Thursday, February 2, 2012

Unilateral or Bilateral?

So I've been reading a lot on cochlear implants. I've been trying to decide whether or not I should just suck it up and go bilateral right off the bat and be deaf for 4+ weeks (4 weeks to activation from surgery, then however long it takes for me to start comprehending speech). I'm only thinking of this for insurance purposes. I'm finding that Medicare is pretty strict on those that request bilateral after they've already been implanted with the initial implant. Some get lucky and are approved, others not so lucky and end up having to go through the appeals process. The more I read, the more I keep thinking I really don't want to be 'denied' to have to fight to get what I want. Although, I'm sure being diligent in the appeals process, I would eventually get the approval.

My original plan was to just implant my weak ear, so that during the 4+ weeks, I at least have the capability of still hearing with my hearing aid in the good ear. Can you just imagine, complete deaf silence for 4+ weeks?! I'm not sure mentally I could handle it. Yes I can lip read extremely well, but to explain to my 5 year old that I can no longer hear him and try to lip read him would be very difficult! Heck would be difficult with my husband too because I've always had a hard time lip reading him as well. My 2 year old, she doesn't talk yet, but by the time I get this surgery done, she could be. And I would hope she would not decide to start talking while I'm completely silent.

I do know one thing for certain, I am anxiously waiting my appointment to meet the surgeon in a couple weeks! I will talk to him about my thoughts for unilateral vs. bilateral then. Perhaps he can give me some enlightment and I can feel better about my decision of what I'm going to do. Meanwhile, time just is NOT getting here fast enough. I want to get things rolling and I'm sure its going to be about a 4-6 month wait for surgery. I think that waiting is going to be the hardest part for me. Lord, please grant me the patience for this!!! I'm finally getting feedback from people that have gotten the Neptune and reading their updates, I'm feeling like 'I WANT MY NEPTUNE NOW!'. I definitely am not trying to hurry my life on by, this is just something I want so badly to be able to hear better someday, that its already becoming to feel like a lifetime before anything happens.

I'll write another blog post later about what I'm looking forward to getting a cochlear implant. Hopefully what I'm looking forward to is not out of the norm for expectations. I will have to make sure I work hard to achieve the goals I want to come from my cochlear implant.

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