Well if my Esteem got updated I guess I should update this blog...

Just a short post for a quick update.  Honestly, it's pretty up and down with the Esteem right now.  I am glad I can hear 24/7 for sure, but I had a cold in September and that caused me to turn the volume down and I was unable to turn it back up for months.  Yesterday I met with the engineer/technician from Envoy who's been working with me and she adjusted the volume so it is much louder (and better) than where I'd had it after the cold.  However, occasionally I'll move my head or drink something and there will be a quiet "oceany" sound in my ear for a few minutes or a short while from it, and I have to turn it down before I go to sleep or I wake up from the feedback.  Right now though, what's most frustrating, is that it's been 7 months since my last surgery, over a year since the implantation, and my head still hurts from it.  I get everything from sharp pains behind my ear to dull aches where the implant is.  Some, most days really, it's perfectly fine, maybe an ache or a pain for a moment during the day, but some days it hurts all day.  I can tolerate it, but it's frustrating because I don't think it's going to go away.  The woman who I met with yesterday told me it's often because the processor is too big so the scalp feels too tight around it.

UPDATE: Ok, I left this post half finished a month ago.  here's a real update as of today.  The pain has mostly gone, but I do still have some feedback when my ear moves, which means after almost 2 years I still cannot sleep on my left side.  To be honest, I'm frustrated, I guess my "conclusion" at this point is that I'm glad I found out for myself what this device could be.  I love hearing when I wake up, in the shower, being able to swim and participate in water activities without worrying about it.  But, I'm not sure if knowing everything I know now that I would do it again.  It's been a lot of pain and struggle and hassle just to be able to swim.  Again, since it's done I'm glad I have it, but I can't in good conscience enthusiastically recommend it.  I'm still hopeful it will be better as they work out the kinks and improve the technology, but the process has been so difficult that I can say even though things are good, the overall balance is neutral.  maybe one day it will tip towards positive, but that's where it's at today.  Not bad enough to mess with it or be upset over it, but not good enough to be thrilled about.