Two years ago on October 12, 2010, I took a huge leap of faith and walked into the operating room, accompanied by my surgical team, for cochlear implantation surgery. I was so calm. I was totally in the zone and fearless. I had placed my faith in God, my surgical team, and my very talented surgeon, trusting that the cochlear implant would work.
Today I think in terms of My Life Before The Cochlear Implants and My Life After The Cochlear Implants. Today, I have two cochlear implants, having been implanted in my right ear on February 29th of this year.
Years ago there used to be a show called the Bionic Woman. She had a totally bionic body. Well, I have Bionic Ears. Some deaf people think of people who have been implanted with cochlear implants, as having robotic ears. Well, two years later, hearing with cochlear implants don't sound robotic at all. They never did.
Here's the really cool thing about Bionic Ears. We recently had a fire drill at the building where I work. We were outside, waiting to be called in. It was noisy, listening to traffic sounds, people chattering. In the midst of all this, I heard a squeaking high pitched sound. I turned to the person standing next to me and asked if she heard a bird or a squeaking sound. She replied no.
I stood, listening. Something told me to look up and straight ahead. Well, the squeaking sound was the sound of a window washer's squeegee, squeaking against the glass window, several floors up and two blocks away! I could hear that "squeak," in spite of traffic noises and people chattering. I was amused.
How's THAT for Bionic Ears?? Pretty cool, huh?
I also am part of a growing community of people who have been implanted with cochlear implants. Some members were born deaf, became deaf as infants, toddlers, children, teenagers, and as adults. Some lost their hearing quite suddenly and without warning. Whatever our hearing history, we chose a life enhanced by cochlear implants.
My journey to better hearing with cochlear implants has been one exhilarating ride. Oh, there have been bumps and setbacks along the way. The positives of cochlear implants have far outweighed any negatives.
I have made and met so many new friends and who I consider family. We have people who are grandparents, married, widowed, divorced, separated, single, straight, gay, and we are a diverse group. Some live as far away as the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait. We are definitely a global community, and we are many.
Every day there are people who have decided to be implanted with cochlear implants and seek advice, support, and yes, affirmation that this choice is the right decision for them. Many of us are volunteer mentors. I am one of them.
Just the other day, I read a post from a "newbie," who had just been activated. His question made me laugh. He asked when the "jello brain," would go away.
Hearing with cochlear implants is NOT like hearing with a hearing aid. FAR from it. One of the biggest shocks upon activation, or shortly thereafter, is the discovery that hearing with a cochlear implant is a "brain thing."
I had a "tweaking" session with my audiologist last Thursday. She just returned from maternity leave. I reminded her that it had been nearly two years since my first cochlear implant surgery. We talked a bit about the progress I have made. We talked about my mistakes. We did some more tweaking. I asked questions.
I am blessed with FOUR cochlear implant processors. For me, that's HUGE.
When I wore hearing aids, every time one would go out, I would be deaf again in one ear, unless I was lucky to wear a loaner that was strong enough for my hearing loss.
One set of cochlear implant processors is worn behind the ear and is water-resistant. I don't have to clap my hands over my ears in order to keep my cochlear implant processors dry if it starts to sprinkle. I find that I still do that as a force of habit!
The second set of cochlear implant processors is totally, completely waterproof! No hands needed! I can wear these processors totally off the ears. I can clip them to my clothing, my hair. I can wear arm bands, and a headband and clip the processors on that way.
I just get giddy, thinking about the choices I have with my Bionic Ears! I can listen to music on my iPod Nano. I can listen to music on my iPhone. I can listen to talk radio, although I do not yet understand all of it, I am recognizing sentences. For someone who tested with zero speech discrimination in August 2010, that is a HUGE improvement.
If I choose to, I can take a water aerobics class at a indoor pool facility and hear the instructions of the water aerobics instructor with my waterproof cochlear implant processors.
My world post cochlear implants has changed so much. I think back to August 18, 2010, when I knew I met candidacy requirements for cochlear implants. Barbara, a nurse, told me that cochlear implants would change my life. I understood that in a intellectual way, but still was clueless!
Yes, cochlear implants has definitely changed my life, and for the better.
So here's to many more years of bilateral hearing with cochlear implants!
I am blessed beyond measure, and my life is richer because of a choice I made on October 12, 2010.
Here's a thank you to my surgeon, whose skilled hands and talent gave me hearing, aided by cochlear implants, which I thought was lost to me forever.
No longer do I have to be told, "You can't do that because you are deaf."
The possibilities are endless with Bionic Ears!
