Sunday, April 24, 2005

"Open Door"

Wow, God continues to open doors for me on this journey. I am claiming the verse Revelations 3:8 where it says, "See, I have set before you an open door that no one can shut." The doors are wide open and I see this every single day. I can picture a big hallway set before me! Yesterday I chatted online with one of Dr. Merwin's patients that I had met a few weeks ago at the SHHH meeting. She was happy to hear from me and answered lots of questions for me. I had asked her how she managed during that four weeks with no sound after the surgery and she said that she had gone a whole YEAR without sound so the four weeks was nothing. But, she did say that the time will go by quickly. I also talked with Karen, my online quilting friend whose daughter was implanted three years ago. She said that Allison still continues to hear new sounds every day and does beautifully on the telephone. I just cannot imagine being able to have a conversation on the phone. That has always been a source of pain and frustration for me. I also talked to my brother, Doug, online who is also hearing impaired. He has looked into getting an implant, too, but is waiting to see what happens with technology and gene therapy. Today, I got an email from my aunt Miriam and she shared with me that her brother in law, John, was implanted with a cochlear implant five years ago and is doing well. I think his wife made our wedding cake 28+ years ago. I've been practicing with wearing my aid in my left ear only and can barely hear anything. Imagine turning the sound down halfway on your TV. That is what it is like for me with just one ear. But, I will do it because there will be a trade-off. I have so much faith in God that this will work. Forgive me for writing a lot. I have many thoughts swimming around in my head and want to write them down. Maybe I'll end up using this journal and write a book about my CI dance.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Wow... sometimes I feel like you're writing about myself! I'm curious about so many things - but on top of my head, how are you able to sing in church? I have to have my husband underline the word that's being sung. And too many times I'm still off-keyed and half a second behind. :) You mentioned somebody you met with CI said it takes 3 batteries with each change - do you know how often a CI needs to be changed?

I gather that you're also an accountant of some sort - when I worked, my official title was "Accounts Payable Clerk" - took care of all the bills and paychecks for the company. I did have to ask my boss to make any phone calls that were needed. But I used the fax machine a lot too. No internet communication at the company - the computer I worked on was made in 1985!!

I'm also wondering how you learned how to talk, what hearing aids were like in your younger years and how you met your husband - as you know all too well, too many people don't have the patience to communicate with deaf people.

Know what's scary? I could actually understand your audiogram. :) And yes, I wasn't able to understand any of the words without reading the lady's lips on my own audiogram.

Are you able to hear words in the music? Or at least used to be able to? I can listen to music, but for me to hear the words, I have to already know them by heart. And I listen to the same 3 dozen songs over and over and over and over and over... to my husband's absolute horror. :) Hey, I'm taking what I can get. I have to train myself to hear a new song, and that takes playing it about 50 times before I can really connect with it.

Have you tried digital hearing aids? (I know, I'm assuming you don't have some right now). I tried... and failed. It just wasn't powerful enough for me. I gave up and then later another hearing aid guy told me that with my hearing loss level, there was no way I could benefit from digital.

Are there any sounds you do seem to hear, no matter what? I could hear my dog's barking if she was in the same room/near by me WITHOUT my hearing aids on. I'm convinced she knew I was deaf. :) And with my hearing aids on, I can hear my husband tap his fingers on hard objects. Let's just say it drives me insane, and my husband can't understand how can I hear THAT, but not a whole bunch of other things?

Whew, I think my "comment" might be longer than you post. ;)