the gift of words in my path

I have gone bilateral with the support of the hearing aid (HA) in the other ear. It was a strange start as it felt as though I had two brains processing different sound information at once. Thankfully it was a day or two before it blended together and became immersed and gave me hope. The reason for wearing the CI alone for two months was to allow the brain to adapt to it and become dependent on the CI information. The important thing is to ensure the HA doesn't dominate, because it doesn't give accurate information to the brain, but rather it provides some surround sound and can provide support to the CI. It also keeps the auditory nerve working (maybe one day I'll have surgery in the other ear though at present Canada does not do bilateral implants.) I have adapted to wearing the CI and HA very well. In this early phase, I often will turn off one or the other to compare the quality of sounds that I hear. The CI is the shining winner for processing sound and bringing clarity to my hearing.

I am listening to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on audiotape with the text in hand. This is a great and challenging read, and the narrator keeps me hooked to the dialogue. There are many words that aren't necessarily 'everyday words' and keep me attentive as these are words I recognize but have had inability to pronunciate them properly for now obvious reasons... because I hear more clearly now, I can decipher these advanced words and correct myself. It causes me to think about the significance of hearing loss and how we are affected by it. The ability to hear is truly a gift and that moves me to no end!

A turning moment happened for me right after my map update three weeks ago. While working at preschool, we had time for music and we danced rambunctiously to a CD. Suddenly I am alerted to a string of words I'd not noticed before. I asked a colleague, "Am I hearing, "Cha cha cha?" to which she replied, "Yes, the song is called "Bear - Cha Cha cha." I asked if it was something that had been played before... and she nodded positively. The chant mysteriously jumped out in this song that was formerly unrecognizable to me! All my life I have needed hours and hours of repetitive listening in a chance to recognize a song and to search, at times, desperately for lyrics! My sister and I spent many of our young years together with her vinyl record collection. She would assist me by pointing her finger to lyrics printed on the record jacket over and over until I could make some sense of the voice in the mix. (Thank you dear Di for your love and support.) Now I don't need as much guidance and can work on the benefit of the CI to relay precise sound information. Nowadays I am hearing with clarity words and phrases from all around me, even IN background noise and it gets so exciting! Along with hearing everything more than ever in my life, it is HEAVENLY to hear my two beautiful daughters with increasing ease, especially as they always have music playing nearby and it doesn't get in the way of my ability to understand them.

Following my mapping revision, I had the privilege to meet Rick Hansen who did the World In Motion Tour. An amazing and determined paraplegic, he wheeled for two years around the world to raise awareness and funds for spinal cord injury. In 1986 at the end of his tour,I witnessed him rolling into Vancouver in front of City Hall. Now was a chance to tell him what he did was so inspiring to all of us as it shows life doesn't need to stop with our challenges. We can still pursue our dreams. He showed interest in my CI experience, asking questions about its success. He expressed that he knows of another CI recipient who is on the board for one of the organizations I work for. It was an exciting moment to talk with this man who inspired so many people with and without disability. His words of wisdom are encouraging: "Someday a wheelchair will be a thing of the past found only in museums."
"When you set a goal you can accomplish it, if you set your mind to it. All you need to do is persevere."
This is a favorite: "There are no walls in life that you can't climb. Never give up."


My three weeks of late have been surrounded with words coming to me with increasing clarity and I am really enjoying this phase in my life. The misery I had with the first CI have all but become a blur in my memory. The hub of the school year-end has come to a close, and now I hope to focus on more auditory therapy through book tapes and in CiHear.com. I am especially eager to spend time with my family in the States and see what it is like to be in the family setting as there is alot of chatter when we get together. This is like Christmas - the gift of words in my path.