Going out and about

I wake up and while Ed and I are eating breakfast, we are actually chit chatting. Usually we talk and discuss stuff but with me hearing him, we chit chatted about this and that and just chit chatted. Was nice. Meredith suggested that he read aloud to me so I will learn his voice. I also read aloud so I can hear my own voice and practice my speech. So we are eating breakfast together and just chit chatting and lovin this! Its awesome. Ed goes to work and I plan my day. I went out to all the shops I frequently shop and re introduced myself and told them that I wanted to hear what they sounded like. I went to the cleaners, my favorite consignment shop, (Consign It on Forest Dr , tell 'em I sent ya), my jeweler (Artisan Jewelry on Forest Dr), The Green Phenix (located on Sunnyside Dr again tell 'em I sent ya) Also Estate Liquidators. And while there I found that perfect chair that I just had to have  lol Anyway, it was fun to go see all my shopkeeper friends that have been so patient and kind in dealing with me. There were hugs all around and even a few tears shed. Its awesome....I have a friend in the hospital so I thought I would go see her. I made it through the parking garage but once I entered the corridors, I was uneasy as I heard what I think was the PA system, the housekeeping carts and this screeching noise. I thought maybe I was interfering with some equipment. I have to admit that I started to feel anxious and left without seeing my friend. Felt awful afterwards. I decided to tough up and go try again which I did and she was asleep! Ticked me off. Almost woke her too  lol But I didnt. I went to Target YUCK! I have no idea what I heard but one thing I did....a small girls voice. So precious. I went to the mother introduced myself and had to tell her that her childs voice was my first childs voice to hear and its just beautiful and for her to embrace it and enjoy. We hugged and cried. It was awesome. You have no idea! Spent more money so I decided to call it a day. Man what a day. So much to take in...I forgot to mention that this morning I also heard my tea pot water boiling and my dog lapping water...go figure...another big day....nighters!

The ride home...

Ed and I are traveling home from Charleston and I start to unpack my goody bag with all my stuff that Meredith gave me. Oh have mercy I have some studyin' to do! I opened up this fancy briefcase that has all this equipment and oh my gosh guess what I see! My receiver comes with four different colors! Let me back up here....When Ed and I first decided to go with the implant, several different styles were shown to us to chose from. One receiver we looked at had pink and black zebra stripes and all these "funky" covers I could wear. As soon as Meredith opened it up Ed said  and I quote " OH law dont show her those" lol Now for those of you that know me, I am slightly off whack and not well lets just say normal lol When I turned 50 I decided to go funky and I shaved my head, bought a convertible and started to take care of my bucket list. Ed did not want me to wear a pink and black zebra print receiver on my head and since he was paying for this thing, I went with gray so it would blend in with my hair and not stand out. Well to my surprise when I opened my briefcase that had all my supplies and stuff there laying before me were 4 extra recievers all in multiple colors. Neon green, yellow, bright blue and lastly old ugly orange (which I will never wear unless I am going to a tacky party or something). I was so excited and Ed just rolled his eyes. So far I am wearing the gray. I will break in the neon green maybe for St. Paddy's Day lol  We driving home and well, I need to stop and use the little girls room. Went in and I know I shouldnt talk about such private things but you know what my 3rd new sound was? Tinkle  lol  OK Im embarrassed but its true....I just really never ever thought about it. Go figure....we arrive home and day one has come to a close but wait...you know I have to update my games so I quick go to the computer and 4th new sound? Keys on the keyboard click! Imagine that...Its so loud...even the mouse has a click. I am so involved with these new sounds...I play Words with Friends and it has a bubble sound when a move is made! Bejeweled Blitz! Have Mercy and Hot Shots! I now have turned my volume control off. Not down but off! My day is complete.

Hang on and enjoy the ride....

January 3rd arrives, I am sick to my stomach, anxious, nervous, excited all wrapped into one. I arrive to see my audiologist Meredith ( insert shout out here as she has been fabulous and treated me with kindness and understanding)...she hands me paperwork to fill out as I have been accepted to participate in a study for CI wearers. The implant I chose is called the MAESTRO and is supposed to be tuned in to music and the telephone which both are very important to me. My goal is to join our church choir again after gosh I think its been a 15 year hiatus? and also to talk to my children on the phone. 2 goals. Choir and kids and phone. THis study is for music so, I am going to do it. OK, Im sitting in the room with Ed, Meredith and her intern ready to program this thing. She places it in my ear, hooks me up to the machine and the first thing I hear is a "DING" I have never EVER heard a ding before in my life. I thought to myself. Ok, this might work. Well what came next BLEW ME AWAY and I told them to take this off I did not like it at all! It was awful! Everything was so loud and all at once I heard all these noises that were so unfamiliar to me. I did not like it and I was ready to leave. Then the tears came. Not for joy but for disappointment. Meredith said wait, hang on lets do this thing...She played with this and that and lo and behold, things were starting to come together. What I hear is different from you hear. Everything I hear sounds like a robot. Everything is monotone. I am speaking slower and I also sound like a robot. Ed to me sounds like a duck!  lol Dont you love it! Good news is that I am hearing. What I am hearing, Im not quite sure. It will take time for this old brain to process everything and get these nerves that have been inative for so long to come out and play nicely with one another. But the first thing I did hear when Ed and I left the office was a baby cry BEHIND me. I have NEVER EVER heard anything from behind. We were able to see Will who works part time at McKevlins on Folly Beach (tell him I sent ya) and when we walked in the door he said hi momma and I told him I heard that! We hugged and cried and then we had to leave. I was tired and just wanted to go home...Just wait til you hear what happens next!

The Journey begins...

On December 16, 2011 my husband Ed, my daughter Mary Frances and myself entered MUSC Outpatient surgery area. Surgery was to last 2 hours and I would be sent back home to recuperate. Drugs were fabulous and my aftercare was great as I stayed at the home of my son Will and his new wife, Mandy. I must insert here another shout out to them as their guest room has THE most fabulous mattress I have ever slept on and the pillows....well lets just say I have been pillow shopping since I have been home :)  Anyway, I woke up from surgery with a "glassock" over my ear which looked like I was ready to play in a water polo match. Wore that thing for 2 days and that was it! Day 3 I started with the swelling on my right side and a black and blue eye. Later my right side turned a beautiful shade of baby poop yellow. I looked fabulous! lol I took a few pics so if I can figure this thing out, I will also add the pics to this blog post. Stayed with Will and Mandy for5 days then headed home to fly solo with no hearing at all until I am to be hooked up to my receiver on January 3rd. I was nervous to be going home completely deaf during the holiday season where I will be around lots of people but I think I did ok as everyone understood what I was going through. I even mentioned to Ed that if the implant was not successful that I would be just fine. And I still believe that....

A question was asked to me, "why now?" why after all these years did I decide to get a cochlear implant now? Simply put...because it was time. Let me start at the beginning. Im Karen, 55 years old and lost my hearing at age 8 due to an illness. My hearing loss was not discovered until I went off to college and had a geology class with 300 other students in an auditorium taught by slides with the lights off. Sitting on the front row, I still made a terrible grade. It later was my husband who discovered my loss by telling my parents that he is whispering sweet little nothings in my ear and not getting any response. At least that's the story he tells. Anyway back to why the implant now. I flew to Denver with my sister, Jill to see her daughter and her family August of 2011. While I was there I discovered I wasnt hearing well and thought oh well, its time to get new aides. I could not hear precious little Jassim at all!  To make a long story short, I came home from Denver, told Ed I needed new hearing aids and made an appointment. I decided since I noticed my loss was so great, I wanted to start over from scratch with a new dr a new audiologist, the whole shabang. I went to a new ENT (Dr. Noone) in Charleston and a new audiologist fresh out of school. What a tremendous move that was on my part! So here I will enter a big shout out to Natalie Bickley who was my audiologist. I will never forget the kindness I was treated with when she told me that she could not help me anymore that my hearing loss was "profound" and aides would no longer help me. She did say in her opinion, that I might be a good candidate for the implant and pointed me in the direction of MUSC in Charleston, SC. The office made all the arrangements and that was the starting point. Bless you Natalie for showing me the way.