Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Hello all,
I enjoyed my 25th High School reunion this past weekend. It was fun meeting and talking to my class of '84 friends again. I must say we are a fabulous looking group still!
Reunions for some are scary. I have to admit I was just a little anxious myself. I am always happy to discuss my new implant, but at the same time I don't want to stand out either. In just a few short months I have gotten used to the stares, real or imagined, whether it be standing in line somewhere, or at church, etc, but hey, this is a High School reunion. Not to worry though. Either people were being polite by not saying anything, or they didn't care as we reminisced and talked.
Speaking of which, we had dinner together at a resturaunt and the conversations and laughter was flowing around the room. Unlike in the past in these situations, I had no trouble following along. I am not intimidated at all in these environments now, another huge blessing of the CI.
Take care, friends. Let's do it again in 5 years - if not sooner!
I enjoyed my 25th High School reunion this past weekend. It was fun meeting and talking to my class of '84 friends again. I must say we are a fabulous looking group still!
Reunions for some are scary. I have to admit I was just a little anxious myself. I am always happy to discuss my new implant, but at the same time I don't want to stand out either. In just a few short months I have gotten used to the stares, real or imagined, whether it be standing in line somewhere, or at church, etc, but hey, this is a High School reunion. Not to worry though. Either people were being polite by not saying anything, or they didn't care as we reminisced and talked.
Speaking of which, we had dinner together at a resturaunt and the conversations and laughter was flowing around the room. Unlike in the past in these situations, I had no trouble following along. I am not intimidated at all in these environments now, another huge blessing of the CI.
Take care, friends. Let's do it again in 5 years - if not sooner!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Hello all who might be reading this :)
My last blog ended with me saying "what a difference a year makes!"
As I continue to recap some of the important milestones as they approach (or pass) since I first discussed getting a cochlear implant, I'd like to say it again: what a difference a year makes!
I spent this past weekend at Ocean City for an Athletic Directors conference. When I attended last year, the realization of possibly losing my hearing and and researching this new (to me) device had begun to sink in and I was experiencing some anxiety and (just a little) self pity. Maybe it was something about the waves crashing, but as I walking on the beach at some point with my wife and daughter I just let loose and began to cry. I was really trying to be strong so as not to worry my wife, and especially my daughter, but I could not hold it in. I spent the weekend not being very social, at an event that demands sociability as you meet and mingle with colleagues from around the state. So this past weekend was a complete 180! I had a blast. I took a profesisonal development class, attended a seminar, took several walks around the vendors area, won a couple of small prizes, and still had time to swim in the pool, attend a seafood dinner, and walk on the boardwalk and spend a few hours on the beach with my wife and daughter again. Just one person asked me about the implant which of course I was happy to talk about.
I hope to get to go again next year.
Take care,
Dan
My last blog ended with me saying "what a difference a year makes!"
As I continue to recap some of the important milestones as they approach (or pass) since I first discussed getting a cochlear implant, I'd like to say it again: what a difference a year makes!
I spent this past weekend at Ocean City for an Athletic Directors conference. When I attended last year, the realization of possibly losing my hearing and and researching this new (to me) device had begun to sink in and I was experiencing some anxiety and (just a little) self pity. Maybe it was something about the waves crashing, but as I walking on the beach at some point with my wife and daughter I just let loose and began to cry. I was really trying to be strong so as not to worry my wife, and especially my daughter, but I could not hold it in. I spent the weekend not being very social, at an event that demands sociability as you meet and mingle with colleagues from around the state. So this past weekend was a complete 180! I had a blast. I took a profesisonal development class, attended a seminar, took several walks around the vendors area, won a couple of small prizes, and still had time to swim in the pool, attend a seafood dinner, and walk on the boardwalk and spend a few hours on the beach with my wife and daughter again. Just one person asked me about the implant which of course I was happy to talk about.
I hope to get to go again next year.
Take care,
Dan
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Hello,
It's been a month or so since my last post so I thought I should update it. There is a special reason for doing so anyway.
It was a year ago this weekend that I was diagnosed with additional significant hearing loss. I had been having balance issues and gone through a battery of tests, including a brain MRI, before I went to an ENT who administered a hearing test. He was the one who said I would probably lose the rest of my hearing anywhere between months or a few years, and suggested I look into cochlear implants. When I walked out of his office that day, and for about a week afterwards, I was okay with his diagnosis -taking the attitude that it was just another bump in the road. But then it hit me: I could lose the rest of my hearing! Life had been fine wearing hearing aids for 32 years and now that was all going to change. To deal with this new anxiety I actually had to start taking Xanax, but after a couple of months I started worrying about it's addictivness and went cold turkey on it. Eventually of course I came to grips with this new stage of my life and with a big assist from my wife had the cochear implant done. I'm thinking I will have some kind of 1 year party either for the surgery date or activation date, or both! (Who doesn't like to party?)I will include a blog entry for those later in the fall.
In the meantime, I look back now and can't beleive the stress I went through. I suppose this is normal but I still wish I had not subjected myself to all the worrying and yes, crying. The implant has been a tremendous blessing.
In the coming months, I will try to recap some of the important dates and events that led up to my implantation. What a difference a year makes!
Take care,
Dan
It's been a month or so since my last post so I thought I should update it. There is a special reason for doing so anyway.
It was a year ago this weekend that I was diagnosed with additional significant hearing loss. I had been having balance issues and gone through a battery of tests, including a brain MRI, before I went to an ENT who administered a hearing test. He was the one who said I would probably lose the rest of my hearing anywhere between months or a few years, and suggested I look into cochlear implants. When I walked out of his office that day, and for about a week afterwards, I was okay with his diagnosis -taking the attitude that it was just another bump in the road. But then it hit me: I could lose the rest of my hearing! Life had been fine wearing hearing aids for 32 years and now that was all going to change. To deal with this new anxiety I actually had to start taking Xanax, but after a couple of months I started worrying about it's addictivness and went cold turkey on it. Eventually of course I came to grips with this new stage of my life and with a big assist from my wife had the cochear implant done. I'm thinking I will have some kind of 1 year party either for the surgery date or activation date, or both! (Who doesn't like to party?)I will include a blog entry for those later in the fall.
In the meantime, I look back now and can't beleive the stress I went through. I suppose this is normal but I still wish I had not subjected myself to all the worrying and yes, crying. The implant has been a tremendous blessing.
In the coming months, I will try to recap some of the important dates and events that led up to my implantation. What a difference a year makes!
Take care,
Dan
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
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