The bionic (aka cyborg) woman greets y'all! - YouLookFab Forum

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The bionic (aka cyborg) woman greets y'all!

lyn67

Veteran

OH my dear! I would have never guessed my new hair will be mentioned in my last wiw. And it certainly did:-).
Thank you Angie so much for paying attention to all the details.

It turns out, I didn't feel strong enough to mention it here-but I do it now, my dear friends.

My new hair is not really a full deliberated action from my little chicken self.... It was not even done from a skilled hand. Rather quite no care and without any other choice from my very self and only for the practical purposes of a medical intervention to get a Cochlear Implant on my left ear.

If somebody interested here are 2 links.
First is about CI in general, the second one is the very specific one I have got myself:
http://https//en.wikipedia.org.....ar_implant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykjikrz8BPo.

The procedure itself was done under 3-5 h. full anaesthesia so not quite easy but I had a wonderful and very very professional team to do is so really it is now nothing to worry about. Still, in my personal case I had to face some other minor difficulties to deal with and have had some hard days either before and after surgery, too. Anyway, I was only 10 days on a medical leave and am back to work ever since-which is OK-but quite tiring.

There was also my DD's prom(!!) and the 20 yrs reunion of my second grad in between all, too. Not easy to cope with these special events with half of my head shaved off but I can assure you I did it with all my joy and heads up-not even wearing a wig or headband. My DD asked me to do so as I reminded her of a viking heroin. I took it a compliment-and even started to feel like it, LOL:-).

Now, it's almost 7 weeks past over my surgery but only 10 days from when I got my cochlear implant's outer processor (RONDO-by Med-EL) including the very first setting to it and I can tell you it is not easy to get used to hearing through such a device. But post surgery exams are showing already significant evolution so I have great hopes for a better hearing (especially for the specific case of understanding speech).

First 2 picties were done on my first day back home, the 3rd is my version of camouflaging it for work (February was carnival time, after all:-)). Nr 4 is my DD in her prom dress (not even styled here yet, but I don't have a better pictie at the moment).

Angie's blog and The Forum were the few things I haven't stop to follow during my hard times. This place is always so comforting to me -my only me time- and I feel y'all here are my dear friends, too.

Thanx for reading so far.

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20 replies

Latest reply was from viva

Anonymous

Ohhh, Lyn! My friend has one of those. She has adapted marvellously to it and once her hair grew back over it, it was totally invisible. You'll notice a big difference. Thank you for sharing this on YLF. xo

And your DD is stunning!!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

(((HUGS)))

I'm glad you're doing well, and you certainly look it! I'm sure the CI will be life-chnaging for you. WOW.

And how fortuitous that asymmetrical haircuts are trending big time! You can milk "the new 'do" in the best way. And super cute head band. WELL DONE.

DD is beautiful. You are a fab role model. Much love to you.

Tina

Veteran

Good for you for going natural! Confidence is always in style.
Hearing loss is something I am all to familiar with. I have to use aids, my type of loss would not be helped by implants. My niece, however, was born without canals and she has 2. So thankful for medical advances! When my niece was born we did not know if she would be able to hear at all but with these implants her speech has developed just fine. My loss was progressive and the result of a hereditary kidney disease so my speech development was not affected. I needed hearing aids by age 30. It is really hard for me to follow conversations in certain settings but I'm very thankful for the advancement of hearing aid technology.

I love your headband look and your daughter is a beauty.
Hopefully you will feel better every day. Five hours of anesthetic is definitely something that takes time to overcome.

Robin

Sending so many good wishes, and hopes that hearing through the CI gets easier soon.

rachylou

Veteran

Ok, Cyborg Lyn. Major surgical upheaval, recovery exhaustion, big life events... yes yes, I'm sure I feel for you, sharing the joys and the grind... But the point of it all is, you KNOW the hair is kicka$$ I don't ever want to see a full head of hair on you ever again, lol.

Ps: DD is gorgeous in her prom dress. That is a real prom dress!

Gaylene

Veteran

Lyn, your headband look is amazing! Seconding Rachylou--why go back to a symmetrical 'do when you look so good with asymetrical one? Viking heroine as a new style moniker--hmm....

And your daughter is absolutely beautiful in that dress!

Lyn D.

Veteran

Thanks for sharing

SarahTheWhite

Veteran

Thank you so much for telling us about this! I hope that you are healing well and find that this makes a wonderful difference for you. I think that you are a beautiful Viking heroine and agree with others that you are a great example for your daughter (who looks gorgeous in her dress!). I also love your creative work look!

Meow

Veteran

Congrats and best of luck on your cochlear implant. My dad has one...he's 83. He's completely and utterly deaf without it. It's made life possible for him.

It's been frustrating to Me as his daughter on so many levels....one...He really didn't put forth any effort to learn sigh language or read lips, two, he's so technologically challenged. He doesn't know how to work his tv, ipad, cell phone, computer......which I understand that the computer era took his generation by surprise...but....even with my personnel tutoring he doesn't seem to even try. Ack! This implant is like a mini ear Computer with a remote and programs, etc. It takes effort to learn.

So..my experience is that it is still an effort that you must practice, go to regular appointments and get it tuned up, and then , try, try, try. Don't give up...you will suceed!

deb

Veteran

You look so cute in pic # 3. I am glad all is going better now.

Maneera

(website)

Veteran

You're gorgeous and you're brave, Lyn. You look lovely in these pictures - not tired and nothing like a patient. The hair actually looks kickass!

Your daughter is beautiful in that dress. She has the best mom for a role model.

I hope you're healing well. And I'm sure there are many changes you'll have to adapt to....but I know that you'll do so with grace Cheers to the beautiful women of your family!!!!

Summer

Veteran

That must have been quite an ordeal for you Lyn, but what an amazing, life-enhancing procedure for you. I love your upbeat attitude - and that fabulous hairband.

Your DD looks enchanting in her prom dress. If she looked that gorgeous unstyled, she must have knocked them dead on the day.

Anonymous

Good to hear you're recovering and adjusting to the new device. Your 'haircut' does indeed look fab. I agree with the others who suggest you keep an assymetrical cut. Short hair really suits you. And your daughter looks beautiful, what a lovely, simple gown.

If you're inclined to keep us updated, I'm very interested in your hearing journey and adjustment. My mum's doc suggested a CI because hearing aids no longer help her and she's feeling cut off from the world. But she has Alzheimer and my brother worries the difference in hearing will be too confusing and upsetting for her, especially as her greatest love is music and she attends a couple of concerts a week. Understanding what a CI sounds like is the kind of thing you can't really know without first-hand experience.

Thanks for sharing this, and how great that you may have found a new hair look in the process.

lyn67

Veteran

Thank you so much for the boost ladies!!! Your kind words are so appreciated! It seems some of you already have experienced interacting with people wearing such devices. Problem was/is I did/do not have anybody live in my neighborhood to compare with (ref. CIs). But I did find a great online CI community and still keep in touch with my hospital roommate (who did have the same surgery) and this helps, too.

Tina: Hope your niece is having a full and happy life. So happy CI-s helped. Indeed, I have heard children can adopt and progress amazingly well with these devices.
But how interesting! Our HOH (hard of hearing) stories are very similar!:-). My loss was progressive too and the result of hereditary sensorineural hearing loss which runs in one branch of my family(after my DM) but my speech development was fortunately not affected, either.
My life was all normal but I needed hearing aids by age 33. It was progressively hard for me to follow conversations either -especially having a small kid back then and sometimes hearing aids didn't help at all.
Then, 3 yrs ago I woke up in a morning finding out I have totally lost hearing on the left side. Tried various cures but nothing helped. CI was something I was very unfamiliar with but am, too, so very thankful for the advancement of hearing devices technology. CI RONDO is really the latest thing now(by us in Hungary) and am so happy I did qualified for getting one on the deaf side. (the other side is still CIC aided, but this is also a problem, as hearing through 2 different devices is very challenging, too).

Sarah& Aliona: So true. The implant is like a mini ear (or in my case rather a head) computer with a remote and programs and it takes BIG effort to learn to use it and to hear the new way (as nothing will sound the same as before!). But they say it will get better with time (1/2-2 yrs to fully adapt and squeeze the maximum benefit!).
You wouldn't even guess how complicated and how very specific from one person to another the natural (and so either the aided) hearing is. There isn't one way proved for all, unfortunately.

Sad but true, by us in Hungary, they are not even doing the procedure on elderly/people with special care. At least in my case age (47) and the almost 15 yrs. experience with the HA (hearing aids) was one of the virtues for quickly qualifying and getting the implant. I personally was strongly advised to get one as soon as possible before growing too old(BUT they didn't say a specific age, of course) as the extensive rehab and the very specific technical challenges can overwhelm an older person.

Angie and all of gentle YOU who liked my viking cut. Yes, I think I will keep it, but Rachy you really cracked me up:-)

Oh, and forgot to say this was DD's prom waltz dance dress, only(see her styled hair in nr 1). They had a waltz to dance for opening the show but then changed in various other outfits for several other purposes. There was a modern-jazz dance outfit (nr 6-7) for dancing "Dancing in the rain":-)), a homage to teachers and parents outfit(nr 8), then an after party(just on their own) outfit (nr. 9-but no sleeves-that was a bolero she sais she did not wear actually), too:-).

Last one was my own outfit. The viking heroin wears a simple black 3/4 sleeved ponte dress(very comfy) but lined and quality making. It was slightly tailored, had new looking small boxpleats on the shoulders, a great boat neck. Accessories were a mirror shine clutch and chunky etno engraved silver cuff(on my right hand, so you cannot see unfortunately).

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Eliza

Veteran

Lyn- all the best with your recovery process. Your hair looks great, and while it came via an indirect route, such things can make a difference when we navigate the big stuff. I am touched that you chose to share this . In addition to showing the nature of your journey, it is a reminder that while we see folks with different attire and personal styles, sometimes the context of the choices is more significant than we know.

Your daughter is lovely! Nice to celebrate through the challenges.

Best to you.

Tina

Veteran

Thank you so much for sharing some of your history on your hearing loss. Being kind of deaf can make for some very humorous situations but also some frustrating and embarrassing ones too. I cannot imagine using the 2 different types of aids. I find it hard enough to cope with where sound is coming from with just the regular in-the- ear style.
We are close in age too! I just turned 45. I have found over the years that people simply did not take me seriously when I told them I was hard of hearing. It seemed society as a whole couldn't seem to grasp that a young person could in fact have hearing loss.
Do you have the rushing noise (for lack of better words) in your head too?

rachylou

Veteran

Ooh, the dancing pictures are beautiful. How splendid!

lyn67

Veteran

Tina: Yes, unfortunatelly, I do have some very serious bilateral tinnitus since age 23 (both around low 200Hz and high 10kHz frequency). Never stopped to hear it day or night 7/24 sice then--and yes, it is always hard to distract and cope with still HA's can help in this regard, too.
Aliona or anybody else interested further about my CI or HOH story, please PM me. Don't shy, would be happy to help with any other informations.
Thanx Eliza & Rachy and everybody who complimented on my DD, too:-).

Cerinda

Veteran

That looks like such a lovely and memorable evening. Love your viking heron hair. Best of luck with your cyborg adaptation.

viva

Veteran

Such an interesting and hopeful story, Lyn; thank you for sharing. I wish you all the best as you recover and adapt. And thank you also for sharing the beautiful pictures of your lovely daughter and her prom. The dance shots are just amazing.