Full disclosure: For the past couple of weeks, I've been feeling burnt out and tired of the hearing loss "world", and felt like I had nothing left to give or receive. I was all but ready to take a break, but just today had some exciting hearing related things occur that I will share once everything is final. It gave me another "kick" and a renewed fire for writing about hearing loss issues. Can't say how long it will last (you can partly blame the great hearing my CIs have been giving me-less substance to write about!), but I have no doubt I'll have plenty of material once school starts next week. Hopefully not as much as last year, but we'll see!
Today I went to the orthodontist for follow-up x-rays and pictures so they could have "before" and "after" images from my having braces. It was with a different lady than the couple of different assistants I typically dealt with, so she wasn't quite as aware about knocking off my processors (which seems to happen every couple of minutes, regardless). We started off by taking head x-rays, so I told her I was going to take off my "hearing aids", trying to imply I wouldn't hear. So much for that. She was talking the entire time instructing me, and half the time she would turn the other direction and I could only see her lips moving from the side. She seemed frustrated that I wasn't following her directions, and I probably should have just said something along the lines of "I can't hear you...at all." but didn't feel like it. Instead, she kept pointing to her lips and talk while gesturing. I'd nod- she wanted me to put my lips together, I got it! After about 5 X-ray attempts I discovered she was telling me *not* to put them together. Oops. She probably thought I was pretty stupid.
After this, they needed to do a series of molds of my mouth, which consisted of me biting on various colored pieces of wax. It was easy enough, until she stuck a piece of wax on this hard contraption, had me bite on it, used a screwdriver to screw some sort of pole into it, which connected to some sci-fi halo looking thing that went around my head. She then instructed me to put some pieces in my ear, and I was secretly grateful that I no longer wore hearing aids. Of course, I somehow managed to push off my processors. I still fail to see why this entire contraption was necessary just for me to bite on a little piece of wax, but what do I know?
A month or so ago, I got a car :D I must thank my wonderful parents, and I have been practicing in it with my parents to prepare for the big test, which is coming up very soon! Anyway, my mom was out of town for a few days this weekend so my dad let me park my car behind her garage spot. Before she came back this evening, I had to move my car and parallel park it back in front of my sister's car in front of our house. I can parallel park somewhat behind cars, but have never done it in front of them. My dad asked me to do it myself "because I fully trust you", he said. (Translation: my leg hurts, and I don't feel like walking outside to sit in your burning hot car). And no, he wouldn't dare look out the window to watch me either. So I spent some 10 minutes hopelessly moving the car forwards and backwards, until my dad wondered what was taking me so darn long and wandered outside. He laughed, and then attempted to instruct me on how to park my car. For the record, he wasn't good at it either- I basically went forwards and backward a million times, turning the wheel the way my dad said only for him to shout "oh, never mind! other way!" About 5 minutes into this ordeal, I saw my ENT (who also happens to be our neighbor) walking his dog across the street. I watched him as he squinted and stared for another 5 minutes, as we probably looked like crazed idiots as I attempted to do this parking thing. After a total of 20 minutes, the mission was accomplished: slightly crooked, and a little too close to the curb, but it was done!
Re the Xray for braces..I had EXACTLY the same problems for the before xrays.
ReplyDeleteThe tech assistant kept talking , and I couldn't lipread her or hear her since I HAD to remove my glasses too! Urgh.They did tell me I had to remove CI too , to be sensible.
Not so.there were some agonizing minutes , and then the tech came in again and told me I had to redo the xrays and to remove anything , like a barette or anything in my hair.
Hello , I have SHORT hair! So WHY I'd have any ornament on my hair.He notices the coil and he says that's an ornament.I educate him.He shows me the X rays.They showed part of the internal implant.Oops.I had forgotten to warn them beforehand abt the internal and scaring them.LOL.More educating , paying and fortunately , the xray was normal for dentist , although he liked seeing the internal! ( my internal is just above my ear , so it showed at least 2/3 of it in the side xray! )
LOL abt the car! you just made me thankful I still drive my motoped!
This post takes me back. Though I didn't have that added challenge in the orthodontist's chair, I remember those medieval contraptions pretty well.
ReplyDeleteAnd parallel parking is such a fun skill to learn. My dad made me practice with our lawn tractor. I thought he was nuts, but it really did help because I could watch the wheels turning and get a grasp of how it all works. Something you just can't do in a car.