giving us this little secret.

One of the great things about BAHA surgery, as opposed to AN surgery, is that you can wash your hair - and you don't have to wait long.  Yippee!!!

In a nutshell, my post surgery followup went like this.

I had to wear a lovely "hat" - referrred to by others on this forum as my beret - for 24 hours post op.  At that point, I was able to remove my hat and could wash my hair, but not get the BAHA site or the bandage covering the site wet.  The bandage was a soft pink foam-like square and it was held on by a white plastic "cap" that snapped into the abutment.  My doc tells patients to hold a styrofoam cup over the bandage and wash the hair around it.  I didn't have any styrofoam cups so I used plastic and it worked just as well.

After a week, I had my cap and bandage removed by the doc; the next step was to put neosporin or bacitracin on the site to prevent infection.  I was told to apply it 2x daily for 2 weeks.  Yesterday was my 2 week mark - so thankfully I am now neosporin/bacitracin (and gunk) free!  A great feeling! 

Actually Lori has clued us into many great BAHA "accessories" - like toothbrushes, Dawn, baby wipes, etc.  If you search "BAHA" you can read the related posts and even see a picture of my very stylish "hat".

Claire -

I, too, have found that sleeping on my "good" ear is the best way to get a great night's sleep.  Since I am still healing from my BAHA surgery, I've been sleeping on my good ear and I haven't slept this soundly in months.  It helps immensely that I'm off work this week - due to spring break for my kids - and don't have to hear anything like an alarm clock   

Jan

[leapyrtwins]

Oh, forgot to say, that the AN journey is definitely a lot smoother if you can laugh along the way!

That's one of the many great things about this forum; lots of people with a great sense of humor.

[lori67]

Well, if you didn't have a sense of humor before your AN - you probably will afterwards.  Good thing - it sure helps!

And I am just a female version of MacGyver, I guess.  If you work in a not-for-profit hospital and on an ambulance for long enough, you have no other choice!

This "journey" might be more of a roller coaster ride at times, but every now and then you have to throw your hands up in the air and yell "wheee".  Or whatever else you want to yell that makes you feel better...

Lori

[Catflower]

I'm having a hard time figuring out how you hold a cup over your implant site and wash your hair.  Did you do it in the shower holding the cup with one hand and shampooing with the other?

[leapyrtwins]

I'm having a hard time figuring out how you hold a cup over your implant site and wash your hair.  Did you do it in the shower holding the cup with one hand and shampooing with the other?

Absolutely.  It was hard to do the first time or two, but I soon got used to it.

Had my first post BAHA haircut yesterday afternoon.  Very interesting.  I was a little freaked out about having to explain the "screw" in my head to the woman cutting my hair.  And to make matter worse, both my children, who I thought would be my moral support, chose to abandon me - I think they're still embarassed by a mom with a metal object in her head.  Guess I won't be shaving my head completely, Steve, unless they get over this by 2009  LOL 

Anyway, it wasn't nearly as bad as I imagined.  I started off by telling the stylist what I wanted done with my hair and then I said, "but, there's this" and lifted up my hair and showed her my abutment.  She took it all in stride and said "okay".  She was really careful on my left (BAHA) side, but eventually she stopped cutting and just said "what is this?"  I explained things to her and she told me she had seen something similar on the news recently.  She also said that she was afraid to ask me about it since she thought I'd be "shy" about it.  I told her that actually it was a relief since I was a little nervous that she'd take one look at my head and freak out    Oh, and I also gave her a large tip when she was done; good idea Lori.

The good news is that I was able to have my hair cut almost as short as I like it and it still covers the abutment, the bad news is that I think it will have to be a little longer in order to cover my processor.  But I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.  If the worst part of this whole BAHA experience is having to wear my hair a little longer than I used to, so be it.

Jan

[Catflower]

Here's another BAHA "hair" question.  If all goes well with my implant on April 8th do you think my hair will be presentable enough to go to a wedding on Sunday, April 13th.  I'm pretty vain so keep that in mind.  I'm thinking maybe I should call and cancel out.

[leapyrtwins]

Catflower -

IMO your hair should be fine.  I wore my BAHA "hat" for 24 hours, but after that was able to take it off and just go with the bandage underneath it.

My hair completely covered the bandage - and I wear my hair short.  In fact, I went to work for the next week while the bandage was still on and no one I worked with even realized it was there.   

If you should happen to get to the stage of having the bandage removed and you have to start putting neosporin or bacitracin on the site, prior to the wedding, it shouldn't be a big deal.  I'd suggest just "going light" on the goop.  Even when my hair was "goopy" no one could see my BAHA site.  My hair felt a little greasy to me, but it didn't really look bad.

Jan

[lori67]

Catflower, you should be fine.  I went to a BBQ tha day after my surgery and no one even noticed the bandage.  My hair is a little past my chin, so not real long.  I didn't have to wear the "hat" that Jan had (apparently, her surgeon is more into accessorizing than mine is).

Lori

[Kaybo]

I don't have a BAHA (so I guess I shouldn't really be in on this), but I was SO GLAD I could wash my hair fairly quickly after the T3 surgery...I don't Jan, I think I gave you a run for you money on the "beret"!!!!!!!   
K

[leapyrtwins]

K -

BAHA or no BAHA, you can add to our posts anytime 

I can't stand to have dirty hair!!!  In fact, when my doc said I'd have to wait about 9 days after the AN surgery to wash my hair, I told him that I could never survive that!!!  He probably thought I was a drama queen   I mean, there we were talking brain tumor and I'm concerned about my hair!  Well, thankfully, I did survive and the rest, as they say, is history.

And, Lori, as far as the accessorizing goes, I think you are just jealous LOL  All I can say it that my doc is a marvelous man who I feel is a very good surgeon.  He occasionally has a great sense of humor, and in addition, he gives a pretty good haircut.  I thank my lucky stars every day!

Jan

[lori67]

Jan, I told my doctor that if this brain surgeon thing doesn't work out for him, he's got a real future at Supercuts at the mall!     Fortunately, he has a good sense of humor too!  That always helps when you have me as a patient!!

Lori