commitment
So now that I have my second surgery scheduled I thought I might try wearing my hearing aid in my left ear for a while. My audiologist had suggested that it would be a good idea to stimulate my left auditory nerve for a while.
I may try it again, but when I tried it yesterday it seemed like nothing. I mean, my left ear with that hearing aid was my entire entry into sound until May, and it sounded remarkably insignificant. It was amazing. This is how much my standard for hearing has already improved.
With my CI I am not even close to normal hearing. Among other things, I'm in dire need of a remapping (and have one scheduled for Tuesday). But even with the oddities (mostly echoes and some tinniness) I can hear an order of magnitude better than I could with the hearing aid.
I knew that, but the practical demonstration still took me aback. It's an odd feeling, but definitely validates my decision to proceed with my second ear. Even though I haven't achieved the level of clarity that I had with natural hearing, my hearing is still better. I can hear more even with the oddities.
Imagine what it might be like in a year, with two CIs and fully integrated and rehabbed sound.
Seriously. I can't imagine that right now. The improvement that I've already achieved is enough better than the hearing aids I've been struggling with that I have another surgical procedure scheduled - and am looking forward to it with an urgency that's hard to convey. It's not that I can't wait till my surgery date - I can and will. But I've seen enough progress that contemplating the aftermath of that surgery and the subsequent activation and rehab work is quite simply one of the more exciting things I've looked forward to in my life.
I don't know if people with normal hearing can imagine this. Maybe so, but I do know that I know one or two people who will understand.
Because right now? I'm incredibly happy with the outcome, even though I'm far from finished with the process. And grateful to have an employer that provides health insurance that covers this. And so astoundingly grateful to the chain of medical professionals that got me here, from the ENT and the audiologist that I went to last winter, and who referred me to the U of M clinic and my surgeon and CI audiologist there. And the people at Med-El who made my CI.
I've spent a lot of my life being frustrated by my hearing impairment. But right now I just feel lucky.
I may try it again, but when I tried it yesterday it seemed like nothing. I mean, my left ear with that hearing aid was my entire entry into sound until May, and it sounded remarkably insignificant. It was amazing. This is how much my standard for hearing has already improved.
With my CI I am not even close to normal hearing. Among other things, I'm in dire need of a remapping (and have one scheduled for Tuesday). But even with the oddities (mostly echoes and some tinniness) I can hear an order of magnitude better than I could with the hearing aid.
I knew that, but the practical demonstration still took me aback. It's an odd feeling, but definitely validates my decision to proceed with my second ear. Even though I haven't achieved the level of clarity that I had with natural hearing, my hearing is still better. I can hear more even with the oddities.
Imagine what it might be like in a year, with two CIs and fully integrated and rehabbed sound.
Seriously. I can't imagine that right now. The improvement that I've already achieved is enough better than the hearing aids I've been struggling with that I have another surgical procedure scheduled - and am looking forward to it with an urgency that's hard to convey. It's not that I can't wait till my surgery date - I can and will. But I've seen enough progress that contemplating the aftermath of that surgery and the subsequent activation and rehab work is quite simply one of the more exciting things I've looked forward to in my life.
I don't know if people with normal hearing can imagine this. Maybe so, but I do know that I know one or two people who will understand.
Because right now? I'm incredibly happy with the outcome, even though I'm far from finished with the process. And grateful to have an employer that provides health insurance that covers this. And so astoundingly grateful to the chain of medical professionals that got me here, from the ENT and the audiologist that I went to last winter, and who referred me to the U of M clinic and my surgeon and CI audiologist there. And the people at Med-El who made my CI.
I've spent a lot of my life being frustrated by my hearing impairment. But right now I just feel lucky.
Comments
Post a Comment