Well ............ I've had so many conflicting thoughts on how it's going that I've not been able to articulate my progress until now. The second implant is a TOTALLY different experience than the first. This is to be expected I suppose as I was only deaf in my first cochlear ear for three months before the implant. This implant on the other hand is 37 years after going deaf.
So what do I hear? It's very difficult to describe, it's almost like a gong sound, you know, a gong, a big gold metal thing that you hit and it makes that unique sound. So every time I hear a sound in the right ear I get a "gong". Not just the sound either, the vibrations that come with my auditory nerves being stimulated.
So, that's why I don't wear it all the time, it takes a toll on the brain having a gong go off every second so the most I can wear it is a few hours a day. But here is the interesting part, it gets a bit better every day which is really exciting.
I'm also starting to understand what stereo hearing is like - whoa people - it's like sound coming at you from all directions and loud!!! How can you live like that? It's sensory overload!!
This is another reason I can only handle a few hours per day of wearing it, my poor brain is overwhelmed (my brain and I have a unique relationship after going through two cochlear implants together, it's rather miffed at me for putting it through all the stress but always puts in a good effort regardless).
I'm really starting to understand the experience of people who have cochlear implants after many years of being deaf and can understand why some would give up. As my mother (and Uncle Greg as it turns out) says "patience my child".
