ABC Story: “The Cochlear Slayer”
Last Spring, I did an ABC story for my University’s Deaf Studies Program. The interpreter at the performance also happens to interpret for my classes, and she knows my feelings and opinions about the Cochlear Implant. The performance was titled “The Vampire Slayer”, but she misinterpreted it as “The Cochlear Slayer”. She told me about her mistake later, and I laughed, but it got me to thinking how I would do an ABC story with that title. I present my ABC story, “The Cochlear Slayer” to you here.
Aidan Mack said,
June 19, 2008 @ 8:44 am
This beautiful baby breaks my heart to see her or his scar. Look at her or his eye. A powerful picture!
I enjoyed your ABC story lots.
Aidan
John said,
June 19, 2008 @ 10:17 am
AAAAAAWWWW, poor kid
It doesn’t look like an organic child anymore.
ABC » ABC Story: “The Cochlear Slayer” said,
June 19, 2008 @ 10:45 am
[...] ABC Story: “The Cochlear Slayer” Last Spring, I did an ABC story for my University’s Deaf Studies Program. The interpreter at the performance also happens to interpret for my classes, and she knows my feelings and opinions about the Cochlear Implant. … [...]
DrDonG said,
June 19, 2008 @ 11:03 am
ABC,
I’m not sure what or where your comment is, but it looks like you want to post my ABC story on your ABC story site? It’s ok for you to cross-link mine.
Aidan and John, yes, I agree with you — I looked at that poor baby and my heart went out to her/him. I don’t care what the doctors say about “minimal risks” — any surgery on a child that young poses risks. It is indeed a powerful picture!
Candy said,
June 19, 2008 @ 11:22 am
When did that happen? From what I understand, the scars are very small. Every C.I. person I talked to, tells me that the scars are not even that big.
DrDonG said,
June 19, 2008 @ 11:27 am
Candy,
I don’t know when it happened. I found the picture on the internet. Going back to the link http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.publicradio.org/content/2008/02/27/20080227_babypic_33.jpg&imgrefurl=http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/02/25/ear/&h=450&w=600&sz=61&hl=en&start=74&um=1&tbnid=vHKnBDXGB-AoUM:&tbnh=101&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcochlear%2Bimplant%26start%3D72%26ndsp%3D18%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den-us%26sa%3DN), it looks like the surgery happened in 2000. But whether the scar is large or small, surgery is surgery. And on a child that young and small, surgery has more risks than it does for an adult or even teenager.
felicity said,
June 19, 2008 @ 7:35 pm
There is no detail about why the child has a scar like this. This, if it is a Cochlear Implant scar as you suggest, is most unusual and I would think the child must have had some other medical issue.
DrDonG said,
June 19, 2008 @ 8:29 pm
Felicity,
The article where the picture came from said it was a cochlear implant scar. I don’t know if there were other complications during the surgery resulting in an unusual depth of the scar, but that too points to the risks inherent in doing such an invasive procedure on a young child for what is essentially a non-life-threatening condition.
Rachel said,
June 20, 2008 @ 6:50 am
Actually, that picture of the girl with the scar is normal. My sister and I had big incisions when we got our CIs like this girl, and in fact, I have pictures of us with our scars right after our surgery that I’ll post at some point on CI Online. There’s nothing wrong with having scars like this. It depends on surgeon’s preferences for having big or small scars. In all surgeries, scars can look pretty gross, but as it heals over time, the stitches are removed and red bloody-look marks dissolve. The hair grows back and there are very little marks of the scars once it’s healed. From reading the article about this girl in the picture, it seems that she didn’t have any complications from the surgery. She just happened to have a larger incision.
freddy said,
June 20, 2008 @ 8:53 am
all of the kids whom have Ci are doing extremely well in Tucson,AZ and Phoenix AZ. I have not seen once who have any problems or speech problems in those two cities! Tell me, what’s your take to prove that Ci doesn’t work? Why don’t Ci users go online and blog about it? WE haven’t seen any ci Bloggers talk shit about it.
Squeamish said,
June 20, 2008 @ 10:07 am
Please look at the picture more closely. If you did, you’d see
1. Why an open skin, raw, on the forehead of the baby?
2. Why a long scar on the right head from the back to the hairline near the open skin on the forehead?
3. Why a big raw bruise on the left side of the forehead, swollen all the way from the hairline to the eyebrow.
4. Why a bruise on the left eye?
5. Why a swollen loop of the left ear?
6. Why a scar covered with blood inside the ear?
7. Why a red left thumb?
Such an abusive surgery!
I will have to send this to FDA, Congress, and others.
Rachel said,
June 21, 2008 @ 9:42 am
I just posted a blog entry with pictures of my sister and me with our scars after surgery. I would check it out as you’ll notice that the picture posted here is not abnormal. http://cochlearimplantonline.com/blog/?p=211
DrDonG said,
June 21, 2008 @ 10:28 am
To you it’s not abnormal, to me, it looks very invasive and unnecessary. I’m glad you’re alive and had no adverse results from it. But what about all those who got facial paralysis, meningitis, death, etc. The doctors say that is a minimal risk. I say even one is one too many.