Hello everyone! I meant to blog earlier, but I’ve been so occupied making sure the components of the hybrid cochlear implant are in place that it hasn’t been easy.
The acoustic component (like a hearing aid) that amplifies existing low frequencies (a la hearing aid) of the hybrid has had trouble retaining my domes (an alternative to custom ear molds to hold the component in the ear). So, I’ve opted to have a custom ear mold made. But getting to that point has been tiring because I prefer domes (as I use them for my hearing aid currently). However, they just haven’t been staying on the receiver.
It’s been stressful, but I have to remind myself that this issue is just one thing that can happen in the process and it’ll now likely be figured out! It’s yet another component that I have to accept I cannot control.
Coping all of these years with a hearing loss has led me to want to have control over things in my life that I can’t have control over. I try to compensate for my hearing loss by making sure I’m organized and also by taking the entire burden of hearing loss. I don’t make sure people are informed in a conversation about what I need. I feel embarrassed and ashamed to ask for help. I just plop it on my shoulders and carry it all myself.
Of course people won’t know ways to be helpful if I don’t tell them. So, my responsibility is to be more informative and forward about my needs.
I also wanted to share that new sounds are melding with existing sounds and that is extremely exciting! The new tones are starting to blend into natural hearing.
This is truly a journey of small steps. There have been many moments where I’ve suddenly realized I’ve made progress: hearing the “s” sound more definitely, actually hearing more frequencies inherent in paper crinkling whereas before it was an overlay of sound my brain hadn’t quite understood, etc.
This journey is exhausting, but it sure is worth it!
