Saturday, April 20, 2013

A baseball game

I recently gathered with friends at a baseball game.  The purpose was two-fold: To support Jacob Landis, who is a CI recipient and is bicycling to all the Major League Baseball stadiums in the USA to raise a million dollars for cochlear implant surgery.  His project is called "Jacob's Ride," and I was privileged to meet this young man.

The second purpose was to educate others about cochlear implants and to provide information to potential candidates, as well as socializing with other cochlear implant recipients.

It was really COLD. I was bundled up in layers of clothing but neglected to do something for my legs.  I should have brought a stadium blanket.  Nevertheless, I enjoyed the game and getting together with friends.

Even sitting WAY up in the bleachers, I could hear the crack of the ball hitting the bat, the cheers of the crowd, and the unofficial cheerleading coaches who coached us how to do the wave. I couldn't get over folks who were in jeans, t-shirts, tank tops in 50 degree weather and drinking ice cold beer.

This is my second spring hearing out of both ears.  The sounds of spring are all around me, people riding on motorcycles, the sound of weed trimmers, lawn mowers, dogs barking, and the birds serenading me in the early hours of the morning as I leave for work.

Money is still a huge obstacle for many who qualify for and desire cochlear implants. This was one of the reasons Jacob Landis launched his project, "A baseball for hearing."

The cost of cochlear implant surgery is slowly coming down.  Most health insurance plans cover 80% of the surgery.  The co-payments can be expensive.

The dog is barking non-stop.  I do not have any dogs or cats, but I can hear the neighborhood dogs barking through the walls of my townhouse.

I gave some thought recently of how to explain my deafness in abstract terms.  Most people have heard the roar of the engines of a 747 commercial jet as the plane prepares to take off a runway.

Without my cochlear implant processors on, I no longer hear it.  That is how deaf I am.

Nearly three years ago, on October 12, 2010, I had cochlear implant surgery on my left ear. On February 29, 2012, I had cochlear implant surgery on my right ear.

I made a deliberate choice to hear. I'm so glad it did.  I just heard a plane overhead, and smiled.

Having bionic ears is pretty cool.