Oh, the suspense!

Peter is back to himself. It has been just under two weeks since the surgery. Antibiotics are done. Pain meds haven't been needed for a while now, and today we finally took the steri-strips off that were covering the incision. I don't think it looks too bad, but he does have a raised area where the internal device is under his scalp.  (The last picture shows that- and only that, as my boy did NOT want to pose). As he grows that bump should be less distinct.

Now we are just preparing for activation. There are loads of YouTube videos of people (babies, kids, and adults) having their cochlear implants turned on for the first time. But that moment of joy, or fright, is just the beginning. We have a long road to teach Peter how to listen, and how to get the most out of what he will be able to hear.

I printed out the first week of the Sound Foundation activities, which are designed to be used from the very first week of activation.
http://hope.cochlearamericas.com/sites/default/files/sound_foundation/SF_Week1.pdf
I went to the library and checked out the book recommended for one of the exercises. I gathered up various toys for both the "learning to listen sounds" (http://www.listen-up.org/dnload/listen.pdf) and the Ling-6 sounds (the Ling sounds cover the different frequencies of speech, and, among other things, are used to test the equipment every morning). I think we are covered for all the transportation-type toys, but when I went to get animals, the girls informed me that the cats and dogs were all their favorites, and I couldn't take them. I did find a bath toy dog that will work, but I am still looking for a toy cat that will work. I need a cat for the Sound Foundation Week 1 song, too, so I better keep looking :)

I also visited the hearing aid audiologist on Friday, and she took the hearing aid that went through the washing machine. It is still under warranty, so she said we might as well get it checked out and repaired if necessary. She was very understanding...guess it happens more often than I thought.

Next week we have another Post-Op, and then the week after that is activation!!!  I can't wait!

At a play Peter was obsessed with the firefly costumes- he signed LIGHT so many times!