Easter Blessings

I spent a relaxing Easter Sunday reading the Sunday paper and eating breakast.  It was a bit chilly this morning but the sun was out. I am definitely hearing out of both ears with the two cochlear implants.  I practice hearing with just the right ear cochlear implant processor for a few hours as part of auditory verbal training.  Right now my right ear just compliments my left ear and I hear surround sound.

It is nice not to experience single-sided deafness and to be able to hear out of both ears. I am hearing traffic noises of cars blocks away before I even see the car coming.  I ran an errand earlier this morning and a woman who was driving, and not paying attention to her surroundings, nearly ran into me in the parking lot.  I was able to brake in time in order to prevent her from sideswiping my car.

There are some deaf behaviors I haven't been able to shake as a deaf driver.  If I can, I will back into a parking lot trunk first so that I can see while pulling out of a parking spot.  I still will tap my horn and honk a little before backing out.  I am amazed at the number of distracted drivers out there.  I think distracted drivers are very scary.  For years I had to rely on sight as a deaf driver and to this day I am very visual.  I still use my eyes as my guide rather than my ears.

Still, it is nice to be able to hear out of both ears when driving on multi-lane interstate roads, especially during rush hour. I do find that I am not as anxious driving from my home to the cochlear clinic for mappings.  I won't say I am a relaxed driver, but I am used to making the one and a half hour trip (two if it is bad weather) from my home to the cochlear clinic and back home again.

This Easter Sunday I am definitely counting my blessings as a bilateral cochlear implant recipient. I know there are more sound flavorings to get used to.  I continue to be surprised at how deaf I am when I take off my cochlear implant processors at night. It is pretty quiet. It is even more amazing when I think about all those years how I functioned with my deafness, especially as it got worse over time.

I definitely hit the Hearing Lottery in realizing the dream of cochlear implants.  I consider myself blessed beyond measure. 

How can you put a price on Hearing?  Hearing with two cochlear implants is priceless.