It all began August 9th, 2018

August 9th, 2018


A Little Background

I have profound to severe sensorineural hearing loss in both ears. No one knows what caused my hearing loss. I received my hearing aides in kindergarten and wore them all through elementary and high school years. My freshman year of college at U of I was frightening as I lost the residual hearing in my right ear and therefore, the hearing aid could no longer work. U of I at Champaign Speech Clinic told me about the cochlear implant and highly recommended I look into into it. I had three years of college to complete and needed to hear so I decided to go for it. The best decision I have ever made. It was a long process of letting the brain adjust to new sounds but I heard sounds I had not heard in those twenty years like the sounds of pop fizzing , flip flops on the ground, the refrigerator making noise, crickets and the birds. ( I really do not like the birds because they do not stop chirping! (My mom was disappointed to learn this) Receiving this cochlear implant was truly a SPECIAL GIFT!

Why is my post titled my Second Gift? Well, I received the first gift of a cochlear implant 19 years ago!

I had cochlear implant surgery at University of Chicago Medicine on August 9th. I am a teacher so getting it done in the summer was the best time and would allow for recovery. Surgery is so much more modern. Nineteen years ago, they had to shave some of my hair and had to make a larger incision for the cochlear implant. I remember I had staples all down my head! This time, the incision is done behind the ear and very little hair is cut. August 9th was a Thursday and that was probably my worst day of recovery. You really do need time to recover from taking medications and letting your head heal but sleep was the best medicine!

I thank my family and friends for supporting me on this day! It has been incredible to read all the heartfelt support from people.

What made me decide to go for my second one? I am part of Hearing Loss Association of America national chapter. Every year they host conventions all across the country. I have been to one in Milwaukee, St. Louis and Minneapolis. I always tell people who wear hearing aids to think about getting a cochlear implant because it has made such a unbelievable impact in my quality of life! I tell them they do not know what they are missing. What is funny is people who have two cochlear implants tell me I do not know what I am missing! They might be right so I decided to get a second one.

Back at it!

November 4th,  2018

I finally have some time to write on my blog! Yay! Work has been so busy and I have been going to captioned theatre plays at Second City, open captioned movies like A Star is Born (which was really good), celebrating my mom's birthday, running the Hearing Loss Association of America's Chicago Lincoln Park Chapter and taking technology classes at the University of St. Francis at Joliet. Lots going on!

However, I really wanted to share with you what I heard just recently. I have been turning down the volume to level 3 . Level 6 was so loud I found the sounds were so distorted. My audiologist told me to gradually increase the volume so that is where I am at. Anyway, back to my aha moment. I was at the doctor's office waiting of course for the doc. I heard what sounded like a toilet flushing and paper towel roller dispenser. At first, I was like nahhh that cannot be it. However, I heard the same sounds again. I was like oh my gosh I can hear that. I can hear the toilet flushing, the paper towel dispensing and the door closing! i found out there was a bathroom right next to the room I was waiting in . No way had I heard those before and not all in a row. I thought that was really COOL!