I'm with my younger sister and her family. We had a lot of fun yesterday. Some of us wanted to sleep in, but some other family relatives were simply too excited to let us sleep past 7 in the morning.
So I trotted into the kitchen and prepared coffee. My brother in law left to go get his mother, who lives 15 minutes away. A short time later, she arrived and I asked her if she would like coffee. She happily accepted and I prepared two very strong cups of Columbian coffee for us.
As the kids excitedly opened their Christmas presents and chattered on, I sliced up some Italian sweetbread, cinnamon coffee cake, and put out some dried fruit on a plate, and brought that into the living room and passed the plate around.
It was definitely a noisy Christmas gathering. We all had attended Christmas Eve services the previous night and the adults were in bed by 1:30 AM after last minute Christmas preparations. It was a treat for me to hear familar Christmas hymns out of both ears. It felt more like Thanksgiving to me than Christmas. I am just so thankful to be hearing out of both ears.
Friends came over for dessert and a word game that was hysterically funny to play. I had to quit the game after a while because I was getting tired after a long festive day. I went to bed by 11 PM, only to joyfully be awakened by a black and white bundle of fur who insisted I get up and entertain her. The puppy was relentless.
Today has been cold and rainy. At times it was heavy. I could hear the rain coming down. I spent most of the morning trying to entertain a stir-crazy 10 month old border collie named Nellie. I could hear her playful growl as we played tug of war with a tennis ball and and a rubber squeaky bone. When Nellie figured out that she wasn't going outside anytime soon, she settled down somewhat. Nellie is funny, though. She is the perfect family dog for five very energetic nieces and nephews.
My brother in law, five of my nieces and nephews have been playing with a new family gift -a computerized entertainment game. It has been a noisy day. My sister took an extra shift at work for a veterinarian who had a death in the family December 22nd.
My sister just walked in. More hearing adventures later.
What a blessing to have bionic ears!
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Medical Procedures and Cochlear Implants
Tuesday I had to go to the hospital to have two medical procedures done requiring anesthesia. A friend drove me to the hospital as I wasn't permitted to drive home afterwards. Prior to my medical procedures, I had filled out an online history, and had an interview with a nurse over the telephone. This was my first medical procedure as a bilateral cochlear implant recipient.
The nurse who interviewed me was really concerned how the medical staff was going to alert me to wake up after the procedure. I explained that I would be wearing my cochlear implant processors, and that I lipread well, and communication shouldn't be an issue.
I told this to my friend who was really amused. She asked me, "Mindy, when you had hearing aids and had to take them off to sleep, how did people wake you up?" I shook her shoulder in response. She laughed. Well, I have to take off my cochlear implant processors to go to sleep at night, so I use alternative methods to wake myself up.
When my friend and I arrived, I was wearing my freestyle cochlear implant processors clipped to my hair. I went through the registration process. I was asked to verify in writing that I was deaf, did not need a sign language interpreter or "special devices" as an accommodation. I again explained that I was a bilateral cochlear implant recipient and that communication shouldn't be an issue. The hospital employee asked me to indicate that I lipread. To her credit, she told me that if she talked too fast, to let her know. I thanked her.
I had to remove my glasses, so lipreading was challenging as faces were fuzzy. However, I had little problem appropriately responding to the questions and conversation. I kept the cochlear implant processors on. I wish I had thought to secure the headpieces with first aid tape before I lay on my left side and was anesthesized. It would have been interesting to experience hearing conversations under anesthesia.
When I was in recovery, I secured the headpieces to the magnets, and could hear again.
I had no issues with communication, and went through the procedures with flying colors.
My friend drove me home, and I watched a tv program and the news. I decided to go take a nap as I was cold (a common reaction for me). I slept for five hours.
I decided to look at my discharge folder and patient record. To my great amusement, there was a yellow label all across the folder with the universal sign for "hearing impairment." Inside the folder was a post-it sticky note that said in black Sharpie pen lettering, "Speech impediment" please speak slowly and carefully."
I honestly didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I am not old enough to be on Medicare, Social Security, and I am still gainfully employed full time. You would think I was on the high side of a 100, or, had suffered some neurological event, such as a stroke which impaired my speech.
As it is the Christmas Season, I probably should have had a neon sign which read:
NEWSFLASH: Patient is a bilateral cochlear implant recipient who wears CI processors, allowing her to hear. She doesn't use sign language, speaks articulately, is readily understood, lipreads well, and isn't elderly.
In my view, medical personnel need to be educated about cochlear implants, beginning with the fact that a cochlear implant is not a hearing aid, doesn't amplify sound.
Maybe I should volunteer my services to the hospital...
Now there's a thought.
The nurse who interviewed me was really concerned how the medical staff was going to alert me to wake up after the procedure. I explained that I would be wearing my cochlear implant processors, and that I lipread well, and communication shouldn't be an issue.
I told this to my friend who was really amused. She asked me, "Mindy, when you had hearing aids and had to take them off to sleep, how did people wake you up?" I shook her shoulder in response. She laughed. Well, I have to take off my cochlear implant processors to go to sleep at night, so I use alternative methods to wake myself up.
When my friend and I arrived, I was wearing my freestyle cochlear implant processors clipped to my hair. I went through the registration process. I was asked to verify in writing that I was deaf, did not need a sign language interpreter or "special devices" as an accommodation. I again explained that I was a bilateral cochlear implant recipient and that communication shouldn't be an issue. The hospital employee asked me to indicate that I lipread. To her credit, she told me that if she talked too fast, to let her know. I thanked her.
I had to remove my glasses, so lipreading was challenging as faces were fuzzy. However, I had little problem appropriately responding to the questions and conversation. I kept the cochlear implant processors on. I wish I had thought to secure the headpieces with first aid tape before I lay on my left side and was anesthesized. It would have been interesting to experience hearing conversations under anesthesia.
When I was in recovery, I secured the headpieces to the magnets, and could hear again.
I had no issues with communication, and went through the procedures with flying colors.
My friend drove me home, and I watched a tv program and the news. I decided to go take a nap as I was cold (a common reaction for me). I slept for five hours.
I decided to look at my discharge folder and patient record. To my great amusement, there was a yellow label all across the folder with the universal sign for "hearing impairment." Inside the folder was a post-it sticky note that said in black Sharpie pen lettering, "Speech impediment" please speak slowly and carefully."
I honestly didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I am not old enough to be on Medicare, Social Security, and I am still gainfully employed full time. You would think I was on the high side of a 100, or, had suffered some neurological event, such as a stroke which impaired my speech.
As it is the Christmas Season, I probably should have had a neon sign which read:
NEWSFLASH: Patient is a bilateral cochlear implant recipient who wears CI processors, allowing her to hear. She doesn't use sign language, speaks articulately, is readily understood, lipreads well, and isn't elderly.
In my view, medical personnel need to be educated about cochlear implants, beginning with the fact that a cochlear implant is not a hearing aid, doesn't amplify sound.
Maybe I should volunteer my services to the hospital...
Now there's a thought.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Cochlear Implants and Speech
I asked my younger sister if my speech had changed. She said it was changing. Hearing people have told me that my voice has changed since receiving cochlear implants. I knew Heather Whitestone McCallum, the first deaf woman to be crowned Miss America, had been implanted with cochlear implants about twelve years ago. I found a commercial she had filmed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on line and listened to her speech. She sounded just like a hearing person.
That was very encouraging to me. I know it is possible for a person's voice to change after a lifetime of being deaf after cochlear implant surgery. I don't know if Heather went through any speech therapy after receiving cochlear implants.
Adults who have either been deaf for years or late-deafened usually do not receive speech therapy, unless an adult has had speech affected by a stroke or some other medical event.
I think that is a mistake. I wish health insurance companies would invest in speech therapy for adults who have received cochlear implants.
Babies and children who have been implanted with cochlear implants receive speech therapy.
I can hear "sh," and "k" and "ch," and don't have any issues following conversations. It can be challenging in noisy environments, but I am getting better at it. I still have captions on the television, but I am listening to the conversations on the television and do not rely on captioning as much.
I still listen to talk radio. I am recognizing sentences now. I haven't reached the point where I can listen to a discussion in its entirety on talk radio yet.
People still make the mistake of talking louder with me, and that comes from habit. Cochlear Implants don't amplify sound. Hearing Aids do that.
This is my third Christmas hearing with a cochlear implant, and my first Christmas as a bilateral cochlear implant recipient. It is so nice to be able to hear with two cochlear implants.
Hearing with two cochlear implants continues to be a blessing. I am extraordinarily blessed.
That was very encouraging to me. I know it is possible for a person's voice to change after a lifetime of being deaf after cochlear implant surgery. I don't know if Heather went through any speech therapy after receiving cochlear implants.
Adults who have either been deaf for years or late-deafened usually do not receive speech therapy, unless an adult has had speech affected by a stroke or some other medical event.
I think that is a mistake. I wish health insurance companies would invest in speech therapy for adults who have received cochlear implants.
Babies and children who have been implanted with cochlear implants receive speech therapy.
I can hear "sh," and "k" and "ch," and don't have any issues following conversations. It can be challenging in noisy environments, but I am getting better at it. I still have captions on the television, but I am listening to the conversations on the television and do not rely on captioning as much.
I still listen to talk radio. I am recognizing sentences now. I haven't reached the point where I can listen to a discussion in its entirety on talk radio yet.
People still make the mistake of talking louder with me, and that comes from habit. Cochlear Implants don't amplify sound. Hearing Aids do that.
This is my third Christmas hearing with a cochlear implant, and my first Christmas as a bilateral cochlear implant recipient. It is so nice to be able to hear with two cochlear implants.
Hearing with two cochlear implants continues to be a blessing. I am extraordinarily blessed.
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