It's been almost 2 years since my last post. I have had a few comments asking me to post and update on how my life with a cochlear implant is going. Really, I didn't feel the need to post because the implant is great. I love it! Life without it would be difficult and depressing.
When evaluated for my CI, the ENT told me that although I have significant loss in my left ear, a hearing aid is sufficient for the time being. He also told me that because I had unexplained sudden loss in my right ear that led to my CI, the left ear would probably eventually need a CI also.
In the last month the hearing in my left ear has changed significantly. First the sound quality changed. It became more tinny, I often felt like I was in a tin can or had water in my ears. Then I noticed a considerable decrease in volume each day when I put my hearing aid on in the morning. In about a week, almost all hearing was gone in the left ear. After a visit to my audiologist for a hearing evaluation, she confirmed that I was almost completely deaf in the left ear and my hearing aid was not going to assist me no matter how high we turned it up.
While this would seem to be depressing news, (and it is!) I am terribly thankful for the wonderful hearing in my right ear due to my CI. When I take off my CI processor at the end of the day, I truly am completely deaf. That is taking some getting used to. With my CI processor on, I feel lopsided in hearing and I struggle in noisy situations. But I have experienced this in the past and was blessed at the end of the journey with a cochlear implant that has changed my life.
After the visit to my audiologist, she has sent my audiogram and a referral for a CI evaluation to the office where I received my implant to begin the process of (hopefully!) getting a second CI. So we are back on the crazy train for another ride. If the final destination is a cochlear implant, I will be thankful for the miracle technology and will gladly suffer the tests and hoops that we must jump through to get there.
The last time I lost complete hearing in an ear, I was scared and depressed. This time I am able to be positive and patient because I know the process and have seen the outcome. God is good and I must trust in his perfect timing.
So, as we head down this road again, I will continue to update this blog and share the good, the bad and the ugly. Here we go again...
