July ABI mapping ...and some explaining.

 

July- ABI mapping visit.

 

 Ok so here is how mapping works...

 

An ABI has many components

1 part is the mesh piece that is placed on the brain stem.

It kind of looks like the box below,

it has 20 circles like the ones you see here.

 

Each circle is split in two, and

there is an electrode on each side.

 

It is very tiny, not as big as what you see here.

 

During surgery they try to place the mesh on the part of the

brainstem that provides hearing. There is a test they

do during surgery to tell them they are in the

right spot or close.

 

So this mesh piece has a wire or wires that come

out of the brainstem and goes out to the outside

and attaches to the other part attached to the skull under the skin.

 

Then the exterior component is attached via the magnet under his skin.

It is hooked to the computer and the Audiologist sends electrical

pulse down to the brainstem and see how Chad reacts. 

Sometimes the pulse makes his elbow feel weird, some times

it makes him feel like fainting, sometimes he feels it in his throat.

 

The goal by the way is to "hear" something. In January when we spent

two days mapping he heard nothing. This time he heard 5 tones, however

they were accompanied by a physical reaction. He can't hear a tone

and have a physical reaction at the same time. The team

was able to after 5 hours to get a tone with out a reaction.

We "get" to go back in September for more mapping before they actually

hook him up and let him walk away.

 

He is playing a game

on his ipod and his Audiologist introduced

him to another one on her ipod.

 

Did I mention is was a VERY LONG PROCESS?