I just wanted to keep you all updated. I recently found out that my hearing is declining rapidly and I will not be able to hear out of hearing aids in the next couple of years. In spite of this information, I wanted to check out Cochlear Implants because I do want to hear at least SOMETHING and didn't ever want to even consider losing all of my hearing. This information leads to my next adventure in life.
Last Thursday, I went to my first appointment to the Dallas Ear Insistute in Dallas, Texas. (Thanks again Mom and Dad for taking me!:). They are the best hospital that specializes in Cochlear Implants. The hospital is amazing. The staff there is really nice and Dr. Peters is very positive and reassuring. They told me that I am a canidate and that I will LOVE my implants and wonder why I never got them sooner. They have absolutely no doubt that I will be able to hear MUCH better than I do with hearing aids and be able to hear sounds that I've never been able to hear before like birds that y'all say are so pretty to hear and the water dripping out of the faucet and some of the quiet and high pitched noises that I was never able to hear before.
The surgery which will be done on the side of my head above my ear will most likely be done in May or June. The doctor said that he wants to do it in my better ear that I can hear with my hearing aid with, which means NO hearing aids or hearing at all for at least 4 weeks if not more. I won't be hearing my kind of "normal" for quite some time. I will be hearing anything and everything between robots and alvin and the chipmunks for the first few months. I'm very excited for the experience and the opportunity to be able to hear better than i've ever heard before because I've noticed that my hearing has gone down rapidly the last two years with my hearing aids. It will be a long hard road to learn and teach myself how to hear again and get used to the strange noises that i've never heard before, but I know I can do it with the HUGE support network I have behind me. I am honestly kind of scared to not have my hearing aids or the option of having them anymore after this but I know it will be worth it to hear the little sounds that make life even more enjoyable. I am also nervous about the recovery and the hard road of getting it back to normal and teaching myself how to hear again and therapy and things like that, but like I said, I have a huge support network behind me and I know that I can do it. I will be updating my blog on this information as a journal and keeping record of my experiences for my benefit as well as to keep my family and friends and you readers out there informed on how i'm feeling at the moment.
My next appointment is in March and it is a series of appointments to make sure that I can handle getting the implant which I have no doubt that I will pass and from there I will know more about when my surgery will be and things that I can do to make the recovery as easy as possible.
If y'all have any questions feel free to ask me!
