The cochlear implant is not a cure for deafness. It is an aid that can assist with the understanding of speech. It is brought home to me every day that I am a deaf person wearing a cochlear implant.
This morning I had to take my youngest son to emergency with an allergic reaction. I didn't hear a thing the triage nurse said but Ayden was on the ball and answered his own medical questions. Then when the clerk called his name to get further details he was on to it. He knew I was having great difficulty hearing in the hospital environment so he switched to signing to help me. When he sees that I'm struggling he changes. His shoulders become bigger somehow, he stands up straight, and he becomes protective of me, almost like a parent. Anyway, we were there for a few hours and thankfully the doctors spoke clearly and loudly enough that I understood their instructions. While we were waiting I noticed that Ayden's nails were starting to grow back. During the emotional time when I lost my hearing and had the CI surgery he had bitten his nails down to the skin to the point that they were often bleeding. I'm so pleased he is no longer biting them.
The last time I was in the emergency department of this hospital I had just lost my hearing and they were trying to work out what was wrong with me. I clearly remember the young doctor writing, "don't worry, it will all be OK". It wasn't OK, the hearing didn't come back.
