Recovery – Day 10 Post-Op & Scar
Yesterday, C only stayed in bed for 2 hrs before her dizziness subsided to the point where she could stand up and walk about the house. This morning, all the dizziness was gone and she was good to go from sunrise onward. 
I took a 1/2 day off work and we drove C to UNC Hospital for our post-op appointment. We waited a good 3hrs to see the Dr. for 6 minutes. His resident removed the surgical tape from behind the ear using some kind of anti-adhesive ampule. The scar was concealed behind the ear, but it the tissue was very raised and it was traced in dry blood. Apparently, we can remove the dried blood from the scar with hydrogen peroxide. Wow, what a long scar. Later, the surgeon joined us and said that everything looked fine and that we could wash C’s hair with a mild baby shampoo anytime. Looking inside her implanted ear, he commented that things looked better than expected in that our daughter did not have a blood clot behind her eardrum, which apparently is typical for CI surgery. His only word of caution was that C was not to participate in high energy activities, within reason, for another 3 weeks. Even though her CSF gusher during surgery had been packed very well, he wanted to make sure that C formed some good scar tissue to decrease the chances of spinal fluid leakage.
I reviewed the engraving on C’s MedAlert bracelet with him, and he said that everything sounded fine. On our way out the door, I had the chance to speak with our surgeon’s head nurse who told me, “Your daughter speaks very well with the hearing aids, but once they get the implant turned on an she gets used to it, her speaking will sound as pretty as can be….”
"Hi. I'm Carina. What's your name?"
That's usually the first thing you hear when C-Note sees you. Her favorite past times are meeting new friends, hosting real and imaginary parties, and drawing pictures of everyone and everything, yourself included.
As C-Note's father, I stand in complete amazement of this young lady, who God has chosen to complete our family. As an adopted child with a hearing impairment, she experiences levels of joy that surpasses many who do not face similar challenges. A spunky kind of girl, she has also been affectionately nicknamed Wiggly, Jumping Jelly Bean, Wii Girl, and of course, our precious C-Note.
I’ve waited two hours but I don’t think three… 6 minutes is par for the course though.
Hi Sara,
For this reason, we never go to the hospital without a fully charged iPOD and plenty of Cheez-Its. Anything less would not get us past the main lobby.
D. Aquilo.