ANA Discussion Forum
AN Community => AN Community => Topic started by: leapyrtwins on September 25, 2008, 05:25:22 pm
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Tamara -
just checking in with you to see how today's surgery went.
It might be a little early - don't know if you had general anesthesia or not - but I'm hoping for an update.
Hope everything went wonderfully ;D
Jan
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Yes, Jan, I did miss this thread - THANKS! I was still reading the replies to my previous posts. Anywho, yes, the BAHA was a piece of cake compared to the translab. I have no hat, though. Just took the pressure bandage off this morning and can feel the little plastic cap on it. I did forget to ask when I can wash my hair...?? I'll call the office later, but I'm sure many of you know.
Now that this is done, I'm set to avoid hospitals for the rest of my life ;D
Tammy ;D, using this icon 'cause I actually have a smile WITH TEETH again!
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Tamara -
you should probably check with your doctor's office, but I was able to wash my hair by placing a plastic drinking cup over my BAHA site 24 hours post implant. It's not nearly as hard as it sounds ;)
Jan
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Tamara:
Congratulations on your BAHA implant! I hope it proves to be as great a help to you as it's been for others.
Jim
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I hope others considering the BAHA read this thread.....of course, once I took the dressing off my implant, I commenced to feeling around the site with my fingers. I came upon the white plastic cap that's on top of the abutment. When I touch the cap, ever so slightly, I can HEAR it in my good ear. HOW COOL IS THAT!!!! 8) Can you tell I'm excited? I hear a "skritchy skritchy" sound. As I mentioned somewhere, I don't think I've had servicable hearing on my left side in a decade. NOW it is going to be hard to wait. Guess I'll have to keep skritching the cap 'til I get the processor. Oh, and lest anyone worry, I really AM hardly touching it!
Tammy
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Tammy -
Congratulations on discovering one of the many amazing parts of the BAHA implant. I discovered this same thing very soon after my surgery and I was SO excited! ;D
It's nice to be able to get a little "feel" for how it will work prior to being able to attach the processor. Once you are able to remove the plastic cap, you'll notice the skritchy skritchy sound even more.
Enjoy!
Jan
Oops! Almost forgot to say, please put your processor date on the AN Calendar so we can remember to check in with you to see how you like it :)
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Tammy,
You are getting skritchy skritchy sounds? Oh that is very cool. 8)
Steve
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I can see Steve's back to his BAHA envy ;)
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I don't know Jan...it kinda sounds like Steve is being facetious, but he wouldn't do that, would he?? ;)
Tam
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Facetious? Steve? No. Me, maybe ;) But usually not on the forum.
Actually with the exception of a comment about Frankenstein long ago, Steve is very impressed with the BAHA and wishes he had one.
Maybe one day - if he's extremely lucky! If that day ever comes, maybe I'll knit him a hat :D
Jan
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Hi Tammy,
Congratulations on your BAHA implant surgery. It sounds like everything went great. It must be fantastic to get a little taste of what it will be like to have your processor. I had a BAHA demo in my doc's office a few weeks ago and last week he let me play with one. He brought a plactic stand that had titanium screw and abutment attached to it and when I snapped the processor on I would feel the plastic vibrate when we were talking -- it was a bone conduction simulation. Wow -- I got a rush of excitement all over again. What an amazing innovation BAHA is!! I can't wait for one of my own. I definitely have BAHA envy!
So very happy for you!!!
Wendy
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How long do you have to wait after translab surgery to get the implant???? I'm VERY interested in getting one. I can't stand this SSD. It drives me crazy.
Lacey
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Lacey,
I waited 3 months, but I suppose the answer is "whenever your head is healed enough". I was actually scheduled to have it implanted at the same time as my translab, but it was backordered, of all things! So far, so good with it. I should get the processor just before Christmas.
I was pretty much SSD before my surgery, so I am used to it, but I AM looking forward to hearing like I haven't in a decade or so. That will be a big change for me.
Best Wishes,
Tammy
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Tammy-
Wahoo for you!! You've now joined the "cool head" crew. And, yes, I, too, have BAHA envy .... However, I am still in pursuit of a TransEar...
Debbi
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But Debbie, the BAHA is so COOL 8) I'm hoping to dangle charms off of it.... ;D
Tam
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Tammy -
That would be quite a fashion statement! And a good use for all those stray earrings missing the other one! Lucky for you, there are plenty of holidays coming up that you can decorate for! ;D
Lori
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But Debbie, the BAHA is so COOL 8) I'm hoping to dangle charms off of it.... ;D
Tam
Sigh, a woman after my own heart...
Steve
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Lacey -
I'm with you - being SSD drove me crazy and I couldn't stand it. I found it very depressing also, which led to my BAHA pursuit.
My doc said I could have the implant surgery "when my head was healed". I don't know if there's a specific number of months that define that, but I think 3 or 4 is generally a good benchmark. I tried the demo 4 months post op and would have had the implant that very same day if I could had. The way it was I had the surgery about 5 1/2 months later since my insurance took their sweet time deciding if they'd cover it or not. Thankfully they decided in my favor - and the rest, as they say, is history.
I haven't tried dangling any charms off of it, yet, though :D
Jan
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I had my 5 month check up at the surgeon's office on Wed. I was able to try out the BAHA for the first time!!! :o It felt soooo good to be able to hear again out of my AN ear. At first, when she talked, I couldn't tell any difference, but she had me plug my good ear....and WOW.....sound!!!!!!!
I know I've read about it since I came to this site....but nothing prepared me for that sound of her voice!!
I have medicare, so they normally approve it. The doctor was going to send in the paperwork to make sure they would.
I'm thinking about it maybe in the spring....and the doctor said it may take awhile to hear from the ins. company.
I was kinda surprised how much the insurance costs for it. Also, my doctor's office will charge $500 for all the visits I have for it, and it being cleaned.
She said I could do it in payments, with no interest, so that will really help.
Just wanted to share with everyone who has a BAHA.......I can see why everyone likes it so much.
Is there anyone on this site, who doesn't like it????
Lacey
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I love my BAHA !
(http://image2.frappr.com/pics5/i/20060224/0/f/1/0f14a0e6477b1aa406415e3ad40652661_large.jpg)
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Lacey -
glad you liked the demo - I was impressed by it also ;D
Insurance does take a little while to approve the surgery and the device - in my case, mine took way too long - so start that process sooner rather than later.
I'm curious about the $500 doctor fee for visits and cleaning ??? Haven't heard that one before - have any other BAHA users on the forum had to pay something like this?
The only payment I made to my doctor was for the actual surgery - since he obviously performed it. My post op visits were free (I think I had two since one was to replace the bandage I accidentally pulled off) and for my 90 day appointment where I got my processor I had a $20 encounter fee that covered both the doc and the audiologist.
I've worn the processor since early June and have never had it "cleaned". Didn't know such a thing was necessary.
You can take out an "insurance policy" from Cochlear, but I never did. Figured I'd take my chances on my device needing repair or replacement and so far I'm not sorry as things have been just fine. I think I have a whole year to decide though, so maybe around April or May I'll rethink my "strategy".
Jan
BTW - Joef, your "racing stripes" always crack me up LOL I never received any stickers with my device :( - I think Cochlear must have stopped doing that.
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I never had to pay anything for visits or cleaning either. That's odd. If I need to see my audiologist, insurance covers the visit and if I need any adjustments or minor repairs, they do that for free - no appointment necessary either.
Any major repairs, the processor would have to be sent out, but the initial one year warranty covers that. Cochlear has an extended insurance policy that you can purchase after that one year, but my audiologist doesn't think it's a very good policy so he recommended just adding the insurance coverage onto my homeowner's insurance policy as a rider. He said it's cheaper and has broader coverage than what Cochlear offers. That's what I plan on doing when my one year runs out next month.
I never got any racing stripes either! >:( Maybe Joef moves faster than us, Jan - like a speedy race car.
Lori
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Joef, thanks for the photo. You don't have to, but could you show a photo of what your head looks like without the BAHA attached? Just curious. Tks.
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Lacey,
I'll chime in with the others and say that I, also, was surprised at the "visits and cleaning" charge for your BAHA -- that seems very odd to me. I'm not even sure what a "cleaning" would entail. Do you recall which model of the BAHA you tried during your demo? I believed you mentioned in another post that you're in your early 60s -- you might want to investigate the Intenso model if your good ear isn't perfect, which tends to be a fact of life as one gets a little older. It's larger than the Divino (but equally unobstrusive when worn) and is more powerful. It also has a range of three settings, the second of which tends to block out some lower-range background noise in noisy situations. I'm finding that setting to be very helpful with holiday gatherings -- doesn't make things "perfect" but it helps a lot. I'm very happy with my BAHA -- I had my implant done at the same time as my AN surgery and have worn the processor since June; it's totally second nature, and I think of it as my "third contact lens" in terms of the daily routine. I hope that your plans progress smoothly!
Catherine (JerseyGirl2)
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I forgot to mention in my first post that my doc's office actually has a loaner program for BAHA devices that are "on the fritz".
I was told that if I ever had to send my device in to Cochlear for repairs, the doc's office would lend me one until mine was fixed.
I can't recall if there is a charge for the loaner or not.
Jan - definitely not as "speedy" as Joef :D
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That is sooo interesting that none of you had to pay the $500 to the audologist/doctor's office. hmmmm........... :'(
I told my husband that, and he had me print out all of your responses. We are DEFINITELY going to discuss that with them. Who knows.....you might have saved us some money!!
Also, Jerseygirl 2, thanks for the tip on looking at the Intenso model. They tried the Divino model on me.....and she could definitely tell that I was not 21!!! ha.
The surgeon did tell me that when I have my MRI, and then my visit with him, they will also check my hearing on my good ear. So, that will help me make the decision.
Wonder, if I got the Intenso model at first......if in, say 5 years, I need the other model, if I could get it without paying a fortune? Or, maybe I could "accidentally" lose it?? ha.
They did give me a copy of the service agreement, and guess what? Above the service plans is a statement in red print: If you receive medicare benefits, a service agreement is not necessary!!!! ;D YAHOO!!! My husband did ask her that question, and she said NO. I might not have gone back and read that, if you guys didn't put these ideas in my head. Thank you so much.
Lori.....your idea of putting it on homeowners insurance might help alot of people out there, who didn't think of that!! The way they push the insurance policy there....you would think she might get a kick-back on it????
Thanks, my friends.
Lacey
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Lacey -
glad we could help :)
The hearing test should shed some light on the device you need. Since the hearing in my "good" ear is perfectly normal at this point in my life, I chose the Divino with the thought that as I age and my hearing possibly starts to decline I could always opt for an Intenso. Thus making the "screw" in my head even more valuable to me 8)
Lori -
forgot to ask about the insurance rider. Is this something that all insurance companies typically do? And does the rider cover repairs as well as replacement? or just replacement?
Thanks,
Jan
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Well, looks like we may have just saved you $500! Guess who's buying the first round at the symposium! ;)
I am still baffled by the whole "cleaning" thing though. The only cleaning mine has needed in a year is just with the little toothbrush they give you - and honestly, I don't think that's even necessary. It's not like we're out mud wrestling with our BAHA's on! At least I'm not - I guess I shouldn't speak for all of you!
Good luck - I'd be interested to see the look on your audiologists face when you present her with this information!
Jan, all insurance companies should offer the rider for the BAHA. They also cover hearing aids. It's similar to adding on a rider for your engagement ring or your original Picasso (because you know, we ALL have one of those). The coverage may vary depending on your policy so you'd have to check into it. It may add on $10 or so to your monthly premium, but the way I see it, I don't see that money anyway, so what's the difference. It should be available on your renter's policy too, for those of you who rent. Since my one year is up next month, I'll be calling very soon to add the rider to my policy, so I'll let you know what I find out and how much it costs. Oh, by the way, I also used to work in insurance for 10 years. I'm a Jane of all trades.
Lori
Lori
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Lori,
How did you guess that I'm a professional mud-wrestler? I'll be on TV next week, for my next match!!! LOL. :o
I will DEFINITELY have to buy you acouple of drinks! It will be in June when I go see them again. I'll let you know what she says!!
Lacey
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Lacey -
will you buy me a couple of drinks, also ??? LOL
Thanks for the info on the insurance rider, Lori, I'll have to check it out. I never knew such a thing existed - but then again I was too busy insuring my Picasso ;D
As far as the cleaning Lacey mentioned, I use my Cochlear toothbrush for my abutment but I'm wondering if she didn't mean cleaning of the device. Although I can't really imagine it needing cleaning. Perhaps it gets dusty or something?
Jan
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I use a regular soft toothbrush to clean my abuttment in the shower. The one that came with it is too soft and I don't feel like I'm doing anything. I use that one to just brush off the part that snaps onto the abuttment. I have a little "flare up" every now and then and need to use the steroid cream on the abuttment site and sometimes some of it gets on the device itself, so I just brush it off.
I don't think my head gets too dusty. Inside of my head, probably, but outside it pretty dust and cobweb free!
Lacey, good luck with your wrestling match next week. I'd tune in but I don't think I get the mud-wrestling channel! :D
Lori
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You know, I've always thought the Cochlear toothbrush was too soft and didn't feel like it was "cleaning" anything, but was afraid to use anything tougher. I figured Cochlear must know what they were doing, but maybe I'm wrong here. My head is still majorly numb on the AN/BAHA side so I didn't want to do any "damage".
Perhaps I should start a thread to take a poll of BAHA users to get their thoughts on their toothbrush.
Sorry for the hijack Lacey - and Tamara.
Jan
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To briefly continue the hijack -- I was told by one of my surgeons not to use the Cochlear toothbrush -- said they had discovered it caused more problems than it was worth, and that shampooing should take care of things. Being obedient, I followed that advice and haven't had any problems. I think I put a little Neosporin on the abutment area once (very early on in the process), but that's been it. From time to time I've had a little "stuff" around the abutment (I think this oozing of crud, for lack of a better description, and with apologies to non-BAHA users, is normal and can be expected to continue for a year or more), but it comes off with shampooing. I haven't had anything get on the processor itself, so I've never had to brush it off.
And, Jan, the AN side of my head is also still numb -- I would describe the affected area as about a palm's width out from the abutment (i.e., if I cover the abutment with the center of my hand, the entire area under my hand is still numb). The numb area has slowly decreased over time -- at first it was literally the whole AN side of my head, from the top down to and including my ear. The ear itself is no longer numb, which is nice.
Catherine (JerseyGirl2)
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-- I was told by one of my surgeons not to use the Cochlear toothbrush -- said they had discovered it caused more problems than it was worth, and that shampooing should take care of things. Being obedient, I followed that advice and haven't had any problems.
really ?? I dont brush mine very much .... mainly when I've had a long day fishing or working in the yard and I'm very dirty... I dont want any dirt to get jamed in next to the abutment...
I dont think they give users the stickers anymore.. and they were for kids (LOL) anyway .... that picture was just a few weeks after I first got the BAHA .. the hair has filled in a little better... I will take another picture...
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I'm guessing that the surgeon felt that people tended to brush the area too vigorously and that skin irritation resulted. But my comment was intended to explain why I personally don't use the brush -- I'm definitely not trying to influence others to change their practice if things they're doing are going well!
Catherine (JerseyGirl2)
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My neurotologist never mentioned the toothbrush to me prior to my BAHA surgery - or after it, come to think of it. He always told me I could just clean the "screw" in my skull with a washcloth when I showered.
Lori initially told me about the toothbrush (and the Dawn) and I purchased a baby toothbrush that worked quite nicely after my implant. When I got my device I received the Cochlear toothbrush in my "gift package" and started to use it. I've always found it very soft and I've never been sure it was actually cleaning anything, but I thought perhaps my baby toothbrush was too abrasive, so I never went back to it.
I haven't had any "crust" or iinfection so I guess I'm doing something right.
My numbness sounds like it's in the same exact area as yours, Catherine. Thankfully I've been able to feel my ear for a while now; I used to find the numbness so freaky :P The skull numbness doesn't bother me as much, but I'm surprised it's lasted as long as it has. Maybe because it wasn't fully recovered from the AN surgery, and then I had BAHA surgery on top of that ???
Joef, even though the stickers were made for kids, I'd still like some :)
Jan - just a big kid at heart
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Jan,
Of course I will buy you some drinks. ;D You were the first to mention it to me.....so if I don't have to pay the $500, I might have to buy you a case of drinks! ha.
The one thing the doctor told me when I talked to him about the BAHA, is that the area they place the BAHA will be forever numb. :o
Sorry we hijacked this.......but it was very interesting, and I'm sure alot of people who read it learned alot.....about insurance.....and cleaning.....and crud!!! ha.
Lacey
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Hi Lacey, Jan, Lori and Josef,!
I haven't visited this thread in a while and can see I've been missing all the fun! I have to say I'm finding all this information about caring for your abutment and BAHA very interesting. Thanks to my daughters, I am literally doing a countdown to the day of my BAHA surgery (they remind me almost every day ; -- 27 days and counting ;D)
Lori -- I just had the same thought about homeowner's insurance covering the BAHA yesterday and asked my doc about it. He thought that would work and sounded like a great idea. Now that I know you've already done it, I really have to look into it. Did they charge you extra for a rider or just put the BAHA on your policy? Also, does it just cover loss or also repairs? I just wanted to get an idea so that when I approach my insurance company, I have some information to back me up.
Josef -- Love the racing stripes!! ;D
Best wishes,
Wendy
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Lacey,
If your doctor is correct in saying that the area around the BAHA implant will always be numb -- and that certainly seems reasonable -- I don't think it's that big a deal. I've gotten used to the numbness over time and don't really think about it that much. The advantages of the BAHA greatly outweigh any of the side effects!!!
Catherine (JerseyGirl2)
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HI Lacey,
My doc told me the same thing about the area around the abutment remaining numb. I have to agree with Catherine that the benefits of having a BAHA far outway the numbness issue.
Catherine -- Sorry I missed sayng "Hi" to you too in my last post.
If I make it to the symposium, and I'm hoping that will happen, it should be very interesting and a lot of fun too.
Wendy
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Wendy,
I haven't added mine onto my homeowners yet since my one year warranty doesn't run out until the end of January, but I'll definitely let everyone know what I find out and about how much extra it will cost. I'm sure it will be pretty inexpensive.
When I went back to my surgeon for my post op BAHA check up and to have the healing cap taken off, he said to go ahead and scrub it good. My husband suggested that I use the wire brush he uses to clean the gas grill in the back yard. My doctor said "Well, actually...a toothbrush is a good idea". Which was a relief, because I thought he was going to agree with James about the wire brush! :o I guess I'm thick-skinned as well as thick-headed because I haven't done any damage to myself yet. I just think it's funny that each doctor has a different opinion about these things. I guess that makes those of us who actually have the BAHA the real experts because somehow we figure out what works for us.
Lori