An Awesome Three Days

This has been an awesome three days.  I  attended a national convention of an organization for people with hearing loss. I finally met my Cochlear Implant Mentor in person. I also met the audiologist who works for the company that manufactures my Cochlear Implant, and introduced me to my mentor. I also met some of my online friends who are Cochlear Implant Veterans. It was wonderful to meet these people and meet folks from all over the country. My surgeon who implanted my cochlear implant for my left ear gave a presentation which I attended. After the presentation was over, I introduced myself to him again and told him that I was one of his patients, and had been implanted for eight months now. He asked me, "How is that going for you,"? and I said that it has been life changing, wonderful, gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek and thanked him again.

All my life I have felt disfranchised from organizations for deaf people who grew up in deaf culture and from my hearing peers. This particular organization embraces EVERYBODY with a hearing loss, whether you are from deaf culture, a person who became hard of hearing or deaf later in life, or a profoundly deaf adult like myself who speaks, lipreads, but functions as a Hard Of Hearing Person, or in deaf parlance, "a high functioning deafie."

I went to two different schools for the deaf to learn to use hearing aids, speak and lipread. I spent one year at a pre-school for the deaf in the South, then heard of another, internationally world famous school for the deaf in the Midwest. I attended that school for five years. I was barely seven years old when I left that world, and most always the only deaf child in a hearing school.  I am still the only deaf adult employee in my immediate office at work.

Now with the advancement of Cochlear Implants, that gap is closing fast.  There were babies, kids, teens, adults of all ages, even senior citizens at this convention. We all have a hearing loss. There were even folks who had multiple disabilities as well as hearing loss, and who inspired the rest of us. I was inspired and overjoyed by the younger kids who are totally accepting of their hearing loss. At this convention, it was actually hip to have hearing loss! 

Nobody felt embarrassed at not hearing well or not at all. We all helped each other and told our individual stories. There was instant kinship with the challenges we all face in our daily lives. There were those who were still struggling with the trauma of hearing loss, and those of us who have "been there, done that," listened, gave comfort, hope to others to carry on.

There were vendors who demonstrated their products which help persons with hearing loss. I am constantly amazed at  what folks come up with.  I am continually amazed at the technology of hearing aids and cochlear implants.  You can even wear a cochlear sound processor with leopard prints!  How cool is that?? 

The first evening of the convention, we listened to the story of a hearing man who grew up in deaf culture and has both hearing and deaf relatives.  He talked of his twin deaf brother and the painful story of how the decision to implant his deaf son nearly destroyed his family. The book is titled, "The Sound and the Fury." That's why I tell people that the decision to undergo cochlear implant surgery is such a personal one. I met the man and his deaf son, now 12.  The son is so confident and has such a bright future ahead of him.

600 of us attended a musical called "Wicked," The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz.  It was AWESOME. There was open captioning, infrared, and a loop!!!  This was my first time attending a musical post-implant. I was able to laugh at appropriate moments, understand the theme of the musical, enjoy the incredible set creations.  I want to meet the person who created this musical!  What an imagination!!

It has been eight months since my cochlear implant surgery.  I feel like a kid at the entrance of Aladdin's Cave, wanting to experience more hearing treasure, and impatient for more.  I so want to be bilateral, with two cochlear implants, YESTERDAY.  My new friends who are bilateral tell me that being bilateral is the BEST.  I can't wait.

Thanks, HLAA. Thanks for the unconditional acceptance, love and understanding. I've come home.

A Long Weekend

Last Friday, a friend and I drove 2 1/2 hours to attend a mutual friend's son's wedding. I did all the driving. Conversation was a little challenging in the car during the drive down because my right ear is not implanted.  I resumed wearing a hearing aid in my right ear for the first time since the cochlear implant surgery for my left ear.




While the hearing aid helped with traffic noise, it didn't improve the quality of conversation that much.  I am used to the cochlear implant in my left ear now, and I found myself relying more on the cochlear implant than the hearing aid.



I also drove at night on the interstate and I was not at all familiar with where I was going.  It was very frustrating as my friend doesn't always have a good sense of direction and was getting equally frustrated. I could hear the Garmin give verbal instructions but distinguishing between the words North, South, West and East was even worse. As my friend was sitting to the right of me, any verbal clarification of directions was rather tricky to listen to. I haven't done interstate night driving for a very long time. It was terrifying, but I needed to do it.



I should have Googled the directions and printed out maps, studied them, committed the maps to memory before we left for our destination. 



Next time I will definitely do that.  The wedding was outdoors - thunder clouds were threatening to erupt any minute and the wind was blowing.  It was a very short 30 minute ceremony and we all made it inside before it rained.  I could hear and understand the Pastor and hear the vows as the bride and groom were married, just as clearly as if they were sitting next to me.  What a huge difference in hearing, from last year's Labor Day wedding to this June wedding.



The fidelity, clarity, quality in sound with the cochlear implant sound processor is just huge.  It is like having a mini stereo receiver in your head and every sound has a stereo quality to it.
Voices still sound scratchy at times, but are more and more human to me as I continue my hearing journey. Lyrics are still scratchy and doesn't quite sound like singing yet.  I still cannot use a landline phone without the aid of captions.



The wedding reception was noisy, and conversation was challenging at times, but I don't strain to hear. Not at all.  The Cochlear Implant does all that for you.  I was even able to pick up a little rhythm and join in the dancing.



Tomorrow I will be attending a conference for three days.  It will be my first conference post-implant. I'm actually looking forward to it.



Hearing with a cochlear implant continues to be a gift.  When I think back to my first day of hearing post-implant, on Activation Day, I am just amazed at where I am in my journey.  It has been eight months since the surgery and seven months of hearing with a cochlear implant.



Amazing!  I definitely want my right ear implanted as well.  Then I will have surround sound!