What the Hearing World Takes for Granted

A dear friend of mine has been an interpreter for the deaf for many years. The following is from one of the women that she was an interpreter for that recently got a cochlear implant. This is actually a very difficult decision for the deaf community. But this woman's reason for getting the implant was so precious. She wrote, "The Lord knows that the desire of my heart is to be able to walk into my church and other churches and be able to sit down and hear loud and clear the Word preached, proclaimed, declared, lifted up, praised and taught...":

Sounds I've heard Monday and Tuesday:

1. Water running when I was washing my hands. I've learned from washing my hands in different sinks (store, restaurant, home and doctor's building) that each has a different sound!
2. I flushed toilets at the store, restaurant, home and doctor's building and noticed each toilet does not sound the same and were all different.
3. I heard sounds made by different kinds of shoes as people walked by at the store and doctor's building.
4. I learned that the front screen door at my parents' home squeaks and I never knew that. After hearing it for the 3rd time I said to my parents, "Get the WD-40 it's getting on my nerves!" They laughed and told others who called what I said.
5. When I turned the signal on to make a right turn I heard it.
6. I can hear everything on the TV, DVD, CD and Cassette tapes and I am working at 'listening' to break it all down and understand what they are saying. This will take practice and patience.
7. I can hear everyone around me talking but have to work at 'listening' and know what they are saying. I am able to hear and understand when mom says, "Wendy" for this is what the audiologist practiced saying to help me recognize my name and had mom do that too.
8. I heard the fork hit the plate as I was picking up food to eat. Didn't know about this sound!
9. I heard a little screw drop.
10. I heard how LOUD it can be in a restaurant.
11. I heard the newspaper make noise as I opened it to read.
12. I heard peppermint wrapper make noise. Now I know why I was told in church, 'sh sh stop that you are making noise.'
13. When I twisted off the cap to my drink I heard it make noise. I told mom it sounded like air coming out.
14. When I walked in the yard at my parents' house on the rocks on the ground I heard noises coming from under my shoes as I walked on those rocks.
15. I heard my mom cough and sneeze without having to look at her. I turned and said 'bless you' when she sneezed. I learned that mom and dad cough different and sound different.
16. I heard people talking in the elevator and heard something each time the elevator stopped at each floor or when it stopped on my doctor's floor to let me on or off. Mom told me what I was hearing when I asked her, "what was it that I just heard."
17. I heard how LOUD it was in the pharmacy in the professional building where my doctor is. I heard the pills rattling and shaking as the pharmacist was filling the bottles with pills.
18. I learned that all the doors that open automatically each have a different sound and not 1 door sounds the same.
19. I picked up a magazine and heard the pages make a noise and when I threw it down on the coffee table it made a noise.
20. Learned that if I scratch my fingernails on the wall or tap on plastic cover, metal or wood it makes a sound.
21. Heard that the kids in the parking lot where I live were loud.
22. Heard the light switch on and off.
23. Heard one of my CD's that I was playing on my portable CD player sounded like it was 'jumping' at times. I showed it to mom and she told me that the CD was playing better on her CD stereo player and was not playing good on my portable CD player which is why it was jumping.
24. Heard how loud it can be when you are driving with your window down. I heard a fire truck pass by and was surprised to learn that it sounded different compared to how it sounded with my hearing aid.
25. Learned that it can be LOUD in a store and the speaker is loud! If we still had a K-Mart here I know what I would hear on the loud speaker would be "Attention K-Mart shoppers there is a Blue Light sale going on in Aisle 4."
26. Learned that when I threw some jeans on top of the end table that made a noise.
27. Got to learn to close the cabinets in kitchen and bathroom quietly because I learned that when I closed them I was making TOO MUCH NOISE.
28. Found out that opening and closing the refrigerator and freezer made a noise.
29. Heard noise coming from the break pedal as mom was driving. It was her shoe making the noise.
30. Learned that lamps click on and off.

Each time I hear a sound I write it down in a journal what I heard and was given a CI journal to record everything. I've learned that the world is full of noise and sound! I'll be checking out audio books at the Library and hopefully there'll be a book to read along with what I'm listening to for this will help me a lot with my 'listening therapy'.

One important thing that everyone must know is that when I take the speech processor off at night or to shower I am still deaf. A Cochlear Implant is not the same as a hearing aid. There's a huge difference in how these 2 work. I've found that I have heard so much with the Cochlear Implant on Monday and today (Tuesday) all day compared to all the years with a hearing aid. I would say that taking it off to go to sleep is the hardest thing to do for I would like to see what it's like at night. I am sure I would probably hear my dog Duke snoring!

So perhaps when you hear a bird chirping, or the pitter-patter of rain, or even the sound of your baby giggling... you will consider not taking those sounds for granted.

Gayle, my friend and the interpreter for Wendy, sent me a note::
"I tried to leave a note on your web site but it would no work. I want to add something to what you have said. Wendy has been in our family for many many years Her testimony has become so sweet and continues to get sweeter...she is a recent (past few years) christian. She would go on vacation with us only to become frustrated with all our "God" talk...now...try to get her to talk of anything else. I shared with her about Kara losing her hearing now. She was so sweet and will undoubtedly become an even closer member of our family. She wrote me such an encouraging letter today for Kara and the family. She loves my girls as if they belonged to her. She was amazed at "her" girls when she was here recently and loved the relationship they all share with the Lord...the "conversation" was so wonderful and watching my family use what they remember in sign was very special. The most precious thing to me , however, is that the Lord would use Wendy with Kara ! We serve an awesome God!"