Boystown

Hi Meghan,
The evaluations would need to be set up at Boys Town. We should be able to
schedule everything in one day. It is a full day of evaluations that are
scheduled. We can schedule your CT scan to be completed locally, and then
the results can be sent to Dr. Harker for review. We have other patients
from Wyoming, so that is not a problem.

Keep in mind that getting a cochlear implant is more than just the surgery.
It typically involves approximately 8-10 visits to the implant center during
the first year and at least once annually for the rest of your life, as long
as you are using the device. Below is the typical follow-up schedule to give
you a better idea of the follow-up required.

Trip 1: Pre-Implant Evaluation
Trip 2: Surgery (Involves 3-4 day stay in Omaha; overnight stay in
hospital)
Trip 3: Activation (1 month later; 2 day stay in Omaha) Cochlear implant
activation (2-2 hour appointments on consecutive days),
x-rays, follow-up exam by doctor
Trip 4: (1 month post-activation) programming and physician visit
Trip 5: (3 month post-activation) programming
Trip 6: (6 month post-activation) programming
Trip 7: (9 month post-activation) programming
Trip 8: (1 year post-activation) programming
At least annually thereafter

Frequent follow-up during the first year, especially during the first 6
months is very important to make sure that stimulation levels are adjusted to
optimize implant performance.

As far as your questions regarding right ear versus left ear. Audiological
candidacy is severe to profound hearing loss or poorer in both ears. Based
on that, it sounds like you qualify. We will perform speech perception
testing at your visit to make sure that you fall within the candidacy
criteria for implantation. Of patients who have enough residual hearing to
use a hearing aid in one ear, they usually continue to do so after
implantation. Usually ear choice is up to the patient unless there are
anatomical anomalies that would cause a complication with electrode
insertion. In that situation, the physician would let you know why one ear
is preferred over the other. Most of the time, it is the patient's
preference.

After testing and evaluation, we will be able to better answer these
questions as they specifically relate to your situation. There are always
factors that have to be considered based on each individual who is seeking
implantation. Sometimes patients do not always meet all of the candidacy
criteria, but are judged to be good candidates based on other factors. We
assess each person on an individual basis.



DUDE! that's a lot of stuff to do in a year.. Meh I knew it'd take a while for everything to happen in the whole cochlear implant process... that's a lot of traveling to Boys Town if I do all this within the next year!

and I'm a SENIOR in high school in the fall! GAH! I don't wanna miss much school due to this.. and I'm sure my mom can't afford to take much time off from work just to drive me to Boys Town and what not.

Maybe we should wait until AFTER I graduate and we both move to Nebraska... or at least wait until after I graduate to get going with the whole CI process... WOW!

But I still can't wait either!!!!!