Vicki's Vapours

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To implant, or not to implant

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Diagram showing an internal cross-section of a cochlear implant

Yesterday, I had my long-awaited appointment with the specialist who performs the cochlear implants. Dr Marcus Atlas is also the inaugural Professor of Otolaryngology at the University of Western Australia and the founding Director of the Ear Science Institute Australia and is certainly an expert in the field and highly experienced.

It was delightful to actually meet him, because he is younger than I expected and a lovely man with a very kind and reassuring manner. My parents had come with me again and I was going to leave them in the waiting area but he smiled and said, “Go on, bring your parents in,” so I did and that was nice for them, because they are so interested and keen for me to get these cochlear implants. It also saved me from having to try to remember everything Dr Atlas said, to repeat it to them afterwards.

It was a fairly simple and straightforward consultation. I’d already had a CT scan a week or so ago. Dr Atlas asked me to “tell my story”, then he looked in my ears, and then got me to stand with feet together and arms stretched out in front to test my balance. Then I sat down and we just talked.

I had a moment of sickening worry when he said very seriously, “We have to look at whether or not cochlear implants will benefit you over and above the benefit you get from hearing aids. In your case…” (and I knew this was the moment of revelation and my heart was in my stomach) “… I believe it will make a drastic difference.”

That was his word — drastic — and he used it several times.

I was, and am, so incredibly relieved. I said to Dr Atlas, “I was afraid I wouldn’t able to have the cochlear implants, because there are no other options and then I’d end up totally deaf.”

Dr Atlas said, “I think you are right and without the implants you would lose all hearing and have to rely completely on lip reading.”

It doesn’t bear to think about it.

From there on, we discussed the implant itself, what health insurance will and won’t cover, and what to expect.

Dr Atlas explained that he thought it a good idea to have both ears implanted at the same time as this apparently helps with understanding speech in situations where there is a lot of background noise. In quiet situations even one implant would make a “drastic” difference, but background noise is more difficult and so rehabilitation of both ears at the same time would assist with that. That’s fine with me! I can’t wait to just get it all over and done with: the surgery is only the beginning.

Because my private health cover was only taken out in June this year, there is a 12-month “pre-existing condition” wait before the health fund will pay for any kind of surgery. This is standard amongst all private health funds. So I’ll get the cochlear implants next June, with a further appointment with Dr Atlas a month beforehand to select the brand of implant (which I’ve already pretty much decided on, but don’t need to make a firm commitment until then) and settle on a date.

Now I “just” have to wait. I am totally rapt that it is actually happening — it is going to become a reality — it is well on the way to being a reality and I will, in the foreseeable future, be able to communicate effectively again. YAY!!!

Following your gut feelings

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Thumper.

Two weekends ago, I found myself thinking about my horses, who I hadn’t seen in a while. As I was thinking, my thoughts seemed to focus on Thumper and I had a “feeling” he was not ok and that he needed me. I was well aware that the last time I had such a feeling was when Rani was injured. That time, I acted on the feeling, and so was able to get the vet to Rani when he needed it.

This time? Well, I was with Al, and Al was busy, and anyway has made it clear he is uninterested in my horses. I decided not to follow through on my gut feeling, and told myself I was being silly and would miss out on valuable time with Al (who works offshore and therefore time with him is precious) for nothing. But I worried all Saturday night and all day Sunday about it, then made an effort to put it from my mind.

On Wednesday, I arrived at work to an email from my mother, saying she and Dad had received a call the night before from the place where my horses are agisted (boarded) and one of the horses apparently had a foot abscess.

It was my third day in a new job and it was not a Good Thing™ to have to ask for time off for a sick horse so soon. I should add that the horses are about an hour’s drive from work so any time out visiting them means a significant amount of time. But what can you do? My manager was understandably unimpressed, but he was very nice about it.

So off I dashed, via home to get some suitable clothes and the horses’ lead ropes etc. Andy was there when I arrived and I was unsurprised to learn that the horse with the sore foot was Thumper. The poor boy could not walk at all. It was really sad to see him attempt to take a step. He was clearly in a lot of pain and it was obvious that a visit from the vet was necessary.

The vet confirmed that it was an abscess, and that it was a huge one that had been building for several days. It was so bad that there was a lot of dead sole and the vet thought the sole might have to come off altogether.

This obviously would be terribly painful for Thump, and also terribly inconvenient for me because of the intensive dressing of the hoof that would be required, because the horses are a 45 minute drive in the opposite direction of my work, which is half an hour’s drive from my home. What a mess…

Fortunately, two further vet visits later, healing has gone really well and it seems the sole does not have to be removed after all, but it has been a worrying and expensive exercise in “Follow your gut feelings — or not”. The problem is that there was no voice shouting at me, no one shaking me by the shoulders and saying “GO! Your horse needs you!” It was simply a persistent feeling that something was wrong, with a focus on one horse in particular — a feeling that wasn’t too hard to talk myself out of believing in.

Gut feelings, instincts… I know I need to listen more to what is inside me instead of being influenced by the world around me. Sadly, I believe it’s only through pain that we really take things on board and learn. Next time I won’t be in such a hurry to ignore that “inner voice”.

Mmmm pie

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I made Beef and Guinness pie yesterday. It was based on a recipe from Taste.com.au (as so many of my favourites are) but I did tweak it a little, then cooked it in the slow cooker before topping with pastry and finishing off in the oven.

Beef and Guinness Pie

Here’s how I did it.

Ingredients

  • 2kg chuck steak, diced. If it’s really fatty, and if you are an anti-fat freak like me, get extra to allow for your personal trimming. But chuck steak — which is meat from the neck of the beast — cooked slowly is yummmmmmy.)
  • oil as required if you don’t have a non-stick fry pan
  • 3 onions, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 can (440ml) Guinness
  • ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1½ cup beef stock
  • ½ cup beef stock (extra)
  • ½ cup flour (YMMV)
  • sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • puff pastry (I tried Coles brand. My advice to you is: don’t try Coles brand. It flakes but barely puffs.)
  • 1 egg, beaten. (Why does this make me feel like a beaten egg? But I digress.)

Method

  1. Heat the oil (or just a non-stick pan) and brown the diced steak (in batches if necessary), then set the browned meat aside in the slow cooker pot. Be careful not to put too much in the pan at a time, and drain juices as required so the diced steak doesn’t stew instead of browning. But don’t worry too much if it does.
  2. Fry onion and garlic until golden.
  3. Add Guinness, 1 1/2 cup beef stock, and Worcestershire sauce to pan with onion and garlic. Heat.
  4. Add onion, garlic, Guinness, stock and Worcestershire sauce to slow cooker pot. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Cook on Low for 6-8 hours. (Again, YMMV)
  6. Half an hour before the meat mixture is ready (or perhaps when you are ready for the meat mixture!) mix the flour with the remaining 1/2 cup beef stock bit by bit until the consistency is smooth but not runny. Add to the slow cooker pot.
  7. Preheat oven to 200°C
  8. Spoon mixture into 250ml-350ml individual oven-proof dishes. Top with pastry and brush with beaten egg.
  9. Cook in oven for 25 mins or until pastry is crisp and golden.

Serve with mashed potato and (if, unlike me, you like peas) mushy peas.

Reading up, it seems like there are a lot of steps but it was actually very simple to prepare and everyone who partook of this meal apparently did so with enjoyment. ;-)