Freed From a Disability...

To be freed from a disability after living with it for decades is probably one of the most profound experiences that a person can have! I spent most of last week in sound booths at the hospital, having my new Kanso cochlear implant processor mapped by a very nice audiologist. At the end of the mapping and tests, I scored 94 percent on voice recognition. The hearing in my implanted ear has been tripled!

Later last week, when the tests were completed, I went for a family lunch with my son and parents. Everyone wanted to see how the processor was working. The ease with which I heard as I enjoyed quesadillas and Heineken was astounding. My mother and father were amazed and ecstatic.

Also, the night before, I’d made my first phone call in so many years, to my very surprised father! I talked to both parents on the phone and they were blown away. I have a phone clip device with Bluetooth technology and it works beautifully. It sends the call recipient’s voice straight into my processor and cuts out every bit of background noise.

These improvements are wonderful. Every day, I want to get up and get ready as soon as possible, so I can put on the processor and have hearing all day and night. While I’m still learning to identify the sounds I hear, and voices still sound a bit cartoonish, every day brings new learning and major improvements.

To celebrate, I signed up for pilates and yoga classes yesterday. It’ll be so much fun to go to a class and hear an instructor! My goal over the next few weeks is to enjoy going to the gym, enjoy my job and enjoy my relationships. Without the burden of hearing loss, I wake up feeling fresh and rested, even when I get little sleep. It’s an epic life change which promises to continue getting better over time.

If you have severe to profound hearing loss, I strongly encourage you to talk to your audiologist about the cochlear implant. While the operation aftermath was rough, I did heal well and feel great now. Waiting to activate the implant was hard, but it was so worth it! Once your cochlear implant is activated, you’ll be able to get so much joy from every single day!

Today, we’re hitting the mall and going out for lunch. It’s my first round of retail therapy after getting the implant activated, so it’s more than a typical Saturday outing. It’s a grand adventure which allows me to smoothly and happily interact with new people.