I will have this implanted in my head!

[MandyMarie]

It's the Envoy Esteem middle ear implant! I was born with a sensorineural hearing loss, which means some of the thousands of hair cells inside the cochlea are damaged and cannot process sound as they should. The Esteem (fully implantable) is being tested in clinical studies, and as a patient of the study, I will be implanted with this device on June 18th. Yep..then I will be an official metal head!!

Seriously though, I am very excited. This will change my life, and possibly the lives of my children years from now, as they are also hard of hearing. I will no longer have to lip-read or use closed captions, and I will no longer have to feel alienated from conversations when it's too noisy or too dark to see. I will be able to listen to U2's music with a clarity I cannot now comprehend, and hear the many things in the music that some of you discuss, that's impossible for me to hear. I can go to college without the stress of not knowing if I can keep up with my classes. I can go to the movies and understand more than 5% of the dialogue. And there's so much more!

The downside is I will be completely deaf for two months while the implanted ear heals. And I have three kids. Oh well, small price to pay... I will have a remote to change programs, though unfortunately for my sneaky husband, it has to be placed on my head to change settings. Even more unfortunate for him, I can turn the device off when I wanna tune him out.

I'm keeping a detailed journal for anyone who would like to know more, complete with extra pictures. Feel free to stop by!
http://alreadygone78.livejournal.com/

 

[Sicy]

Wow technology is amazing these days

I'm going to move this to Zoo Confesh as its more of a personal topic and IO is more of a silly off topic forum.

 

[RedRocksU2]

Metal head

 

[forbonou2]

Go 4 It!! I can't imagine being in your shoes one day! If Tech. can improve your life n' hearing..so be it! When you wrote it would help you to hear u2's music more clearly...almost made me cry mandy!

 

[Lila64]

I wonder if you will set off alarms at airports My mom had hip replacement in the 70s and had to carry a doctor's note with her in case she set off the alarm.

Best of luck on your surgery. I hope this works out for you

 

[MandyMarie]

Thank you, guys! I was just talking to Carlos about having my iPod with me the day I am activated, and not knowing which song to choose as my first..he suggested "Miracle Drug." I don't think it could get much better than that!

Lila, I haven't heard that anyone has set off any kind of detectors yet, but I will have a card to carry with me in case I do. Knowing my luck though...

 

[yolland]

That's wonderful and very exciting. Good luck with your surgery and recovery time.

How is this device different from a cochlear implant, or is it somehow a type of cochlear implant?

 

[Lila64]

Mandy - what's your favorite U2 song?

 

[Cin]

WOW, it'll open up a whole new world for you

now you and bionicGluey can get together and have super human contests

 

[Gluey]

WOW, it'll open up a whole new world for you

now you and bionicGluey can get together and have super human contests

Welcome aboard the bionic train!!!


Seriously though, Mandy Marie, I am hugely excited for you. I'm forever amazed at what can be done to help people these days. I can't even begin to fathom the exciting new world this will open up to you!!

 

[mysterious_jen]

i whish you all the very best for your implant and hope all goes well, and my heart is just busting for you to hear u2 clearly for the first time, that really touched me.

 

[zuropa_fit]

Hope the procedure goes perfectly! I'm excited for you and can't wait to read about how if affects your life in a positive way. Cool

 

[shari schultz]

How exciting! Wishing you the best and fast healing

 

[Thora]

Wow - that is so cool! I hope it's successful and will really improve your hearing.

I can't imagine what it will be like to hear things better and more clearly for the first time. That's gotta be incredible!

 

[DrTeeth]

The downside is I will be completely deaf for two months while the implanted ear heals. And I have three kids.

I can think of a number of parents who'd wish they could be deaf for two months

Congratulations on the implant though, I really heart science

 

[Mr. Green Eyes]

That's great news to hear!! I am also hard of hearing, so it's amazing what they can do with technology these days. The best of luck to you!!

 

[Salome]

congrats and good luck!!!

 

[BonosBaby12]

Good luck with your implant Mandy This is going to be such an amazing time for you once all of the healing is completed.

Science really is amazing with what can be done nowadays

 

[Carek1230]

Technology is really amazing. Best of luck to you!

 

[Purplereign]

hooray for technology!
Best of luck to you - can't wait to read all about the exciting discoveries you will be making once your ears are switched on!












for some reason that annoying Cliff Richard song 'wired for sound' is going through my head

 

[MandyMarie]

Thanks for the 'good luck' wishes! It truly is amazing how far technology advances over the years. Since my loss is hereditary and my children are also HoH, it's nice to know that this could benefit them and possibly their own children one day.

Lila, my favorite U2 song changes often, but at the moment it's "Gone"

 

[MandyMarie]

Surgery was successful!

Went in to surgery around 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, and came back out around 3 p.m. Everything went really well. Wasn't too crazy about trying to fight off the anesthesia though, I quickly realized I was fighting a losing battle there!

Even though they implanted my worse ear, it's still much more difficult to hear than I thought it would be, since I can't hear out of the implanted ear at all. I now have to wait two months for the ear to heal before I can be activated. I updated the blog and posted a few pics for those who are keeping up with it. The pics aren't too graphic, although I look like shit, lol.

Building My Self Esteem

Any nurses around? Is it normal for numbness to come and go around the surgical site? It gives me the oddest sensation - feels like my ear is just hanging by a thread, ready to fall off, lol.

 

[UberBeaver]

Awesome. Congrats and good luck. Did you have a hearing aid put in?

 

[VintagePunk]

Congratulations! Can't wait to hear your reports in a couple of months!

 

[Lila64]

Congratulations! Can't wait to hear your reports in a couple of months!

You read my mind!

 

[JCOSTER]

Glad it all went well for u!

 

[Angela Harlem]

That's great it went well! Hope you update us again!

 

[Carek1230]

Great news. You take care, and we'll all be hoping you have a speedy recovery.

 

[mysterious_jen]

congrats and good luck with the healing

 

[BonosBaby12]

Congrats about the surgery being over Let us know how it works out for you please