Stapedotomy/stepedectomy experiences

Hearing Loss
#21

Thank you!

Was not bad at all…had a tiny bit of vertigo for two days (don’t pick someone up off the floor without looking up)…Anesthesia and Prednisone (five days, made me jumpy) messed with me a little too…

Packing is still in my ear so no outside sounds…but I can hear myself talking in my right ear and it’s really loud…I couldn’t hear with that ear at all before

…and I have a new titanium stape…that comes with a warranty! LOL

Can’t thank you enough. I read all of your posts on your surgery. You gave me the encouragement to get this done.

I found an excellent ENT/Surgeon in Miami…

Oh, one more thing, Medicare paid for 80%…I got Plan F…and Plan F paid the rest…it cost me nothing

Thanks again

#22

I’m so glad Medicare and Plan F came through for you. It’s been such a relief to me to have hearing in my formerly deaf ear, and I think you were much more inconvenienced than me. My deaf side was on my left, so as long as I could make people sit on my right I could get by. But it sounds like you do a lot of driving with a passenger on your deaf side, and that would be endlessly frustrating. Do they expect to do the other side later? Please keep us updated – I’m eager to hear how much hearing you regain.

#23

Absolutely, scheduled to do the left ear in 2 months…the end of October/first of November

…off and running to Miami to get the packing out today

#24

Everything went great…was in and out in about 30 mins

I could hear nothing in my right ear before…now I hear dishing clanging, car doors shutting…and can tell when someone is talking…can’t make out words too well yet

…but they told me it would get a whole lot better in a few months!

#25

Squerly, congratulations! That’s fantastic. My hearing in the operated ear was sort of distorted the first few months. It improved a lot, very gradually.

#26

Had a long talk with my ENT/surgeon this afternoon. He called to see how I was doing.

I described what I can hear…he said that is great news, getting the high’s already

Told me to not worry about hearing speech right now at all. He put a huge glob of packing behind my eardrum. It’s to hold the eardrum and absorb some of the blood and liquid. That’s what is making the clicking noises and why I can’t hear so good right now. I’m not supposed to hear anything until it dissolves, which takes about 3-5 weeks usually.

…and that big glob of packing is also why I feel like I have a very slight ear ache

He’s funny and I like him, he was excited that I can hear dishes and car doors!

…We’re going to schedule the left ear as soon as I can…probably in a couple of months

#27

I’m glad he told you about the packing. That certainly makes sense of what you’re experiencing right now. Wow - it’s like waiting for birthday presents, isn’t it? Five weeks from now you may the rhapsodizing over the sounds mosquitoes make!

#28

you know…I wouldn’t have believed it…listen to this

Coming home in the car today, a friend was on the phone.
I could hear him!..and could even make out a few words
He’s not a loud talker at all…

…and Daisy, that’s my bad ear. I haven’t been able to hear anything with that ear in years

#29

you know…

One of these days they need to perfect this surgery…and have it come with a volume control!

Next door neighbor’s dog woke me up this morning…barking…I never knew the dog barked!

…and I’m still a long way from healing

#30

The too much noise is a complaint that many new hearing aid users have. Your mind should adapt – unless it is a really annoying bark like my next door mutt. :slight_smile:

#31

LOL…it’s not really too much noise Ken…I’m just used to not hearing anything
…it was like off in the distance…but actually hearing something did it
Confused me at first until I figured out what it was…

#32

I’m sure you must be thrilled. It appears your bad ear is already your good ear. And that with swelling and packing still present. I can’t wait to here your future progress.

#33

shhhhh…yes I am, but let’s don’t jinx it :wink: going from nothing, to having the neighbors dog wake me up…honestly, I’m getting a kick out of hearing things…the caught me at the front door today opening and closing it…cause I could hear it squeek!! LOL

I’m pretty sure now that what we were trying to do…my AUD, the Rep from Phonak, all of us…was trying to make a hearing aid loud enough that it was a bone conduction hearing aid.

#34

Well it’s been almost a month…
I’m hearing more and more every day. Heard the starlings in the yard yesterday for the first time, and heard the water in the shower today for the first time.
I can almost make out conversations now…If…you…talk…and…pronounce…each… word…I can understand everything someone says.
Right now, my guess would be that I’m not going to need a hearing aid in that ear…we’ll see

#35

Wow. Just wow!

#36

I’m wowed too! LOL

Problem I’m having now is when people try to talk to me in my left ear (bad ear)…the right ear is hearing it really loud, but it’s still distorted
So loud I can’t make out what they are saying.

#37

Well that was unusual…
Went for my one month check up at the hosp this week.
First thing they did was a AUD gave me a hearing test.
Next thing into an examining room to meet with my Dr.

I couldn’t hear him went I went into the room.
He climbed in my ear again, took a tiny pair of forceps…and pulled out a huge glob of packing
…all of a sudden I could hear him!

…have an appointment with another AUD in two weeks to test again

#38

So did you get new numbers?

#39

Sounds like every two weeks opens a new adventure!

#40

Yep, but I’m not paying any attention to them. I could hear a lot better after he removed the packing.
Let’s see what my next test shows, without the packing.

…He did tell me my bad ear is my good ear now, but I already knew that!