Do you believe in miracles? Those fascinating, heartthrilling events that are sometimes extremely difficult to comprehend? Especially if that miraculous event happens to you?
Over the past five years, I had been investigating through reading, seminars, and conferences, information in relation to the cochlear implant. I "heard" that this particular surgery could give a profoundly hearing impaired individual a "new lease" in the hearing world. I wanted to know as much as I possibly could about this surgical technique and if I qualified, what the risks would be.
Obtaining all the possible information through reputable sources on the Internet, from the audiologist, from the implant corporations, and from various implantees themselves cinched my desire to go forth and have the testing completed in October of 1998. I live in the midsection of New Hampshire, and Dartmouth Medical Centerin Hanover, New Hampshire provided cochlear implants. I have used their audiological services for over 20 years andI knew the doctor that performed this surgery. So this medical institution was obviously the choice for me.
The crisp, autumn day of the testing was causing my heart to beat in excitement. I knew that even if I was found not to be a candidate for this cochlear implantation, I had taken all the necessary steps up to this day to be as informative as possible and fully accepting of whatever outcome was handed to me. After all, the word "No" was not a strange answer to various hearing related situations from the past --
"Will my hearing improve?" "No."
"Is there a way of knowing if I will keep what I have?" "No."
and so forth.
Testing began with the CAT scan to reveal the internal structure of the ear and to make sure that the 8th cranial nerve to the brain was intact and useful and the cochlea structure was also intact and could be used to insert the electrodes. I never experienced having a CAT scan up until this point in time. It was exciting and painless, though somewhat awkward laying inside this tubular structure!
The time between the development of the CAT scan x-rays and the primary testing in the audiological booth was a couple of hours, and to be honest, I think the clock slowed down extremely during this time frame.
The sound proof audiological booths or rooms have been second nature to me for over 40 years, so I knew exactly what the outcome of those tests were going to be; Next to nothing in the pure tones, understanding sentences or words without hearing aids. And with hearing aids it did not make a major dent in the overall profile. I heard sounds, but the understanding of what was said was left hanging somewhere between here and there!! So I "flunked" the major sound and speech tests, which made me eligible for candidacy for the CI if the CAT scans proved all else was OK to perform the surgery.
Waiting for the results of any type of tests and x-rays is always a time when the clock again seems to move in slow mode!!. I had to wait to see the surgeon for the final outcome in all of this and my heart by this time was racing like crazy -- sort of like those days of first dates -- not knowing what to exactly expect! When he entered the room and explained to me calmly and reassuringly that the CAT scans were very good and that I was a prime candidate for this surgery, my heart could not contain the excitement of the moment. I remember jumping up and actually hugging the surgeon and just crying all at once with such joy!! We set up a date, what necessary insurance forms had to be sent where for approval, and a day to sign the surgery papers. Surgery would be December 16, 1998. I was all set; my heart wouldn't stop flying for two months!! (Usually surgery is scheduled one month from the date of acceptance, but because I had a travel commitment for work that I had already made, we postponed the surgery until December.)
Now that it has been almost a year since the surgery, I can say with all honesty, I would do it in a cinch again. (The surgery itself took time to heal. Yes, it hurt for a time with the staples and incision. The hook-up was not until almost 6 weeks from surgery, so again the anticipation of what was up ahead was a nerve wracking time in just waiting for this to happen.) My hearing has improved by leapsand bounds. Sounds that I barely remember have come back. Birds, music, running water, PA systems, wind, blinker lights on cars are just a beginning of the list. Speech discrimination has improved immensely. At my 6 month check-up in July, my post-operative tests gave me these results: 91% of the sentences were understood in quiet, no lip-reading, just listening to a CD-ROM in the booth room. From 12% to 60% understanding of sentences with noise intercepted, no lip-reading, and again listening to a CD-ROM. Ten times more words understood from pre-surgery days and pure tones tested exactly where the audiologist thought it would for a CI·(I forgot to ask to see the final chart on this, but the levels were midway to upper range from what I recall her stating.) All in all, I was fascinated as I never recalled hearing the complete sentences with any of the hearing aids I had, except with the visual clue of adding lip-reading abilities of which I do very well.
It is amazing now that I can be driving a car and hearing what is said from someone sitting next to me or in the back seat with no light on for lip-reading purposes or asking to always repeat -- and the clarity and sharpness of the speech sounds is just astounding. Using the phone without relay services is something I have not done in ages and it is truly amazing how clear it is coming through. I have much to learn yet, though, and some individuals are still hard to understand, so it is a lot of practice and patience to make this CI successful as well.
I never in my wildest dreams ever believed I would hear as well as I do now in my lifetime. I always believed in miracles happening. To others. But to have it happen to me makes me rejoice daily at what I hear. I am so thankful for those that used their talents to create this surgery, for my angel of a surgeon and forthe audiologists that were there along the way. My life of hearing will be forever changed, indeed. All because of the miracle of a cochlear implant.