School Of Hard Knocks

As most of you know, my two youngest sons are deaf and have cochlear implants. They both were implanted on the right side initially (one surgery apiece) when they were very young; a couple years later the oldest of the two got hit in the head and the implant had to be replaced (another surgery for him); a couple years later, they both got implants on the left side (another surgery apiece). They're rough-and-tumble boys, not inclined to just sit for long periods, and I'm constantly wincing as they hit their heads and knock into things--I'm immediately seeing hospital beds and tubes and big bandages on heads as they have to get yet another implant replaced. We-l-l-l-l-l....two days ago the oldest one (again!) was wrestling around with the younger, playing some sort of tackle football in the living room--naturally--and he cracked his head on the bottom shelf of a bookshelf in the room. I could tell it really really hurt and it was, of course, right by where his implant is (always my fear: hit your head anywhere but by that spot, okay??). At the same time this happened, the phone rang and someone was at the door so I couldn't really give it much attention. I just figured, well he hit his head again, moving on now.

Two days later, still hurts, still a fair-sized bump. My husband took him to the ear institute this morning to ask about a different problem with his processor, and the audiologist checks out this bump on his head and the fact that it still hurts too much to wear the processor (which is, by the way, attached via a magnet under the skin). She calls in the surgeon who has done all their surgeries---an amazing hero, Dr. Joe Roberson--and he checks it out. Conclusion: the magnet in his head has been displaced and is no longer in the "slot" where it's supposed to be. He hit his head just right and just hard enough to dislodge it. How is this possible?? So Monday he has to go back under and get the magnet put back in the right spot. For now, there's the possibility of it "migrating". It kind of strikes me comically now and then when I picture it traveling about inside his head, checking out warmer spots. Is east warmer than west? south? north?

Seriously, though, I don't look forward to this new surgery or whatever it's going to be. For sure it will be nothing like getting a new implant---very minor compared to that. But it's always scary when someone's messing with your kid's head. I think that maybe kids should have to wear helmets until they're about 18.

I'll keep you posted. Literally.