ANA Discussion Forum
General Category => Hearing Issues => Topic started by: danijake on February 19, 2008, 02:24:15 pm
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i can't remember if I let all of you know how the BAHA surgery went. ::) I do remember telling ya'll I had a female anesthesiologist. That was depressing. I have a quick question...did anyone have pain at the grafting site? It's been 8 days and I still have a stinging pain. The Dr said there was nothing to worry about, but I just wanted to ask those with experience.
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Don't feel bad, there are days I can't even remember my own name!! ???
I had tenderness around the abuttment - not real harsh pain, but I had my surgery in November and it's still a little tender to the touch right around it. If you can have someone take a look at it every now and then and make sure it looks like it's healing okay - not red, swollen, gross looking - it's helpful. I know I can't really see mine very well, so I had my husband taking pictures with the digital camera so I could see how it was healing. My doctor said he wouldn't be too surprised if it got infected at some point in the healing process, because that just happens - and if it did he said to just call the office and they'd call something in for me. It helps that I'm a nurse and he knows I know what signs to look for as far as infection. Fortunately, I haven't gotten one.
Just keep doing what he tells you and you should be good Oh, and he also said to put a little bacitracin ointment on it too - but make sure you check before you do that because I know all doctors seem to want things done a certain way.
Lori
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I took amoxicillin for 7 days, and am putting neosporin around the white thingy. Looks like a button, but kinda big to be the abutment-I would think ???
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Dani -
from what I hear there is supposed to be a "cap" that goes on the abutment during the healing process. Could that be the "white thingy"?
Also, did you have to take the amoxicillin because you developed an infection? or is that just something your doc normally has patients do so they don't get infections?
Jan
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Dani,
Mine was pretty sore for 2-3 weeks. Then I was slowly able to start sleeping on that side again. (Don't get me wrong, it was still quite tender for 1-2 months, and that slowly went away. Now, every once in a while, it almost feels like a pulling sensation when I tilt my head back to use the eye drops, but no more pain.)
3 months after the insertion, just when I was going to get the processor turned on... I developed an infected sebaceous cyst in the incision, which had to be opened, and I was started on antibiotics. That delayed the processor by 10 days. But now I have the processor, and everything is fine.
As for that 'white button,' I think my surgeon took that off during the 1-week post-op check.
Tonya
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Tonya -
sounds like the white thingy/white button is the cap that my doctor told me about.
What did you take for the pain? Was something like Tylenol strong enough? I'm planning on returning to work after I get the pressure bandage off and I want to know what I can reasonably expect.
Now that you have the processor on, can you tell me how you like the BAHA?
Thanks,
Jan
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Dani - the white thingy is the healing cap. It looks like a styrofoam washer with clear plastic in the middle. It snaps right onto the abuttment. Once they take that off, it'll be easier to clean it really well and get the bacitracin in there. I clean it at night with a washcloth and then put the bacitracin on, then in the morning I wash it with Dawn dishwashing detergent (takes grease out of your way - and out of your hair!) and scrub it with a soft toothbrush. Sounds weird, but - knock on wood - I haven't had the dreaded infection that happens so frequently.
Jan, I used tylenol as needed after my surgery and it did the trick. I actually felt well enough the day after my surgery to go to a barbeque (well, maybe I was just trying to avoid cooking...). I t hink you should be able to manage okay - just take it a little at a time and see how you feel.
Lori
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Lori -
thanks for the tips and the explanation of the cap. I've heard of it, but didn't really know much about it.
I'll make sure I keep my bottle of Dawn in the shower - wish I had known about it post op when the bacitracin in my hair was so disgusting.
My doctor said I could go back to work the day after surgery if I wanted to, but to keep in mind that I'll have that lovely mastoid bandage on for 24 hours. I may wait until that wonderful fashion accessory comes off LOL
Jan
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Dani,
For the pain, I pretty much just stuck with the Ibuprofen that I was using for the headaches, which was 600 mg 4 times per day. But now I am using Indocin for the headaches, which seems to be working much better than the Ibuprofen.
Tonya
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Oops, it is late for me...
I forgot to mention how I felt about the BAHA. I was a little disappointed, because I thought that the sound would overpower the horrible ringing sound in my head, and it really doesn't. My first response to the audiologist was that it was not working, but when I plugged my good ear, then I could tell that it was working. As I have continued to use it, I really notice a difference, that I do not ask people to repeat themselves as much. I also listen to the television and radio at much lower volumes. I definitely prefer it to not hearing on that side at all.
I am not sure if other people felt the same way when theirs was first hooked up.
Hope this helps!
Tonya
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Tonya -
thanks for your feedback on the BAHA. I'm sorry to hear that your tinnitus interferes with it. I, thankfully, don't have tinnitus, so it never crossed my mind that it could be an issue.
Despite that problem, it sounds like you are noticing some positive things about it. Hopefully as time goes on you will discover more positive things.
Jan
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From what I understand, some doctors don't use the healing cap at all. They keep a bandage on the site that you have to keep dry for up to 3 weeks! AAAHHHH! I never would have lasted! You might as well have just shaved my head totally at that point. At least with the healing cap, I was able to wash my hair the night after the surgery.
And Jan, I think that bandage would make a lovely fashion statement. Maybe you could wear big ear muffs to work and tell everyone your ears are just really cold. Or better yet - take the day off. People hear you're getting a screw put in your head and they think you'll be out of commission for a long time. Little do they know, it doesn't hurt. Shhhhh... don't tell anyone... ;)
Lori
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People hear you're getting a screw put in your head and they think you'll be out of commission for a long time. Little do they know, it doesn't hurt. Shhhhh... don't tell anyone... ;)
Lori
Gives a whole new meaning to "I have a screw loose" ;D
from what I understand .. this actually can happen.. the Dr. have a special socket wench to tighten it... :o
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hmmmm, Lori,
now that you mention it - another hole in my head does seem like a big thing to an "outsider". I might be able to get an entire week off of work for this surgery ;D
Seriously though, I actually thought about going into work before the bandage is off but decided against it. I forgot how truly large it is until someone at the doc's office pointed it out to me. I asked her if I could go to my son's volleyball game the afternoon of my surgery and just wear a hat over the bandage. After she was finished laughing, she asked me if I recalled the bandage I sported in the hospital and I realized how silly my question was. Then she told me that once they had a patient who just "couldn't" cancel her weekly manicure appointment which happen to fall on the day of her BAHA surgery. The patient actually wrapped a large colorful cloth around her head (like a turban) and went to her appointment. I wish someone had taken a picture of that.
From what I hear I will be getting the cap and I can wash my hair a lot sooner than 3 weeks (I can't even imagine waiting that long; it would definitely kill me). The doc mentioned something about putting a "cup" over the abutment site when I shampoo so I won't get it wet.
Joef -
are you pulling my leg? A special socket wrench to tighten loose screws??!! Drill, socket wrench, I feel like I have an appointment with a mechanic, not my neurotologist. Wonder which one of them charges more per hour? LOL
Jan
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I clean it at night with a washcloth and then put the bacitracin on, then in the morning I wash it with Dawn dish washing detergent (takes grease out of your way - and out of your hair!) and scrub it with a soft toothbrush. Sounds weird, but - knock on wood - I haven't had the dreaded infection that happens so frequently.
Golly, Lori, why should anyone think that sounds weird? Maybe because it sounds like Frankenstein cleaning his neck bolts? :D
I have clearly been missing out on all the really good tips. I've got to start hanging out in this hearing issues forum more often. ;D
Steve
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I was able to wash my hair 48 hours post-op. (I wouldn't last 3 weeks either!)
I guess my surgical crew was pretty good to me, because they lifted my hair up, put the dressing on, and then flipped my hair down over the dressing. However, you could see the dressing through my bangs across my forehead. I went out to lunch with my husband after leaving the recovery room.
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okay! I can wash my hair now!!!! ;D That white thingy was just a healing cap. I go Monday morning for the processor!!! I'm excited. I just have to put neosporin on the abutment every day. That's cool 8)
Walmart isn't very understanding. I think I'll wait for them to fire me. My sister needs a nanny anyway. I'm thinking about doing that. She'll pay me $200.00 a week and my son and I get our own rooms. That sounds like a plan to me!!
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Dani -
you're getting your processor already!!! How exciting.
How long has it been since your surgery?
Jan
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Frankenstein cleaning his neck bolts, Steve ???
I thought it sounded a little more like the Bionic Woman ;D
I'm very much looking forward to my new "technology" - and to my own toothbrush scrubbing.
Jan
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Hey, even Frankenstein liked to be clean! Gotta do what you can to keep those bolts sparkly!!
I don't know what kind of bandage your doctors use, but mine didn't wrap around my head. It actually looked more like a wad of gauze that was sewn to my head. (you know, the more I type about this, the weirder it sounds!!). It was maybe 2 inches long and an inch across, held in place with thick sutures (they sewed it up like when you get a cake from the bakery and they tie it with that string). I was able to get it wet and my hair was just long enough to cover it so no one even noticed it. After a couple of days, the bandage starts to shrink and then my husband was able to cut the "bakery string" and remove the bandage. The healing cap stayed in place until I went back for my post op appointment.
Dani, that's great news about your processor. I had to wait until 8 weeks after my surgery to get mine. It hasn't been 8 weeks for you already, has it???
And Jan, I like the Bionic Woman comparison better too. She was much better looking than Frankenstein!
Lori
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Oh, if Steve is still reading this thread, he's going to have a field day with the "bakery strings" LOL
My doc said I can expect a mastoid bandage - like the one I had after my AN surgery - that needs to stay on for 24 hours. Underneath it there will be a smaller bandage on the abutment site and I can't remember how long it will be with me. I haven't seen him since September so our conversation about all the details is kind of foggy in my mind.
Eight weeks for the processor to be attached ??? That's great! My doc makes patients wait 12, but he strikes me as a very cautious guy, so that kind of makes sense.
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Oh, if Steve is still reading this thread, he's going to have a field day with the "bakery strings" LOL
Wouldn't miss it for the world. ;)
Wad of gauze with cake string sutures. Hmm, not bad. But no, I'll stick with the toothbrush and the dish soap shampoo for now...
Steve
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But now you'll never brush your teeth, wash your dishes or buy a cake without thinking of me! ;D
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I had not gotten a haircut for over a year when I went in so I took a volley ball and cut it in half and wore it on my head to the hospital? LOL it drove em nuts so they made a whack job at the site and when I woke up the long hair in the back covered it, I really get mad at the fact they like you naked in a paper gown no matter what they do its part of the process of humiliating you no matter what they say or where they are working they say its to prevent germs? Well if I ever go back in I will demand that my surgical team be naked as I dont know if they are wearing clean underwear or not? They need me naked to cut my head open? Just like when I turned 40 they all wanted to stick stuff in my butt? No way, sure wish they would focus on the other end, your brain shuts down the butt follows quite simple IMHO
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I had my BAHA in January 2007 and I still have numbness. Some of it has gone, but some remains. Is your head numb anywhere?
I wonder if it will ever totally go away.
Laurie
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My head is completely numb. Wel, the whole left side. It hurts to wash & brush my hair. I can't wear the hearing aid because it gives me a headache.