Ears

I feel like my ears are not able to handle all the stress and busy-ness of life. At this moment I feel like I managed to get an ear infection in my left ear which is my hearing aid ear... I certainly hope this is not the case. I hope I can somehow make it through the rest of the year in ideal ear/hearing conditions.

More about my cochlear implant though, I've noticed that I tend to focus a lot more on the background noises, for example right now the vacuuming in the hallway is really annoying. I definitely feel like I have a mild hearing loss in my right ear though because last night I was just lying down in my bed and I kept hearing everything in my right ear but not too much in my left... There is a considerable difference in sounds between the ears. It's tricky trying to learn how to listen in my right ear because the noises are much different than what I hear in my left (hearing aid) ear. I feel like I am hearing two different things when really they are the same thing just sounds different in each ear. However it is useful to know the sound in my left ear as a way to figure out the new "sound" in my right ear. Like if I hear the microwave whirring in my left ear, I can figure out what it sounds like in my right... I usually shut off the hearing aid and listen to the sound that I already identified with my left ear with my cochlear implant in order to know what it is and remember it for the future.

I have been getting comments from people saying that they have noticed a big change in how I communicate with people, like I am understanding more without looking at them and speak more clearly now. So mostly positive aspects of getting the implant for me, only negatives have been that it's a lot of work to learn everything especially at my age right now and how much I have going on in my life. Like what anonymous commenter said a few posts ago... it will all get better... I still don't believe that person. But I am keeping a positive spirit about everything. =)

Later,

off to do my homework.

-Annie