I can't wear the BAHA...

[danijake]

I can't wear the BAHA any longer than I NEED to. It has given me the "normal" headaches everytime. What I mean by "normal" is no heartbeat, just a headache. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone else has this problem?

I've just been sitting in the shadows lately, reading everyone's posts and being depressed over the BAHA situation and having to move in with my sister, the headwrecks and whooshing sounds, OH and quitting my job. I have got to get ahold of myself. I wish I could go back in time. My son said, "I wish you never had that dang tumor". "So do I, baby, so do I". He actually cussed, and I condoned it because of the way he said it and how upset he was at my pain. He is going to be a wonderful husband someday.

 It's been almost 2 months since my BAHA surgery, and I still have "scabs". When will it finally heal and when will I get the feeling back on the WHOLE LEFT SIDE OF MY HEAD?

 I hope everyone is doing fine and healing well from all of the surgeries.

[Kaybo]

Davi~
Poor Girl...I'm so sorry that you are struggling with this!!  If I were there, I'd give ya a big ole hug!!  Do I have your number?  If you will send it to me in a PM, I will call you!!  It always helps to talk to someone!
Hang in there,
K

[leapyrtwins]

Dani -

I am so sorry to hear that you are having issues 

have you talked to your doctor about this?  I'm not a BAHA expert, by any means, but the scabs and the whole left side of your head numbness just doesn't sound right.  If nothing else, I'd make the doctor aware of these problems and see what he can do about them.

I have a general feeling of numbness on the left side of my head, particularly around the BAHA site, but I'm only about 1 month post op.  And, my numbness has gotten better since the surgery.  My site healed very nicely in about 3 1/2 weeks and I know that others have talked about "flare ups", but I don't recall anyone else having the problems you are describing.  I don't think what you are experiencing is "normal" and I'm very concerned about you.  My doctor has done over 200 BAHA surgeries and from what he's told me he's only had one patient who decided the BAHA just wasn't for her - and I don't think it was because of pain or anything else.  It is my understand that she just wasn't happy with the sound quality and the lack of directionality and decided she'd just adapt to SSD.

Hang in there, things will get better,

Jan



 

[1wareagle]

Dani,

Sorry to hear that you are having so much problems with your BAHA. I was wondering if you were having headaches before you got the BAHA? I rarely have a headache. If I do it usually due to my allergies.

You mentioned that you were still having scabs 2 months from your surgery. It took a while for my site to completely heal too. I was having the same thing for about 3 months after I got mine. It has been 1 year and 3 months now for me and I am still having flare ups around the abutment. I looked tonight and noticed it was red and raw around my abutment. I cleaned around it with peroxide and put my Bacitracin Zinc Ointment around it. My flare up seem to come after I have been outside and gotten real hot working in my yard.

As far as the feeling being gone on the left side of your head, this does not sound right. I have no feeling around the site but that all and it is getting better every month. You need to let your Doctor know about all the problems you are having. Like Jan said, your experience does not sound Normal.

Good Luck,
Ellis

[lori67]

Dani,

Have you been to an audiologist to adjust the setting on your processor?  There are little tiny dials that he(or she) uses a little tiny screwdriver thing to adjust.  Maybe that could have something to do with your headaches?  I'm not sure, since I don't get them.

As far as the numbness, I still have a lot of numbness on that side of my head, but that was numb before my BAHA surgery.  It's possible that some of those sensory nerves might not come back the way they used to be.  I know mine isn't as bad as it was, but I've gotten used to it and don't even really notice it anymore.

I hope you can figure out the answers to these questions so you can start enjoying your BAHA.

Lori

[trhoads]

My doctor would not even let me get the processor turned on until 3 months after the surgery to place the implant.  And mine did cause me to have headaches at first, but I just started slow, and worked my way up to wearing it a full day at work.  I also get the occasional "flare-up" where it gets red and sore around the implant (I am not sure what causes them, but it gets better in about a day after using the antibiotic ointment.

I hope that you are feeling better,

Tonya

[danijake]

Thanks, ya'll. I'll call the Dr today and ask about this. I am having a whopper of a headache, caused by my neck, this morning. I can't even get 7-8 hours of sleep anymore. Am going to the chiropractor to get my neck adjusted, it always feels so good while your bones are popping and cracking like a bowl of rice crispies. Then he works out all of the knots in the neck muscles. And I get a mini massage(just the neck for 2 minutes). I really like this chiro. He is the third one I've been to and it has been a "charm" for sure.

I have a lot of regrets about this BAHA right now. I was adjusting to being deaf, but I wanted to hear so badly. I guess I took for granted that I could hear before, and I wanted to hear again. I didn't realize I would've been okay with SSD.

Anyway, thanks for being here.

[Kaybo]

Dani~
It's OK to second guess if what you did is OK, but it is done and now you have got to get on with it!!      It does sound (no pun intended!) pretty crummy right now, but you got a LOT of positive feedback and a lot of other things to try!!  Let's try lots of baby steps...maybe even start all the way over from your surgery with a different attitude (even share that w/ your son so he can help you) - put everything behind you & start again - what's the saying, "Fake it until you make it!!!"  I'll try to call you today!
K

[leapyrtwins]

Tonya -

I have to wait 3 months also for my processor, so I have about 2 more to go.

Dani -

glad to hear you will talk to your doctor.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he will have some solutions for you.

Don't get discouraged,

Jan

[dpetty]

Sounds like something else is involved here, I'm no expert my no means but having headaches and such is not normal, I just had my adbutment implanted and so far knock on wood am doing great, I have yet to have any pain or even mild discomfort, it hadn't slowed me down that is for sure, even after the surgery.

David

[danijake]

I called the Dr and guess what?... He said that I shouldn't be having any pain or numbness. I'm getting really frustrated with him. He's also the one who told me I shouldn't be having headaches. I need to see my new PCP on my new "insurance". I have an HMO now. Not by choice...it's medicaid. So, I have to go see him, get a referral to a medicaid neurologist and get truly crappy healthcare!   Sorry, in a mood.

I know, K. It's just so upsetting that everything I did to "fix" myself in the past 9 months are not turning out like the Dr's books say they should. And the Dr leaves it at that. Yes, call me!!!

Lori

 I wasn't told to go back to see the audiologist. Forgot to ask the Dr about that. The whole left side of my head is numb. Up on the top of my head(almost right in the middle of my skull)it is very tender. It HURTS to brush my hair.

Ellis

Thank you for your post. I may just have to try Benadryl when the headache won't go away. Maybe experiment a little. Relief is all I'm asking for!

Jan

Thank you for crossing your fingers!!!

David

You're very lucky about not having headaches or pain. I'm envious.

Tonya

The antibiotic ointment gets all up in the abutment and I can't put the little bugger on . I guess I'm still learning. The first time I put it on, I pushed it through my skin. There was blood everywhere.

Anyway thanks for the input.i'm actively online now, so here we go...Are you ready?

[dpetty]

Sounds like you are very dissatisfied with your doctor, i would have a heart to heart talk with him about your concerns and if you are not getting the results then I'd change. I had a very wise man once tell me who knew that two things you never skimp on is when you hire a lawyer or doctor, both can save you or kill u.

David

[lori67]

Dani -  I would make sure the antibiotic ointment is cleaned off the abuttment before you put it on.  You don't want anything getting into the processor that might damage it.  You can try what I did and just put the ointment on at night so you can wash it off really good in the shower in the morning before you attach the BAHA.  Or you can use a baby wipe to clean off the metal part to get the ointment off.

When I got my processor, I went to my surgeon so he could make sure the abuttment was okay, picked up the processor from him and went right to the audiologist office so he could adjust it and show me how it works and how to take care of it.  I have to see him at 4 months - which is coming up - just to make sure everything is working properly and everything looks good.  From then on in, I just call him if I need him or have any questions and go for periodic hearing tests on my good ear.  It sounds like your surgeon just kinda handed you the thing and sent you on your way.

I had one spot where my hair "hurt" too, but that did finally get better. It sounds weird (ok, nothing I say sounds weird anymore..it's kindof expected now), but you can work on desensitizing the area with gentle massage.  Eventually, it won't hurt anymore.  It works around incisions also - after they are well healed.  It helps to break up any adhesions under and around the scar and helps the area not be hyper sensitive to touch.

I hope you're able to find a doctor that will listen to your concerns and help you with them.

Lori

[Sam Rush]

My BAHA site scabbed up and bled for 1 1/2 yrs post op and finally healed when I stopped using the antibiotic ointment and switched to a drying antibiotic powder that a dermatologist had formulated. Now it is well healed and I just use a little peroxide twice weekly.  Apparently curly hair makes it harder to heal if it gets wraped around the abutment.

The numbness is probably permanent which I was informed of pre-op, because they cut skin nerves when they do the flap.

Wait another 4-6 months, If the BAHA won't heal and is really driving you nuts, It (the abutement) can be removed with a special tool in a 10 min. office procedure, and your hair and skin will grow over the deeper screw which anchors the abutement .

PCP's know  nothing  about these matters.  I'm only familiar w/ it because of my personal experience. Talk to your BAHA surgeon, and/or experienced ENT, and consider a dermatologist.

If you like I could send you the formula for the drying antibiotic powder, but I really don't want to be giving medical advice on this forum.

Sam

[danijake]

Thanks for the tips and suggestions. I will deal with it for as long as I can.

Sam

Thanks for the offer, but I don't want you to get into any trouble by giving medical advice. My ENT never let me in on the post-op "what to expect" stuff.

Lori

You're right. The Dr's nurse handed me the BAHA box and told me where the audiologist was and that was it. I think a lot of Drs are in it for the money...from what I've experienced in the last 9 months.

Anyway, thank you all. I'm gonna go grab a box of kleenex and cry myself to sleep--again.