My BAHA surgery was a piece of cake too

[wendysig]

Hi all --

Yesterday got off to a slow start -- my surgery got bumped (don't know why) to a much later time slot and I didn't leave the hospital until almost 4:00.  By that time I was exhausted and starving.  Everything went great and like Jan, I chatted with my doc during my surgery.  I had local anesthesia but with sedation so I was very relaxed but refused to go to sleep.  The OR I was in must usually be used for kids because there was a huge mural with elephants, monkeys and butterflies on the wall. 

Much to my surprise, my doc gave my husband my processor in the recovery room and told him to keep it under lock and key.  Rob handed me the box to look at and of course, I had to open it.   Just as I was trying to open the box the processor was in, in walked Dr. Choe.  Luckily, he laughed and said he should have known I had to open it.  He actually  ended up opening it for me and I promised not to try it on until he gave his okay in his office.  I'm not sure if he didn't want to be responsible for it or if he just feels he knows me well enough to know I won't put it on until it's time.   I haven't had a chance to read all the literature yet but will do that later.  Rob took pictures of me and my lovely head wrap which I will post later -- I don't know where he put his camera.  I have to say it looks much different from Jan's and Rob says I look like a sushi chef!  I hope it stays together when I take it off later, maybe I'll use it for Halloween!   

That;s it for now -- I'll make sure I post the pictures later.  Right now I'm going to go take a nap.  I woke up this morning with one heck of a headache and took a Vicodin.  Now I can barely keep my eyes open. 

Wendy

[leapyrtwins]

Great news, Wendy!  Although I was sure things would go well, it's still nice to hear it from you 

My BAHA surgery got bumped also.  I was there, my doctor was there, the problem was they gave my OR to another patient and we had to wait for that surgery to finish before mine could take place   

Tell Rob to lock up that processor!!!  I'm glad my doctor didn't give me mine - he was smart enough to know that I'd try it out before my 90 days were up.  If I would have had it in my hot little hands before then I would have been tempted and I don't think I could have stopped myself. 

Looking forward to the sous chef hat - although I have to warn you, Kay has already won the award for best picture (post T3 surgery) in my book this year.  She should receive her trophy any day now 

Jan

[Kaybo]

Wendy~
Wondered about you all day yesterday - glad to hear things went so well!  I think they could give me the processor too & I would wait.  I was just telling my girlies the other day how I had NEVER even looked for a Christmas present early, in my WHOLE life.  Also, I NEVER found out with any of my pregnancies if it were a girl or a boy...what can I say?  I like to be surprised (& I hate to say am usually a rule FOLLOWER...unlike my two sisters...Jan & Lori)!!

Jan~
Really...a prize??  And you know my address too!!

K   

[lori67]

Wendy,

Yay!  Glad your surgery went well.  But are you sure there were elephants and monkeys on the wall or was that from the drugs?   

My doctor didn't give me my processor right away either.  He knows me too well.     I can't wait to see the latest trend in head wear you're sporting now.  You're such a fashion plate!   Hope the headache goes away!

And Kay, I resemble that remark!     I can't help it - I don't like surprises.

Lori

[Pooter]

Wendy,

Congrats on a successful BAHA surgery!  I'm surprised you were given your processor, too!  I'm casually looking into BAHA or TransEar.  I'm thinking (and others around close to me think so too) that the BAHA may look too much like a Borg implant (as cool as that sounds) with my nearly-bald hair style, so I'm leaning towards TransEar.  I'm still investigating.  Let us know how the BAHA works for you.  I'm finding SSD increasingly frustrating in many situations.

Thanks,
Brian

[Kaybo]

Brian~
Let me know about the TransEar & places in Houston that have it.  I was going to check into that for when we were there, but I knew it would just be too crazy.  Seems like a lot of money when I have gone so long without anything...but hey, when I win that lottery (that I don't play), I can just throw $$ around!!

K

[kmancini]

I had the BAHA surgery Oct 24.  I have not seen my processor yet I get it Jan 15.  I am so excited just reading about it from you guys.  Let you know how it works.

Karen

[MAlegant]

Hey Wendy,
Great news about the BAHA surgery.  I had the same question as Lori regarding the "mural" you "saw" on the wall.  So happy for you.
Marci

[jerseygirl]

Great Wendy! Do you have a bandage of some sort or you will be able to show everybody on Saturday what an abutment looks like?

                 Eve

[nteeman]

Hey Wendy,

Glad to read that everything went OK. I look forward to meeting you on Saturday.

Neal

[Dawn]

Hi Wendy,

Glad your feeling ok after surgery.  I'm sure the next 90 days will seem to pass by slowly for you.  Please keep us posted as to your progress.

Dawn

[leapyrtwins]

Karen -

congratulations on your BAHA surgery; processor day will be a VERY exciting day.  I LOVE my BAHA    Are you getting the Divino or the Intenso?

Pooter -

all I can say is try the BAHA demo before committing to a TransEar.  The BAHA isn't for everyone, but the demo is extremely impressive - it's what sold me.

Eve -

if Wendy does decide to show her abutment when you guys meet on Saturday, don't be put off by the looks of it.  Until the site heals, it doesn't look real pleasant - especially when it's gooped up with bacitracin or neosporin.  It looks MUCH better in time.

Kay -

all I can say is, check the mail 

Wendy -

hope your pain gets better.  Vicodin makes me think your pain was real bad    I didn't experience anything except a little discomfort for a day or two following my implant and I just stuck to extra strength Tylenol.  But then again, I have a very hard head  and it was still numb from my AN surgery.  When my doc shot the lidocaine into my head before he started the surgery, I barely felt it.  See, there are some good things about a numb head 

Check your mail, too.  My partner in crime (and maybe my soon to be business partner) Lori and I sent you a little something in honor of your implant.

Jan

[wendysig]

Hi everyone --

I'm feeling better than this morning although my head still hurts somewhat.  I took my head wrap off and the healing cap is really tiny, about the size of a quarter or a little bigger.  I'm not seeing Dr. Choe again until next Wednesday, so I'll have it on when we meet for lunch. 

Jan - One of  the reasons Dr. Choe used the sedation was that much of my numbness from my AN surgery is gone.  He felt the needles from the lidocane would be painful.  Apparently I was sedated more at the beginning of the surgery because that part is fuzzy.  I didn't mind not feeling the needles.  Chatting with him and listening to the rest of the surgery was very interesting though.  The only time I got at all nervous was when the nurse passed him the drill and I saw it go over my head.  I didn't feel anything though except a little pressure.  You have me very curious as to what you and Lori sent me.  Whatever it is -- thanks!

Lori and Marci -- Thanks for your good wishes.     I'm pretty sure I saw the mural when I first walked into the OR at least I think I did.  If so, I hadn't had any drugs yet so I think I really saw teh elephants, monkeys and butterfllies  -- now I wonder.       I'll have to ask Dr. Choe when I see him next week 

K - I hate to disappoint you I have always been a rule breaker though    -- I found out there was no Santa when I was five because I stayed up late and saw my older sister and mom putting the presents under the tree.  I absolutely had to know my kids sexes too  I have two girls 12 and 14.  I had such a hard time having them I felt like I needed to know everything about them as soon as possible.  I won't try my processor out until it's time and at my doc's office though -- as hard as it will be, it's one rule I won't break.  I do like some things to be a surprise though.  I got your Christmas card today by the way, the picture of your girls is just beautiful!  I also enjoyed your newsletter -- you certainly have a busy life!

Brian -- Even though I adjusted to being SSD to some extent, I have to agree that it is frustrating at times.  I get so tired of not hearing what's being said or asking people to repeat things and so do they.  As for BAHA being Borg-like one of my brothers said that to me.  My kids think of it more like me being the Bionic Woman.  My hair will cover my BAHA so that's not an issue for me.  If you think TrasEar is better for you, go for it!  I personally agree with Jan -- try the BAHA demo before you rule it out.  It is amazing!!!

Karen -- I'm so excited for you that you're getting your processor so soon and a little jealous.     I know it's now just a matter of time, but I still have BAHA envy! 

Eve -- I will still  have a small bandage in place but will be glad to show it off to anyone who wants to see it.

Dawn - Thanks for your good wishes too.  I'm hoping the next three months will fly by.

Neal -- See you Saturday.  I'm looking forward to meeting you too and hearing about your meeting with Dr. Bederson.

Wendy

[Kaybo]

Wendy~
I know what your getting and you don't...

K   

[leapyrtwins]

K - I hate to disappoint you I have always been a rule breaker though   

Well, K, that just cements it - your 3 sisters are all breaking the rules, so I think we will eventually have to "reform" you    Are you with me Wendy & Lori ??

Wendy -

glad to hear you're feeling better 

Very nice man, that Dr. Choe, using sedation and  lidocaine.  I'm confident if I would have said "ouch" when the first needle went into my head, my doc would have sedated me too. 

I found it very interesting listening to the sounds of the surgery.  I found the rushing water the most curious though.  Did you have that?  I kept hearing water moving and I couldn't figure out what it was.  When I finally asked the nurse she told me they were irrigating my head 

I didn't see the drill - don't know how I would have handled that - my BAHA is on the left, so I was laying on my right side and my doc was behind me.  So, they either just passed it behind my back or I didn't see it because of all the drapes over my head and face.  I actually had a long tunnel of drapes and the only thing I could see was the nice nurse at the end of my tunnel.  She held my hand and talked to me throughout the entire surgery.  On occasion my doctor and I would chat back and forth, or joke around, but the nice "tunnel nurse" was a wonderful thing to have.

The drill reminded me of the dentist's office and I remember the pressure.  Other than that the only other thing I felt was a kind of tugging on my head - it felt kind of like someone pulling my hair out by the roots, but it didn't hurt at all.  I'm still not sure what that was all about, but one of these days I'll remember to ask my doc.

So, do you get to shampoo soon if you hold a plastic cup over your site?  or does Dr. Choe have you doing something else?

Jan