We are home. Garry’s surgery went very well. All the pieces are in place. Owen and I got to see the x-rays and you see the tiny coil that will send sound to his brain and the magnets that will keep the apparatus on his head.
Garry in hospital, not quite out of anesthesia yet, but getting there. From Owen’s iPhone.
He has a BIG cup of coffee, which he needed, took a bunch of ibuprofen for a headache. I fed him yogurt and fresh fruit and he’s watching a baseball game.
He is tired. I am tired. Owen is tired. But it happened. Two weeks to finish healing, then another couple of weeks for the healing to really finish healing, at which point all the technology gets put in place.
Thank you to everyone for caring. This really IS magic.
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Categories: #Health, Cochlear implant, Garry Armstrong, Hearing, UMass Memorial
FIRST DAY: ACTIVATING THE COCHLEAR IMPLANT – Garry Armstrong 
SERENDIPITY - SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
This is good news to hear… no pun intended!
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so so soglad…. Was thinking of you both and am thrilled to see G smiley dopey and happy after the op. Thank you for letting us know. ALL THE BEST
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This is a day that has been long coming I’m sure. So thrilled it went well and can’t wait to hear (yes, hear) about his progress. How wonderful technology is. Gorman just got new hearing aids a couple weeks ago and they are magical! He can even answer his phone with them through blue tooth and he can listen to music and the TV the same way! The best part is we don’t have to go deaf listening to TV and music with him now. LOLOL All of you rest up and tell him I’m thinking about him and praying all continues to go well. Hugsxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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My husband is hearing things in his implanted ear. My Bluetooth speaker, for one. So he will also be able to hear the new iPhone 10s, but he won’t be able to answer them. Oh may!
He’s trying to catch up with his email, but he’s still more than a bit loopy from anesthesia, so I’m not sure when he will get around to what, but we all thank you 😀
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Glad it all went well.
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It went very well. And maybe a little too well. When I turned on my Bluetooth speaker last night, it went into search mode and hooked up with Garry’s implant, so now I have to use headphones or Garry can hear my book — in his right ear, or what was his right ear. Apparently, he will also be able to hear all the iPhone 10 signals, too. Ain’t life grand?
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Yay!!!!!! ❤
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Really. He’s still really confused from the anesthesia so we are having some VERY strange conversations.
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That stuff lingers, too. It took me almost 6 weeks to know it was really gone! I hope you’re recording them… I just cried a lot. ❤
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One minute he’s kissing me because I’m such a big help and then he’s yelling at me because he can’t find his antibiotics which he put in the wrong bag. I don’t think he knows exactly what he’s doing and he only remembers the day in pieces … and not in orderly pieces. He remembers getting up, dressed, showered. Changing his hearing aid batteries. But not when he did which thing … and he doesn’t remember getting to the hospital or basically anything until several hours after surgery — around 3 in the afternoon. As I said, loopy. He’ll get over it, but I think it’s going to take a while. My main concern is he has a list of “do not do this” stuff and he forgets what’s on the page. I’m tired, so regardless, time for me to hit the sack. Everything will be better, by and by.
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That’s exactly what it’s like. I still have a little residue. My PT says it takes six months for us older folks to get the anesthesia completely out of our system and it does affect our moods. It’s tiring for the carer, that’s for sure.
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Well, he’s not regular Garry. He’s mumbling (he can’t hear himself in his inner ear because one is missing) AND my Bluetooth speaker went into search mode and found Garry’s implanted coil, so if I listen to a book on my Kindle with Bluetooth speaker, he can hear it. In his head. I didn’t know that was possible, but he really CAN hear it so not only is he mumbling and has no sense of balance, but he’s hearing Bluetooth. Worse, the newest iPhones are INTENDED to link to implanted cochlear coils … so out on the street, it could get very strange.
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Wow. Hopefully when the whole thing is assembled and programed those things will go away. BTW, an example of my brain not being right even after 10 weeks, I left the garage door open last night. I DO NOT EVER DO THAT. This has required hyper-vigilance.
My iPhone asks my permission to link to any Bluetooth device, so hopefully that’s true of newer versions. It finds them, but won’t hook up unless I tell it to.
P.S. I think I have really stopped writing a blog.
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Great news! So happy for both of you. I hope you can relax and take it easy now. Lookin’ good, Garry!
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It’s going to take a while, but I’ll get there. Garry is still pretty loopy. It takes him a solid 24 hours to finally remember anything coherently.
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Thanks for the up date, Marilyn, and a speedy recovery to move onto stage two.
That’s really exciting.
Leslie
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He’s pretty peppy for a guy just out of surgery!
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I think he’s looking forward to all the new experiences….
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Great news. Here’s to Garry feeling better as each day passes and improved hearing soon.
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He must be feeling better because I can’t keep him sitting down. He keeps looking worriedly at me. I didn’t think I looked THAT bad, but I’m pretty tired. Hospitals are the most inconvenient places in the world. Endless twisting hallways and everything is in another building. I’m just beat. HE’S downright perky.
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Good news
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It IS good news. Now if I can just keep him from doing something stupid while he heals!
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So happy all went well. What an opportunity to reclaim a portion of his life back.
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And opportunity for me too, I think 😀
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WONDERFUL! I am so glad. Please give him my very best regards.
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I just have to keep him from decided to haul heavy objects or do calisthenics until after he’s finished healing. Otherwise, though, the news IS very good. Everything went exactly as it was supposed to, so as soon as healing is done, it’s time for technology!
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Good news all around. Hopefully he’ll be hearing all of the things he’s missed over the years very soon. Too bad. Trump’s voice has to be one of those things he’ll have to hear.
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Owen and I got to watch a lot of CNN news in the waiting room today. YE gods, what a mess! I’m trying to remind myself that we’ve been messy before and found our way out of it. I just hope this is one of those times.
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I hope so, too, but as each day goes by, I become less and less optimistic and my hope is waning.
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Well, accepting doom probably won’t make you feel better. And you know, a lot of people are fine. There’s a lot of individual “niceness” going around. Maybe it won’t save the world. But then again, maybe it will.
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Another big step. Hooray and continued best healing wishes. This is amazing medical progress.
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what I meant by amazing progress–theory that becomes more or less routine procedures during my relatively short professional lifespan. Utter fantasy not so long ago.
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Even now, it barely seems possible. And this from a woman with two replaced heart valves and a pacemaker, not to mention to replaced breasts. This is somehow more amazing because it replaces human parts with electronic/technology. Very Borg.
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It is such a different kind of replacement/technology. Getting fairly bionic in your household.
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I’ve got 6 replacement parts and now, Garry’s got three. If they keep replacing parts, we could live forever.
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I’m so glad it went well. Now you all need a good rest.
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He’s getting more active as I sit here. Me? I’m ready to collapse. He’s perking up. This is GOOD news.
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Well done, Garry. Well done, you. Wishing you both a full recovery. Exciting times ahead.
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Glad it went well! Here’s to a speedy recovery.
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He recovers fast. I need to keep him from overdoing it. He’s a bit of an exercise junkie and this time, he really CAN’T do that for this first month while it’s healing. Otherwise, it’s amazing. We can now argue IN REAL TIME!
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I understand and sympathize – I am one of the world’s worst sick people because I have to constantly be moving!
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I’m ever so glad it went well!! Garry is truly a trouper! Good wishes for the recovery and subsequent hearing event! 😀 Wow!
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It’s amazing what they have done to replace broken human parts with technological marvels 😀
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It’s great that it’s done and I hope he gets better asap. That is a sad but brave attempt at a thumbs-up.
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But he was sincere. Just very doped up. He is one of the people who take longer than average to come out of anesthesia. He is getting quite perky at this point, so my problem is going to be keeping him from overdoing it. Even if he can’t see it, there’s healing going on. He has to be patient.
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Glad all went well with surgery – get well soon Garry! 🙂
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He’s working on it! I’m counting on his ALSO taking it easy. This is a good time to NOT push that envelope!
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This is outstanding news!!! I hope the recovery goes smoothly, and the magic of hearing comes soon! Best wishes to you both!
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I feel a magic moment coming on 😀
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