They call me Magneto

Today had a story that was worthy of being put on Sophie Li’s blog “The funny thing about….”

I had spoken to you about the difficulty of keeping the magnets on Harry’s head. At last week’s Implant Clinic appointment the audiologist gave us slightly stronger magnets in a bid to get them to stay on a little more. The initial magnets were simply a half magnet and now we had graduated to 1 full magnet. Cochlear make magnets up to the power of 6 for our processor so we have a long way to go yet! However we have been warned that if the magnet is too powerful it will cause abrasion to the skin and can get infected … so slowly, slowly we go.

So back to today.

I had finally read the 300 page instruction manual for the processor and had picked up that you can twist the magnet in and out to weaken or strengthen its pull. I decided to give this a bash in a car park outside my hairdressers running late for an appointment. So rushing, I merrily started to twist the magnet out to give it a chance to grip better onto Harry’s head. What I failed to comprehend when reading the instructions was that there was nothing there to hold the magnet in place if you twisted it all the way out.

Suddenly I heard a” clunk”. I ignored it and started work on the second side. Just as I was about to remove this magnet it dawned on me that the first magnet had dropped out onto the ground. And of course the magnet is tan and the ground is covered in gumnuts which are also tan/brown and the size of a small… magnet.

You can only imagine the scene. I was in my hands and knees under the car clawing through piles of gumnuts and leaves. Close to tears after a good 15 mins of trawling, I glanced at the metal flange on the inside of the car door to see a tan, gumnut sized magnet happily stuck to the metal, smirking at me , as if to say ” Where else would I be?”