August 24, 2014

Sometimes, I Need a Break from the Sounds

August 24, 2014

Ron with Jeff's middle child who recently turned 9 years old.

Having lost my hearing a year and 7 months ago, I greatly appreciate that the Cochlear Implant gave me back to ability to hear many things and to return to a fairly normal life.  That surgery took place almost 15 months ago.  There are times, when after I have worn the Cochlear Sound Processor in noisy situations for several hours, that I really am overwhelmed by all the sounds and just need to take it off for a while and have some quiet.  Today was one of those times. 

She was experimenting with different sounds that she could make.

Cochlear and the audiologists, encourage users to wear the sound processor all the time when they are awake.  I understand the reasons that they have for that and I think it is especially important for someone who might live alone, to wear it most of the time.  You can never adjust to it if you think you can just wear it when you are out in public.  Your brain needs lots of sounds to continually get better at dealing with those sounds.  But... (I sometimes say, "there is always a but"), sometimes all those sounds cause a headache. 

You can tell by this face, this is not a "quiet" child.

A headache is what happened to me today.  I didn't put the sound processor on until we were about to leave for church since I was washing my hair and allowing it to dry.  Just before going to church I put it on and wore it through Sunday School and church.  Both were very good today.  I am able to understand more and more of what my husband says in class (he is the teacher) and a little of what others say.  He is facing my direction and they are not.  Church was good and as has become my practice, I used the personal sound cable from my transistor radio picking  up the church microphones, to my sound processor.  It was an excellent sermon and seemed to really touch many in the congregation.

Our son, his wife, and their youngest child.

Following the service I picked up the grandchildren from the nursery and children's church.  My sister was there with my mom and she was taking some photos of various family members.  We stayed around the church and visited for a long time before going to a cafeteria for lunch.  Mom asked where I thought I could best hear.  Usually on a week night, I do well at this cafeteria because it is not too busy in the evenings.  Sunday lunch is a completely different situation.  There did not seem to be a better choice.  Actually I did rather well hearing through lunch.  I had no complaints about keeping up with the conversation around the table.

The youngest with the oldest.  Mom is 91 and going strong.  

Our granddaughter is getting close to 3 years old.

After lunch and a long time of visiting around the table I think my brain was just on overload and I needed some quiet time.  Maybe I should say, "Grandma needs a time out."   The grandchildren were beginning to get restless and a couple of them were doing all they could to avoid the coming nap time and the sound levels were increasing and my head began to hurt.  It is a shame.  It is so much fun to be with our wonderful family, but I was ready to go home.

Our oldest granddaughter fixing her little sister's hair while her friend looks on.

On the way home, I told Ron what the problem was and he understood - it was time to go anyway, but when we got home, he told me to just take the sound processor off for a while - not to feel I needed to wear it on account of him.  I told him I was going to probably take a nap in the recliner so I would do that. 

My sister with the "hugger" of the bunch.

My nap turned out to be 3 hours (I hate that!) and after that, Ron and I worked in the yard a little bit before I fixed supper.  Following supper I sewed for a couple of hours, finishing the 10 small quilt squares I had worked on during the week at the office.  Now I have 18 of the small (6 1/2" x 6 1/2") squares done.

There is nothing I would have changed about the day - except maybe to have had a shorter nap.  The lunch was good and the visiting was wonderful!  I just can get overwhelmed when the sound processor is amplifying so many sounds all at once.  This was a very nice day. 

Later I talked to our daughter-in-law in New Mexico and we caught up on the weekend's activities.  They visited a new church for them this morning but decided it is not for them so they will try another one next week.  We are praying that they will find just the one to both fit their needs but to also give them a place to serve the Lord.