The Meeting

well, i finally met face to face with the man who has been trying to get me to accept a CI for almost ten years now. The doc came in and all he had to say was "so your finally ready?". well yes i am. for the longest time it seems i had decided to do both ears the same time, but after talking with people and with my audi, it was suggested to do my worst ear first and then my good ear later. The doc had the same opinion but was a bit more honest as to why: and i quote "the payout is less if i do them together".....I thought this was funny but atleast he was honest. Although my appoint ment was 3hrs long, i don't have much else to report. Now i just need to go get an MRI and my menegitis shot, after that its is just the waiting game until the day of surgery.

Oh and so ya'll know the surgery is only 3 hours long and is an outpatient thing. I will be home the same day unless it is determined between now and then that i suffer from sleep apnea. i don't so until next time: remember not everything that goes up comes down....weight for instance.

The Evaluation

OK, well i had one really early start today, with my 730am doc apt. I was up at 530 just to get ready and leave. The whole time i was trying to wake up i was actually feeling a bit apprehensive since i new they were going to have to test my right ear for the first time in 15 years. I know i may have mentioned 12 years before but i found out today it is actually 15years. Well when i got there i was the first patient of the day and i was the only one at that point. My Audi came out and invited me back to the testing room. Basically a big room with a large safe like box in the middle. As we sat down she began to explain the procedures for the day and asked if i had any questions. having been through many hearing test i did not.

Once inside the box i had my right ear tested ( my left had been done 3 weeks ago and did not need it) . At first i ha no idea what i was listening for, since i have not heard in this ear for years. The first few sounds were the high pitch sounds, i never actually heard these but had to raise my hand just to stop the vibrations that bothered me. When she got to the low pitch sounds i was able to hear them but the had to be so loud the program almost couldn't do it. or so it seemed. Once that fiasco was done, my Audi programed 2 Oticon aids for my left and right ear levels. When put in i heard pretty good out of the left side, the right seemed to be only pressure and vibrations, no understandable sound. thus began the word comprehension testing. Beginning with my right ear i heard nothing at all the whole time. then moving on to both ears i heard some things after we discovered it wasn't set up right for me to hear inside the booth. after testing both ears we went back to the right ear. I heard sound but absolutely no words.

Then we tested the left ear, oh boy i heard words and i know from my Audi's reaction and from my own second guessing i didn't hear right. Heck i didn't say a few words i thought i heard cause i knew there was no way they would put those in a hearing test. When the test was over, she told me i heard 41.5% of the words given. however it seemed to high, so we added background sound. Oh yeah that made it fun, i never got the exact percentage i heard correctly but i do know it was probably a hell of a lot lower. Especially since when i asked my Audi seemed to get this look on her face like she felt she would depress me if she told. oh didn't really care i actually found it quite amusing how miserable i did. and I know i m eligible for a CI, and i will be getting one, if not two (one in each ear) it is now just a matter of when. I do know that if i had this test before with this outcome i don't remember it. Had i remembered it i probably would have gotten the CI sooner, but i also know i was to damn stubborn to want it. Now i know i need it and i will be meeting with the surgeon on May 28Th. well until then remember to be is to do, to do is to be, do be do be do!

The beginnings

Well this will be the start of a long and hopefully pleasing journey for me. On Thursday I will be visiting my Audi (Audiologist) for a CI (Cochlear Implant) evaluation. I hope to be able to implant my deaf ear (the right one) first so i can continue to hear for the duration it takes to heal and activate my implant. As well as train my brain to hear on the right side again. It has been 12 years i believe since i have heard anything out of my right ear. This year could be a historical one in my life.

I titles this the beginnings, since it isn't really day 1 of the journey as the journey began 17 years ago. A small boy about 8 years old, woke up with a fever and spent an unusually long time with a dangerously high fever and ear infection. Once recovered from this, it became increasingly noticeable that he was having difficulty hearing people. The doctors discovered his hearing loss was due to nerve damage, most likely sustained from the high fever and ear infection. Over time as his right ear became increasingly worse, the left ear began to fail as well. At one point the doctor stopped testing my right ear and began writing DNT (Did Not Test) on the charts and did so since it fail every length of hearing a HA (Hearing Aid) could possibly help. My doctor repetitively suggested i get the CI in my right ear. However i refused as the only thing they had available was to impeding on my life at the time. Now 12 years later and with the advancement of technology the world has possibly a water resistant and sweat proof CI. (I hope)

Although the journey truly began 17 years ago, i will finally begin what started years ago. This blog is my daily journal on my experience of receiving a CI and rehabilitation after wards. I will keep everyone who reads this updated with my progress. Although i said it is my daily blog/journal it will only be a daily update once i have received the CI. So until Thursday when i actually have more news to report. Peace, and be glad you can hear with out help!

Anthony
HOH/Deaf since 1991
Soon to be Bionic with the Nucleus Freedom