The surgery... The journey to getting a Cochlear Implant by Eleanor

So, the surgery went well! It was a rather surreal experience, as if I was simply going on an adventure than having a operation. It was easier to think like that, otherwise I may have been rather more scared and anxious about the whole thing.

 I was wheeled into surgery by the nurse and porter, and I remember the porter asking me if I liked being called Ellie or Eleanor, to which he responded something about his daughter or granddaughter being called Ellie and he had large tattoos on both arms reflecting that. I remember thinking, why am I going into surgery if I can hear this conversation - maybe it's all a joke and I can actually hear perfectly fine?

Then someone gave me an injection and took my glasses off, and the next thing I knew I was being woken up from a really nice dream. Now I don't remember the dream but I do know it was a really good one because I was so annoyed at being woken up. In fact I was so confused at having been woken up, that I was sure this was the dream - waking up in a hospital bed with a sore throat and limbs that did not want to cooperate - not even to get my glasses on so I could actually see what I was seeing. Luckily, this disorientated feeling didn't last long, and I soon remembered why I was there. Although the wound didn't hurt, I knew something had been done to the right side of my head (they did the right side, phew) as it felt numb and rather sticky. It also took a while to put my glasses on as the nurse put some gaze to protect the wound from the glasses arm. This has now been taken off as I'm determined to avoid any kind of infection or anything that would require a repeat performance.

 A little while after I came too, the nurse who had wheeled me into surgery came back and asked if I was feeling OK. It was really hard to speak as my throat hurt so much but I was able to squeak out a yes, and was wheeled back to the ward. Mum was waiting for me back in the private room (with an ensuite, check it out!) which was really nice. I'd definitely recommend taking someone with you, there's a bit of a wait before and after and generally just having someone around just feels really nice :). Once I was back on the ward, it was just a matter of sleeping, attempting to get up for the toilet and also eating. The consultant came through a little while after and asked to look at the wound. He said it looked good, surgery went well and if I could eat a little then he saw no reason why I couldn't go home that evening. I was really happy about that as I hadn't really wanted to stay overnight in a strange place feeling groggy and unwell. So when the sandwiches came I tried my very best to eat, although I really wasn't hungry yet (odd for me considering I'd not eaten since 7.30am that morning and it was now getting on for 7pm).

 A few hours later and I was allowed to go home! I was so relieved and so grateful to my mum for hanging on till I was able to leave. In fact I was just grateful for her being there the whole time. She really is the best mum in the world.

  After mum brought me back to hers, I slept and slept and slept. By the next evening I started to feel a lot better, just with a bit of a sore ear. Today, 3 days on, I'm feeling pretty good. I got given paracetamol and ibuprofen to manage the pain and although its sore sometimes, I'm really impressed with how little it has hurt.

 I have another week off in order to heal and recover and also hide away whilst I am unable to wash my hair (it's already looking pretty frightful) and then the week after I have a post-op checkup to check the implant is in place, most likely an xray will be taken. Hopefully then I will get a date for the switch on, hoping it'll be sooner rather than later, I'm excited to start my new hearing journey.

Watch out world, I'm coming.