Listening Closely by Arlene Romoff

Author:Arlene Romoff
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Published: 2019-05-27T16:00:00+00:00

SEPTEMBER 18, 2008 Bilaterally Enabled

It’s been one week since my CI surgery, and I’m still a little sore, a little tired, and not quite myself. But the realization is slowly sinking in that I did it! All those months of waiting and wondering and nervousness—they’re over! I’m on the other side of this surgery, and my world is very different now. Even though I haven’t heard anything yet with my “new” ear, that’s just a matter of time and electronics. I am now wired for sound in two ears—bilaterally enabled! That was the goal—to be able to hear with two ears—and I’m there!

What I wrote just ten days ago, that I was “outside my comfort zone, wanting and waiting to hear the world through two ears,” wasn’t quite accurate. The goal wasn’t really to hear the world through two ears—it was only TO BE ABLE to do that! It was the raw capability of being able to hear that I was seeking, not the delightful sounds I might hear or the increased benefit I might derive. I wanted the reassuring knowledge that I now had backup, that if one side couldn’t hear—for whatever reason—I would no longer be plunged into silence. That is what drove me out of my comfort zone to pursue this bilateral CI.

It’s hard to believe that as recently as last February, I was very happy to hear with one ear and a ten-year-old processor. That was all very comfortable, and I would have been fine to exist like that indefinitely. People had been asking me if I was considering going bilateral, and my answer was always “NO!” But when my processor stopped working and I could no longer hear, my world changed dramatically, and so did my priorities.

Not only did I worry about not having a backup ear in case my processor ever stopped working again, but the possibility also existed that at some point in the future, I might not be healthy enough to sustain a replacement surgery. It was clear to me: The status quo was no longer acceptable.

And now it’s done! Accomplished! Fait accompli! Goal met! The feeling is amazing—watching the plans develop and then come to fruition. And yet as I sit here writing this, it brings to mind a similar episode in my life where the status quo also was not going to be good enough. I’m surprised I hadn’t thought of this before, as it extends far beyond the concept of comfort zones. Maybe intense experiences give rise to intense memories.

It was over thirty years ago that I was expecting my first child. The pregnancy was normal, but the labor and delivery were very difficult. The fetus had turned in the womb, and they needed me to be able to feel the contractions to help push the baby out while they used forceps to assist. They let the anesthetic wear off to do this. Don’t even ask about the pain—I don’t want to describe it. As the baby was being

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.