OT Daughter update
Paul,
I'm sorry you feel you need to be defensive. I'm just so glad your daughter is doing so well, and I personally believe that parent needs to decide what is best for their child. Having two kids with Crohn's (and there are days when I still feel like there must be something in my genes that caused this or the environment, it's amazing how you can get the most annoying questions from friends and strangers that just make you feel like sh_t because they want to know why and place blame), and my son going through two knee surgeries, I've always been and advocate for my kids and pursued whatever the best medicine there is to give them the most value in life. I think what you and your wife have done for your daughter is wonderful and shows just how much you love her. And I don't even know what a CI is, but if it helps her and improves her life in any way, which is certainly sounds like it's doing, then she's very lucky to have to such caring parents who will find and get these options for her.
Life, as you know, is not always easy, and so many things happen as our kids grow that make us constantly change how we see their future. My youngest turned 18 today, and what I had thought for him when he was a baby and where I see him going now are so far different, but still good. Chloe sounds like an exceptionally bright child and I'm sure with two such loving parents, she has an incredible future ahead of her.
Good luck to you all.
Jan
Half Marathons: Napa: 7/18/10 (4:11:21) 7/17/11 (3:30:58) 7/15/12 (3:13:11.5)
SJ Rock and Roll: 10/2/10 (3:58:22) Run Surf City: 2/6/11 (3:19:54)
Diva: 5/6/12 (3:35:00)
HW/SW/CW 349/326/176
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein
a CI is a Cochlear Implant. A wire array is inserted into the Cochlea and wraps around the Auditory nerve the rest of the implanted piece is then affixed to her skull. The second piece is the external unit which consists of a Microphone and Processor, this piece is connected to the internal piece by a magnet and is removable. The microphone picks up the sounds and digitizes them and sends the signal to the internal unit across the magnetic field, the internal unit then fires the various wires to stimulate the auditory nerve. It is not natural hearing and can sound awkward to us, but the product we went with is Tops on the market with cutting edge technology. Speech sounds like speech and voices are distinct, music sounds like music. My wife and myself had the pleasure of meeting 2 teenage girls prior to our decision and they can tell the difference between singers and and bands just as we can.
First 5K 9/27/20 46:32 - 11 weeks post op (PR 28:55 8/15/11)
First 10K 7/04/2011 1:03 First 15K 9/18/2011 1:37
First Half Marathon 10/02/2011 2:27:44 (PR 2:24:35)
First Half Ironman 9/30/12 7:32:04
She will have a full range of hearing and as the manufacturer of her implant improves technologies they can upload those in a couple minutes.
She will be able to hear whispers to concerts all at a comfortable level.
Technology has even evolved to the point that her CIs can be blue tooth enabled so as she gets older she can use a cell phone or listen to an iPod utilizing the Bluetooth technology.
First 5K 9/27/20 46:32 - 11 weeks post op (PR 28:55 8/15/11)
First 10K 7/04/2011 1:03 First 15K 9/18/2011 1:37
First Half Marathon 10/02/2011 2:27:44 (PR 2:24:35)
First Half Ironman 9/30/12 7:32:04
Let me tell you my perspective (it is long - sorry). I think what you have done is amazing. If your daughter was born without legs, would you give her a wheelchair, or make sure that you adhere to her "identity" and make her crawl around without legs. Would you strive to obtain prosthetics so that she may have some semblance of an "average" life? You are her father - you would do whatever you could to give her everything in the world. Screw the other people.
I was born with perfect hearing. When I was 9 months old, I contracted meningitis and was hospitalized for 2 weeks. There was a 48 hour period where my parents didn't know whether I was going to live or die - they assumed (like the doctors told them) that I would die. They were told that if I did survive, I would have significant brain damage. Well, I survived, and the only thing to come out of it was that I lost my hearing (95%) in my left ear, and about 10% in my right ear - there are certain tones I cannot hear, but I can't remember what those are - they are in the high range. My parents didn't figure out my hearing loss until I was 7 years old - up until that point they thought I was just ignoring them. I got in trouble a lot because of my "selective hearing."
After all was said and done, I became really good at reading lips. I didn't get my first hearing aid (only needed one****il I was 15. It was awful for me - everything was too loud, I could hear the person behind me in class writing, but I couldn't hear the teacher in front of me. It made my ear itch. I only wore it for about a month - I still have it, but I don't wear it. I am sure there is better technology now, but I have adapted.
I have to ask people to repeat themselves often. It is embarrassing and I hate it. But I can mostly manage because I can read lips. If you are not facing me, or you are covering your mouth, I have no idea what you said. I just hear noise. All of my family and close friends know this - they are used to it. My co-workers know this too. The only time it gets me is when I have to go to court and I can't hear the judge or other counsel (I'm an attorney). They do have those special earphones I can use, but I never have - I find it too much trouble for a, literally, 5-minute hearing. I have thought about getting new hearing aids. If I couldn't hear at all in either ear, I would have learned sign language. I think it is important to be able to communicate to all people - hearing, deaf, blind, etc. You never know in what area of work she is going to go. Quite frankly, if she decides when she is old enough that she doesn't want her CIs, then she can take them out. All you can do is prepare her for whatever she decides to do - and you are doing that.
Good job Dad!
HW: 274 | SW: 232 | CW: 137 | Goal: 145 (ticker includes a 42 pound loss pre-op) | Height: 5'4"
M1: -24 (205) | M2: -14 (191) | M3: -11 (180) | M4: -7 (173) | M5: -7 (166) | M6: -8 (158) | M7: -11 (147) | M8: -2 (145) | M9: -3 (142) | M10: -2 (140) | M11: -4 (136) | M12: -2 (134) | M13: -0 (134) | M14: -3 (131) | M15: +4 (135) | M16: +2 (137)
