It has been one week and four days since my second CI surgery. I have one week's growth of new hair where I had hair shaved away from my right ear. The stitches itch like crazy. The new hair coming in itches like crazy. I can now look down without getting woozy. I can squat down using just my knees and keeping my back straight without getting woozy.
My rib cage and my stomach muscles have stopped being sore from the coughing in the recovery room. Those muscles initially hurt more than my newly-implanted ear. For several days I had to wiggle my body to the middle of the bed and then lay back on the upraised pillows because it absolutely hurt to even try to roll over. The nose wiping is getting old after just a week and four days. I have to make a conscious effort not to blow my nose.
Because we have had such a warm winter and things are starting to bloom, the pollen has been up a tad. I have sneezed - not constantly, but the thing is, in order to not create ear pressure, I have to sneeze with my mouth open.
The same goes for coughing. It is a bad idea to be around people, especially sneezing or coughing with my mouth open. As long as I stay inside, the asthma doesn't seem to flare up. I do not miss the secondhand smoke exposure when I am exiting the subway, when I am walking the six blocks to work, or entering and exiting my building. I don't miss the air pollution at all.
I desperately want to scratch my head, ear, and new hair growth. I think the biggest issue is my dry skin - especially when it is winter is why I have such a desire to scratch an itch. My right hand where the IV was inserted is still tender and a vein is still swollen. Here's the irony: I have a blood condition where I have too much iron, requiring me to undergo a therapeutic phlebotomy every three months. The phlebotomists always ask if I brought my veins with me when I undergo that procedure as I have a tendency to have the tubing just clot up. Well, when I was in the recovery room post CI surgery, after the nurse removed the IV, I kept bleeding like a stuck pig, so she applied pressure and SQUEEZED. That's why my right hand is black and blue and that one vein is still tender and swollen. Why couldn't I bleed like a stuck pig at the last phlebotomy, then I would have dumped a full pint of blood in order to lower my iron levels?? At least I wasn't anemic when I went into surgery.
My body clock is definitely confused. I haven't had to get up at 4:30 AM in thirteen days. It is going to be even more confused after 2AM when we switch to Daylight Savings Time. I am by nature a night owl. I do not like getting up early. I never have. I still have an intolerance to cold, but it is definitely not a reaction to the anesthesia. I think it is because I have always hated being cold, even as a young child. I also do not like winter. We have had a very mild winter and few really cold days. I have been pretty spoiled this winter.
I have finished antibiotics. I take Advil during the day if I need it and the pain meds at night as I tend to get uncomfortable sleeping on my back. Two more weeks of sleeping on my back and I can resume being a side sleeper again. I have to make an effort to keep sleeping on my back, so I have had periods of waking up and wanting to sleep on my side and remembering that I can't do that just yet.
I still am having Hearing Dreams- just generally dreams about what kind of things I hope to hear when I finally hear surround sound. I look forward to hearing the sounds of Spring with both ears. 15 days until Activation Day.
My world is definitely about to get noisier.
Hearing is such a gift.
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