Well, here's the promised photos.

I must warn you that a few of them are pretty graphic, and show the incision and a lot of swelling, but I will warn you before they appear. If you don't wish to see them, be carefull.

I will let Rose tell her story.


Here I am on the way to the hospital for my cochlear implant surgery. I have a brand new car seat that I got for my birthday. It's a cold morning outside, but I'm so stylish I create my own heat! ;)



Daddy and I waited in this room while mommy registered me. There were an awful lot of other kids there for all different kinds of surgery.



Then a nurse came and got us. She checked all of my vital signs and made sure I was healthy and strong.



I put on the special hospital jammies. They were HUGE, but I wore them anyway. I like that this is a children's hospital because there is neat stuff to play with almost everywhere!



Mommy and daddy went with me to a special playroom, and we waited for the surgeon to be ready. The anesthesiologist came and got me when it was time.



A few hours later I woke up in mommy's arms with a great big bandage on my head. I had some apple juice and some cuddles and I was feeling much more awake.



Just a little later I was feeling so much better. This is my big bandage. I saw it in a mirror and I think it looks so cool! My face is starting to get swollen on one side though.



Soon it will be time for me to go to sleep for the night, so I am getting ready with my favorite book. I'm pretty tired, so sleeping in the big hospital crib won't be to much of a problem. Daddy and mommy brought me a few of my favorite things from home so I would be comfortable.



The nurses who are taking care of me are so nice. I have flirted with them so much that now they all love me!



Now I'm sound asleep for the night. Mommy is staying here in the room with me all night. Daddy is going home to get some good sleep so he can take care of me tomorrow.



In the morning I got my big bandage taken off. The side of my head is really swollen, and it makes my ear stick out a whole lot! It's pretty funny. It looks like a satellite dish on the side of my head. I feel pretty good though.



THIS NEXT PICTURE IS GRAPHIC... BE WARNED


Here is what the incision looks like. It's pretty big, but it really doesn't hurt much. Most of the implant is tucked in under the middle of the big bald spot. The area is hugely swollen and starting to bruise, but that's normal. There are no stitches on the outside. Just this special tape. The tape has some blood soaked into it, which makes it all look worse than it is. The worst thing of all is that I just finally started to grow some hair, and they come along and shave it off! How Rude!



This morning I didn't feel so good. Some of the medicine they gave me didn't agree with my tummy, and I ruined mommy's white shirt, but now I feel just fine. SEE! And I really like the nice people here, and the cool shiny purple floor!



All of a sudden I started to have a fever! Oh, no. Mommy and I will have to stay here another night. Daddy is helping me to feel better though. This is the chair-bed that mommy will sleep in again. It's right next to my crib, so that I know she's right there if I need her.



Uggh! I don't feel good. It seems that my lungs collapsed a little bit, and this fever is really high, my face is super swollen, and mostly I want to go home. It's nice here, but it's not home. I just don't feel good at all.



Mommy and the nurse have been working at getting my fever down. I'm starting to feel a bit cooler, and I'm starting to feel like playing, but it's 4:00 in the morning! Oh, I stole this when the nurse wasn't looking.



I might be a nurse when I grow up, too.



Hey! Guess what? It's morning, and I finally get to go home! Yay! Home!