Every day is a little better

I went back to work on Monday. All in all, I've felt very good and haven't had to use much medication to manage pain. But, boy, am I worn out at the end of the day!

My little third grade buddies were so fun on Monday. I shared a few books with them to help explain cochlear implants. I love the book, Let's Hear It For Almigal! It's about a little girl who gets a cochlear implant and how she is absolutely the luckiest girl in the world. It's written in fun, kid-friendly language and my students have enjoyed reading it this week. I also showed them my scar (if they wanted to look). I think the boys liked that! They are eagerly awaiting to see the processor (the outside component of the CI) when I get it in a few weeks.

My jaw and ear area have been a little sore, but it comes and goes. The incision has been very itchy lately and the funny taste in my mouth continues. Some things taste fine (like coffee! Yay!) and there are other things that the funny taste prevails over the taste of the food. These are minor things in the grand scheme, but annoying. Overall, I am amazed that my incision has healed so well and I am as pain free as I am. My ear is starting to lay flatter on my head and I don't look so lopsided.

I am also excited that I woke up this morning and realized that I had slept on my right side last night! Two weeks after surgery and I can lay on the right side of my head without too much discomfort. I also have almost all the feeling back into my ear lobe. There are still a few spots that are numb yet, but mostly I feel an ear there, now!

With the nice sunny, warm weather, I am glad I can now wear my sunglasses. Last weekend it was painful to wear sunglasses. The area was still too swollen and sore.

Every day is a little better and a little closer to my activation date. I am looking forward to getting my sound processor and hearing with my bionic ear in two weeks. May 17 is just around the corner!

Here is another info graphic I found while doing my internet CI research. I hope it helps clarify how a cochlear implant works. I got the inner parts implanted during my surgery and will begin to wear the outer parts in two weeks.

Cochlear implants use an external microphone and speech processor that you generally wear behind your ear. A transmitter sends radiofrequency signals to a surgically implanted electronic chip, the receiver-stimulator, which stimulates the auditory nerve with electrodes that have been threaded through the cochlea.