I am still waiting to get a surgery date for Peter's first CI, but Tuesday we ordered the device and accessories! We decided to go with Advanced Bionics, and we will be getting the Neptune to start off with, and the next generation BTE (Behind the Ear) processor when they are available. We knew we liked AB because of the ability to upgrade the software for a while without maxing out the internal devices' capabilities, and a lot of their technology. AB recently came out with a smaller BTE device, too, so that is just icing on the cake. All of the companies are good, and you will read good things about all of them, because CI 's are a modern day miracle to a lot of people, and whatever device a person chooses gives that person amazing things.
We chose AB despite the larger BTE (at the time), despite the lack of handy dandy remote, and now their next gen BTE will be smaller AND have a remote, AND they have a waterproof device! So I ordered Peter processer covers in blue and red and beige, and various cable lengths....Trying to measure a fast-crawling baby and imagine how long of a cable he will need to connect his head to a device...and then projecting those measurements through the next five years (which is how long most insurance companies say an external device should last)...my head was kind of spinning, but we can always exchange cables, and colors were easy decisions ;).
The CI audiologist, Dr. M., said some people fuss and take forever to decide about chrome or brushed nickel, what color wire, what color headpiece...I figured that we might as well go bold. I chose blue, and red as some of the colors, with beige as our "blend in" color. We got to choose one waterproof color, and 2 regular colors. Then we had to choose wire colors, and whether we wanted a band, a pouch, a headband, a swim cap, a harness, and on and on...there was a limit to the number of items, of course! I can't imagine using one of my choices to choose a swim cap that just had "AB" printed on it! Peter, I love you, and I hope when you are five that you still like having blue and red CI's!
So Dr. M. said she would suggest April as a surgery date, and that three weeks post-op was the "stim date". I said that I'd be so happy if Peter could have his surgery April 1, and be activated April 21, the day after his first birthday! But I know that might not happen. Kaiser considers CI surgeries "elective", so they are lower down on the scheduling priority. I hope I get a scheduling call tomorrow, or I will take Dr. K (ENT) up on her request to email her directly. I also asked Dr. M. how long the procedures were, and she said four hours, for one ear!!! She then said that was including prep and recovery, and doing a very careful, cautious surgery. Ok. I guess I can go along with the careful part. Bur after hearing that the CI surgeries for the McBrides took one hour (!) four hours seems so long!
And that was it. I had to drive to this appointment, stress out about making it back to teach French in time, all to fill out an order form. I could have done that online, or at least the preferences, and submitted measurements. It was nice to see Dr. M. again, but I could have used that couple hours of my life for a lot of things! Dr. M. called afterwards to ask if I had an ear preference. I guess they successfully steered me to sequential surgeries, and I didn't object...
Random stuff- Peter is still toothless at 9 1/2 months! But he is pulling up on everything and has even balanced on his own for a few seconds :). He has moved from one pulled-up spot to another, but only one step so far. I know cruising and walking will come soon enough. The cutest thing? When I sign NO (first two fingers snapping down on the thumb) Peter looks at me, shakes his head "no", then smiles and/or laughs! (This is a common occurrence when he tries to: eat plants, climb stairs, eat paper,climb down stairs, eat ....you get the picture!) He also shakes his head when Daddy is going to take him! OMG, I love this kid! But Trouble might become his middle name ;)!
http://youtu.be/fhW2R5yHPbk
Peter sounds like so much fun! We are having a bit of some trouble with "No!" as Butters grins and goes right back to the task that he got into trouble over. I am conflicted over getting rid of my plants. I am a huge plant person (think about Christopher Walken's skit on SNL about his plants with the googly eyes) One of my palms in the living room has been reduced to two sticks, one green, the other brown, due to constant pulling from Butters. I think you will love AB. If Butters did not have the Mondini's we probably would have chosen them as well, mostly because of the waterproof device!
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