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[Sep. 25th, 2005|02:22 pm] |
I've found a great surgeon in Nashville who is going to do his best to return my hearing to normal. Not that it's ever been normal. I'm so excited about the prospect of being able to hear what's going on around me that I'm not even nervous about the surgery. He let me wear this little headband thing that let's you hear what your missing and I went out into a busy lobby with it. It was crazy. I could hear every little sound that was going on around me. I was able to eavesdrop on conversations that were several hundred feet away from me....I can barely hear when someone is right in front of me, so it was pretty incredible. I felt like a little kid who was discovering something for the first time.
The first surgery is at the end of next month and should be fairly simple, despite the fact that it'll take 3-4 hours. I'll have to wait for him to do anything to the left ear. Things are pretty complicated there and he wants to make sure he can get my right ear where it should be before he tries to mess with the one that I rely on. Evidently all of the ear bones in the left ear are completely dead and there's probably a cholesteotoma in that ear. I heard more than a few "wow's" while he was checking things out. I was able to actually see things myself through a microscope and it's definitely not pretty. I'm just so glad I was referred to someone so capable. |
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Good luck! I hope you have some relief soon.
It sounds gruesome. The very best of luck.
In Neal Stephenson's novel Cryptonomicon, there is a vivid, yet not particularly graphic, description of root canal surgery which sounds not very different to your current eexperience. It might cheer you up...
I might have to check that out.
Ear stuffy really doesn't worry me, I'm just so used to it. It was pretty weird though when he showed me that he could see my facial nerve through my ear. Apparently that's not normal.
hooray. i think itll be weird to talk to you without you saying 'what?' or 'get on my good side!' anymore. im glad for you though. now youll think everyone is yelling at you.
Exactly!
I don't know how people handle the constant buzzing in the background. Just hearing it for 15 minutes when I had that thing on drove me nuts.
oh girl i am SO happy for you!
who is the doctor?
he may have worked on my students before.
what exactly is he doing to repair things?
sorry i'm so curious but you know i'm an ear person!!!!
You might know him...his PhD research was on cochlear implants and he continues to do research in that specific area. His name is Dr. Labadie...he works at St Thomas hospital and teaches at Vanderbilt. His resume was incredibly impressive.
The initial surgery is call a Tympano Mastoidectomy. He's basically going to put in this little umbrella shaped device to replace the ear bones. In this ear the bones are there, just not functioning the way they should. This is the ear with a 60% loss despite the fact that the left ear is the one that's a big mess structurally. I asked to be sent a copy of the physician's notes once they get them transcribed, it was a lot to take in and I definitely want something in writing.
When I put those little headphones on I felt like Catwoman when she first gets her new powers and all the different sounds come rushing at her. It was totally amazing. I never realized how much I've been missing.
ahhhh, that's what/who i figured it was.
one of my students had that surgery last year and he was their doctor and he's given a few of my babies in knoxville their implants.
the TM surgery isn't so bad though!
basically your eustacian tube doesn't function....that gets all the pressure out of your ear (one reason you yawn!!) so your eardrum takes all that pressure in which causes damage to it so you eventually lose your hearing. sounds to me that's prolly what's happening to you and the buildup behind your eardrum has caused the lump. honestly, you'll prolly have the biggest headache ever after the surgery has healed, not from the wounds, but from the noises you'll be hearing........good luck sweetheart - let me know if i can help at all or if you need any help deciphering the terminology of the ear! ;)
I will definitely come to you if I have any questions...THANKS! | |
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