It has been quite a bit since I've updated or even thought about this blog, but this past week I've talked to four people who have either thought about getting a cochlear implant or have just gotten activated. For me, I felt that was a lot and it sparked my memory about this blog!
I've gone back to serving tables at On the Border again, that has been a tremendous challenge. Every single person in this world has a different voice to adapt too, and if they aren't aware, they could mumble their order and cause strain for me. Due to my (kinda) still newly activated cochlear implant I can get it taken care of and it has made life so much easier.
I can't stress how much easier life has gotten since I got my cochlear implant. It still amazes me every morning how much of an improvement the hearing is every time I put it on. The vast array of sounds in the world is amazing, and the ability for me to finally have access to understand and for my brain to comprehend them is awesome. I still to this day am learning new sounds.
People have no idea what they have until they lose it, I promise you. I had enough hearing in my left ear to learn how to speak, and now it is slowly going away. It makes you appreciate what you have and thankful for everything. It makes you appreciate every song you hear, every goodbye you witness, and every hello you come across. Thank God that I was blessed enough to be born in the era where cochlear implants where derived and that I was enabled to have the ability to get one.
I have to be honest for people who are reading this blog and are thinking about getting about a cochlear implant. For me a huge issue was the cosmetic appearance of a cochlear implant and a wire "coming out of my head". I will be flat out honest with you, my biggest fear was that people would stare at me, and I can tell you that some uninformed people in this world do stare. I have even had some point at me, it doesn't even surprise me anymore.
To this second as I am typing this sitting here at the Starbucks I have caught the wandering eyes of two people looking. I use that as two opportunities. One opportunity being that people naturally like checking out a hot deaf guy at a computer.... (I'm just kidding), the real reason I use the staring as is that I teach people that deaf people are normal and able to function just as the rest of society. That lesson is best learned when I'm serving tables or am in class and people don't even realize that I'm deaf until I make a joke or break that wall. Sometimes I'll flat out say something, nothing rude of course! Just something to teach them that I'm normal like they are.
Something to remember if you are reading this, is that getting a cochlear implant is hard. It is the hardest thing in the world I've ever had to do. It caused me feelings of isolation, loneliness, fear, and it stressed me out to points some people don't understand. But it has it's rewards. If you ever run into somebody with one, and they want to talk to you about it, ask them. There are questions they just don't know how to answer. But never assume that everybody is like me in the sense that they like joking about it. Because not everybody has a sense of humor like me, I promise! I don't mind joking with people, but that is me. Not everybody!
I hope everybody is having a good week, I'm sitting here at Starbucks waiting for my friends class to get out so I can actually go home. Have a good week!
Connor
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