Reasonable Expectations
Eisenhower and Buchanan told Tammy that people getting implants have to have high hopes but realistic expectations. The first time an implant is turned on, it may not sound pleasant. Tammy knew from her reading of web stories that everyone has a different experience with a new implant. Said Tammy, "Some people walk away from initial hook-up hearing a lot and some walk away hearing not as much on the first day." Eisenhower said it could take anywhere from the first day of turn-on, to a few months after turn-on, to hear sounds. This is because it takes time to adjust to the sounds, and for the brain to become accustomed to processing the sound.Eisenhower and Buchanan said Tammy was a good candidate in part because of her prior experience in hearing, and they could be confident she would be willing to put in the hard work necessary to maxmize the benefit from an implant. If necessary, they would help her to get in touch with someone closer to home for the rehabilitation therapy.
However, one concern that Tammy's husband had was possible limited communication in between surgery and hook-up, a three to six week period when hearing aid use would not be possible, if the hearing aid ear was the one implanted. It could be very stressful because although Tammy signs, her husband and child do not know as much sign. In addition, Tammy gets frustrated without a hearing aid. Declared Tammy, "After using my hearing aid for 12- 15 years straight and barely ever taking it off unless I had ear pain, couldn't wear it or when it died on me - not to use a hearing aid for 3- 4 weeks would be considerably hard for me." In response, Eisenhower and Buchanan offered to connect them with support people for this period of time.
Of course, like any surgery, there would be some risks. There would be risk of infection, and risk of the body rejecting the implant material. Shao said an implant could be removed, but the replacement implant might not work as well. If the implant did not work, Tammy would not be able to use a hearing aid again and would be totally deaf for the rest of her life. Shao emphasized the risks were very small and he did not foresee any problems for Tammy if she had the surgery. Tammy has already decided that the possibility of being able to hear the way she wants to hear, are worth the risks involved.
Last Step..the CAT Scan
The last thing to do was to get the CAT scan done, which took all of fifteen minutes. As stated earlier, the CAT scan would be a crucial factor in the implant team's decision. Buchanan gave Tammy paperwork to fill out so that the implant companies could help with getting insurance coverage for the surgery. Both companies have people whose jobs are to help implant candidates with insurance challenges.Back Home
Leaving Boston at 2:00 pm, Tammy and her husband arrived back home at 6:00 pm. Long day for both of them. If she is accepted (which will be known soon), Tammy will be given a surgery date and will have to decide which ear to implant, and which cochlear implant brand to go with.Update: The CAT scan revealed a complicating condition.
