Bells and Whistles 27 Dec 2006 06:33 pm
The Ultimate Gadget/s
As I mentioned in the summary of the year 2006, my Dad had a cochlear implant that restored his hearing in his left ear, and the on December th, I had a stapedectomy to restore the hearing in my right ear. Both are technological and medical miracles in my personal opinion. I grew up with a father that needed something in his ear all my life, and even with a hearing aid, Dad could hear OK, but not well, and it got worse over the years until he could hear no more. Thank you God for inspiring the people you did to work and discover a way to make it possible for others like Dad to hear well enough to re-engage in communicating with those around him. It has been life changing for him and all of us.
My hearing loss was more of a mechanical problem. The sound waves were not being transmitted from the eardrum to the inner ear because the bones, more specifically, the stepes or stirrup got too stiff to move. For Dad it took electronics in his head and a device hung on his ear and magnetically attached to his skull to get sound to his inner ear and the nerves. For me, it took a itty bitty rod replacing the stirrup to restore the transmitting of vibration from the world outside to my inner ear.
As I type, I am listening to my iPod through “sound isolating earphones” with dynamic microdriver technology. It has taken a few weeks but the “Sweet spot” is now — DEAD CENTER! Not only that, the full frequency from both ears, highs and lows are coming from both ears to achieve that “center stage” sound. “My Sharona” is the song I am listening to, by the way…just in case you were curious.
There are times, for me and for Dad, as is typical for most all of us, that the ear is a bit stuffy feeling because of altitude change or allergies or sinus. Kind of like water in the ear. When we can get the ear to “pop” we can hear more clearly. Perhaps for us, it just seems more pronounced.
These “gadgets” that make it possible for Dad and me to hear and hear better are technically called, prosthetics. Images of the “Bionic Man” come to mind. “We can rebuild him, we have the technology.”
In anticipating my ear surgery, I recalled the time when I could hear well from both ears. My first time hearing the “sweet spot” from a stereo was from my Moms first stereo, when I would set both speakers on the floor and lay down between them and point them at my head, wiggling side to side until things were heard from the middle of my head. I remembered that as I looked forward to hearing anything close to that if possible. In a way, I was like a kid who couldn’t wait for Christmas to come and get to play with the toy he hoped to get.
Dad and I got our hearing back thanks to a little gadget. A gadget I would call a blessing for both of us. For me personally, I feel 10 years younger now that I can hear. I can’t help but smile each time my grandson coo’s or cry’s because I can hear him so clearly.
Growing up I was an audiophile who appreciated quality stereo sound and clarity. Thanks to this little ity bity gadget in my ear, I can once again enjoy quality sound as I remember it. I am grateful to hear better and I’m told it will yet improve some more over the next 3-4 months. But the best thing about that is that I will be fully health in the hearing and communication part of my life and enjoy my time with those I love and care about with clarity of hearing for the rest of my life.
This is a great way to start a new year!