CI Love

My best friend came to visit this past weekend-- thought y'all would enjoy this photo!

Brag Alert

Made it in my local newspaper! Check out the article at the link below!

http://m.starlocalmedia.com/planocourier/news/plano-teen-overcomes-deafness-wins-scholarship-to-dream-college/article_e910b9ae-94d3-11e3-97ca-0019bb2963f4.html?mode=jqm

A Semester in Review

As the year comes to a close, I thought I'd take the opportunity to catch up on my blog and let everyone know what I've been up to. A lot has gone on since I last checked in! Here's it all, both the good and the bad:

August
It was the week before I was set to leave for college, and I decided to go in for one last mapping so I could go off hearing well. I left hearing great, but on the way home another car ran a red light and hit me. It was a pretty frightening experience. My car was totaled, but luckily multiple witnesses stopped and gave me their contact information to verify my story. Unfortunately, I did hit my head and experienced a series of issues with my left (re)implant. The issues with static/crackling and cutting out started up again, but now they finally seem to be getting under control.

The following week I moved into my dorm and officially began my freshman year at Rice University. I absolutely love it and could not be happier. The campus is beautiful, my friends are amazing, my classes are interesting, and my roommate is incredible. I'm still in the whole self-discovery phase, trying to figure out what I want to major in and do with my life. Right now I'm considering majoring either psychology and/or sociology and minoring in neuroscience. As for my future plans, I'm still an open book. I'm considering becoming a nurse practitioner or perhaps getting a PhD in neuropsychology.

There have definitely been quite a few adventures and ups and downs (I'll spare you the details, but it ranged from technical difficulties with accommodations to a lice scare in my dorm), but I'm loving every minute of it. I've gotten involved on campus and volunteer each week in a program mentoring refugee children to help them acclimate to life in the US. I've made a diverse group of friends who are all so incredibly caring and supportive. While I'm happy to be home for the break, I also miss college!

Here's a picture my parents took when they came to visit me on campus

September

I turned 19!

October

My oldest sister, Lauren, gave birth to my sweet nephew, Eli Parker, on October 12th. Luckily, I had a couple of days off of school and was in town when he was born!

November

I came home for Thanksgiving and found out that Zach, my beloved dog of thirteen years, had been put down. We grew up together, so it was hard not having him around anymore, but I know it was for the best. Here's a few of my favorite pictures of him through the years. The first is my sister Carly and I with him when he was  a puppy, the next was when I was probably around 8 and he would have been 2, and the last was taken this year.

Meanwhile, Eli has been growing fast. Here he is over Thanksgiving, at 6 weeks old!

December

My roommate and I are both pretty festive, so we decorated our room for Christmas and Hanukkah. It's not exactly a major event, but I thought I'd show it off :)

Stay tuned for some exciting CI related news for the new year. Until then, Happy Holidays and a joyous new year, from my family to yours :)

My Experience With the Nucleus 6

I posted a review of the Nucleus 6 on Cochlear Implant Online's website. Check it out!

In other news, I leave for college in a week. It feels like I've been waiting to go forever, but now that the time has finally come, I'm in total denial mode! I'm so excited for new experiences, but I guess you could say I'm less than wild about packing :)

Also, I am finally hearing well on my reimplanted side. It's not quite perfect, but it's getting close!

"Look Familiar?"

My sister is a junior in college and majoring in communication disorders. Right now she's taking a summer Intro to Audiology class. She just sent me this picture of her study materials with the text message "look familiar?" and I couldn't help but laugh. I'm sure this list will look very familiar to many of you as well! 

I can still remember being a kid sitting in the soundbooth sick of hearing these words over and over!

I did it!

A few select photos from my high school graduation...My cord is crooked in the first couple (it took me a while to notice) which totally bugs me, but what can ya do!

With my dad, sister, mom and grandma!

My sister, mom, and I

Me and my sisters!

This picture of my mom and  I afterward is blurry, but I still love it!

Summer has officially started, and I am staying busy! I am working at a daycare a few days a week and going on a couple of trips towards the end of July. Also dealing with some not-so-fun medical stuff, but nothing too out of the ordinary. I move into my college dorm in just two months, and it is crazy to think about! I am so excited, but I'm getting anxious to find out who my roommate is. Still have quite a bit of dorm shopping to do, though!

Progress

I've had my reimplanted ear turned on for a little over two months now, and things are slowly improving. I have come to realize just how impatient I am! I have been going back to AVT and trying to get in the habit of do listening exercises. It's funny, when I got implanted the first time around everything was so exciting and new. I was eager to hear everything I could, and could not do enough listening practice. Now that I'm being reimplanted I  guess you could say the excitement is gone and I just want to go back to hearing like I could before!

I've started realizing that I am totally being too hard on myself. I had a mapping today and did my fist set of testing with the new implant afterwards. My audiogram was at 10-15 dB across the board, and we also did single syllable word  testing. Those were pretty difficult, and I'll admit to feeling defeated and absolutely certain I was getting every single one wrong. I was definitely surprised when my audiologist told me I had scored 74% correct! It's not where that ear was before (I've consistently scored at 90-95% previously), but it's not bad at all. I know progress was much faster when I got this ear implanted the first time, so  I can't help but constantly compare. My AVT will tell me I'm doing great for two months out, and I can't help myself in saying "But last time I could talk on the phone just a few days after it was turned on!" I also looked back at an old post and saw that 4 days post activation when I went bilateral, I scored 60% on the same test (four days this time around I couldn't hear anything!).

I need to stop the constant comparisons and just accept the progress as it comes. I should not be getting discouraged when I am clearly doing well, I just need to not have such ridiculous expectations. The one thing that bothers me is that voices just don't sound right. I can understand them, but they don't sound the way they should. I can only hope that continues to improve with time as well. Actually, I can do more than hope. I can do some of that practice that I've been avoiding :)

A Special Reunion

I am in the midst of studying for my AP exams (last ones ever!), so I can't write as much as I'd like, but my school had a ceremony honoring the National Merit Finalists last night. We were able to bring a teacher who was influential in our lives. I chose to bring my speech therapist from my elementary school. She helped me develop clear speech, yes, but she also did so much more. She gave me the confidence to speak up for myself, and was also a tireless advocate, ensuring I received the services I needed. She was a guiding light for my mom and I in the early years, and provided us with a wealth of knowledge that helped me get to where I am today. Last night was the first time I saw her since I was in 5th grade, so it was really special! I got to give a short speech about her influence and thanking her as well as my parents.

Me with my speech therapist from elementary school

With my wonderful parents!

Bilateral: Take 2 (AKA My Bad Luck)

Hello! I've been meaning to write an update since my surgery, but as you'll soon find out from reading the rest of my post, things have gotten quite hectic. You know how when you start off with one teeny problem, but then everything kind of snowballs out of control and you feel like if anything else happens, you just might lose it? Yeah, that's about the point I am at right now. It's been a bit of a rough ride!

I had the surgery exactly two weeks ago, and it went well! The surgeon said that there was some extra skin on the skin flap area that he went ahead and removed during the surgery, and that  doing so could also help prevent any connectivity issues. The one thing I was delighted to discover when I woke up- my tinnitus (which I had gotten as a result of having that ear implanted the first time around) was gone! Unfortunately, so was my taste, but I was prepared for that, so I did not mind too much. The biggest problem I've had with recovery is vertigo and just being off balance in general. The floor seems to move whenever I do, but hopefully that will go away soon.

I missed school on Monday and Tuesday afterwards (I was off the week prior because it was my spring break), but I was actually feeling pretty good Wednesday (exactly 1 week post-op) and went to school. I was also activated that afternoon and had a check-up with my surgeon. I have to give a huge thanks and shout out to Helen and Kemper of Lone Star Family for  their generosity. My ear and head were still extremely sore the night before I was activated, and I almost had to cancel activation because I knew there was no way I could wear the processor on my ear at that point However, it was suggested to get a long cable and pin the processor to my shirt while my ear was healing. Neither I nor my audiologist had one, but  Helen was kind enough to lend me a long cable that they have, so I cannot thank them enough!!   Activation was uneventful, and went as expected. I knew I'd be starting from scratch, but I secretly hoped I would be able to understand *something*. No such luck!

The next morning I woke up at 5 AM struggling to breathe with a severe pain in my chest that happened with each breath I took. Due to having some risk factors for blood clots which are even more likely to happen after surgery, my parents took me to the emergency room to ensure everything was okay. Honestly, by the time I got there the pain was less severe (it was far worse while I was laying down), so none of us were too concerned. My dad joked that it was "an expensive way to get out of going to school", which which gave me a little chuckle. I was lucky enough to have not one but three training students observing and attempting to treat me. I felt obligated to return the favor since I was the observer last year, but I will admit I was a *tad* concerned when the EMTs-in-training whispered to each other trying to figure out where the leads went to do an EKG as I was lying there with my chest completely exposed. It took a few tries, but they got it eventually :P

They did the EKG and chest x-ray, both of which looked normal, but then when the blood test results came back 45 minutes later, was one of the levels that can indicate a blood clot was elevated, so a CT scan was ordered. And that's where things got weird...

I don't know why or how it happened, but soon after the CT scan started, I began hearing an extremely loud sound in the ear I had surgery on, which can only be described as a propellor/airplane noise. I did not have the processor on in that ear, nor do I have residual hearing since the reimplantation. But the noise started, and continued, even after I was brought back to the hospital room which was far away from the CT and MRI machines (the CT scanner was in a room next door to the MRI.. I have no clue if this could have caused something). 

Yeah, so I'm not proud of I, but I kind of lost it. At this point I was terrified not only because I didn't know if I had a blood clot in my lungs, but now I've got this noise in my head and I started growing increasingly anxious that somehow in the process of going in the CT scan, something messed with the implant. My mind started racing and I grew increasingly upset as I thought of the idea of having to endure surgery yet again to have to get it replaced (this was my 7th surgery, and I'd hoped it was my last). It didn't help that the ER doctor's response to the whole thing was simply "That shouldn't happen. A CT machine is just a big X-ray." No, it shouldn't but it DID!

Thankfully, the implant still works fine. The sound I am hearing has not gone away. Oh, and as far as why I couldn't breathe? Turns out it was pleurisy, fluid on the lungs, which they treated with an antibiotic.

That finally went away this weekend, and then this week I've come down with a sinus infection. My nose is stopped up, and I am sneezing constantly, which probably isn't good since I was instructed not to blow my nose or sneeze for 4 weeks.. And I'm having a strong feeling of pain and pressure over the implant area, which I am thinking is due to the general stuffiness. It doesn't help that the progress with this implant is painfully slow. I know it's only been a week. It's to be expected. But I was kind of hoping that like the last time that ear was turned on, I would be able to hear on the phone the next day. No such luck, hearing is a struggle and I can't understand anything out of it yet. Having a hard time hearing in school, which I am already extemely behind due to missing so much of it last week. Trying AVT practice exercises, but so far comprehension is next to nothing without speechreading.

You could say it's been a rough two weeks...

4 Years Later- Another Surgery

After changing my mind a ridiculous number of times,  I will be having my left ear reimplanted on Wednesday, 4 years (down to the week) after it was originally implanted. It will be replaced with another Freedom device. Apparently there's a new straight array that new patients are receiving, but they aren't giving it to reimplanted patients (wouldn't want to change things up too much!). This certainly isn't my first choice way of spending Spring Break, but I will be happy to have it all behind me. If all goes well (knock on wood), I am scheduled to be reactivated a week later on March 20th.

Just thought I'd pop in and share the news!

Court Rules in Favor of Medical Student with Cochlear Implant

I found this to be really encouraging. The student sued Creighton University for failing to provide CART access and interpreters, forcing him to take out over $100,000 in loans to pay for them himself. Hopefully this will set a precedent for future students with hearing loss in college/medical school/grad school. For more info, here are a few links:

Article Overview

Summary from AG Bell's Website

Detailed (but lengthy) document about the court decision

College-Bound and Crackling Sounds

I'm getting bad at this whole blogging thing. I'm sure no one wants to hear my excuses about how busy I've been and whatnot..So, since it's 3:30 AM and I have bronchitis and can't sleep, you will get a full-blown update. Lucky you :)

I don't quite know where to begin. I'm sure those of you who actually still read are sick of hearing about the whole college process (I know I am, haha!), but this will be my final update on college/schools for a while! So basically, last March I had an academic conference with my school counselor. All the juniors have them, it's basically to discuss future plans, colleges, the works. I mentioned that I was particularly interested in a school, and she basically shot down my hopes and dreams by telling me it was out of my league and I had no chance of being accepted. She said it nicely and with a smile, but it stung! I had already made plans to visit the school over my spring break the following week, and I certainly wasn't going to cancel them. I went and tried so hard not to fall in love with it with this newfound knowledge that I had no chance of being accepted... I couldn't help myself. Like a hormone-crazed tween girl obsessed with Justin Bieber (or One Direction, or whatever pop sensation you so choose), I dreamily began picturing our future together despite the fact that it was out of reach. Well, just a couple of weeks ago, I got an email from the aforementioned dream school. I'm kind of embarrassed to say it because I make fun of people for being emotional, but I cried hysterically... Want to know what first line of the email said?

Congratulations! On behalf of the Committee on Admission, it is my pleasure to offer you admission to the Class of 2017.

So, moral of the story: you never know unless you try! And ignore the naysayers, they always seem to have plenty to say!

It's nice to know where I'll be attending and to finally have all of my hard work payoff. I really do think it's a great fit for me and I can't wait until the fall. It's a small school- my college graduating class will likely be a couple hundred students smaller than that of my high school graduating class- but I think it's just what I need. My parents are also relieved because it's not across the country, but I am glad that it's not too close either- it's about a 4.5 hour drive from where I live. Thus concludes my talk of my college search!

On a completely different note, I have been having issues with my left (second) implant lately, and things are not looking too great. I had an appointment with my surgeon yesterday, and he thinks I may be in the early stages of a soft failure. I have been hearing crackling/popping for the past few months, and we have changed out all the external parts multiple times, to no avail. For now, it's a wait and see deal. I am still hearing very well, and the crackling is intermittent. Sometimes I am able to go all day (or even a few days at a time) without it occurring. It's possible that it's just a fluke and it will all settle down over the next few months, but it is also more likely that it will continue to worsen or possibly even completely give out on me. I am going to have an integrity test done next week, but my surgeon does not expect there to be any usual findings, as oftentimes in soft failures all testing shows that the implant is functioning fine. I will not be considering re-implantation surgery until it gets to the point where I feel that it's  interfering enough with my hearing that I am no longer receiving the full benefits of being bilateral. Right now, that is certainly not the case. When I went in yesterday, I had a hearing test done and my left ear tested at 92% on single word recognition, which is pretty darn good! I am also having problems with a sharp, shooting pain under my left implant that has started up in the last few weeks. It only lasts for a few seconds at a time, but it is debilitatingly painful when it occurs- it's brought on if I move my head or face suddenly. The cause of that is more of a mystery and not really treatable with anything other than anti-inflammatories.My surgeon suggested leaving the processor off for a few days to see if it helps (this is just a short term solution, of course), and since I've pretty much just been at home cooped up with my sick self and my dog, that is what I am doing. If anyone has any experiences/knowledge to contribute on either of these issues, please do comment. I really value the knowledge that my readers offer because you all know so much more than I do!

One last thing- If you emailed me, chances are I got halfway though composing a long, thought out email, saved it as a draft, and never finished it. You can be mad at me, I feel awful about it, but I shall resume replying to 2 month old emails while I have nothing better to do over these next few days(not that I have 2 online courses I need to be doing in order to graduate or anything... You know where my priorities are!)

To those of you who read to the end of this ridiculously long post, thank you! You deserve a medial or some cookies or something. Now it's 4 AM and I am just rambling... I should probably try to get some sleep...Thanks for reading :)

Spam Warning

Just dropping a quick note to let me readers know that the email address I use to send/receive emails for my blog was taken over today and sending spam. I have changed my password and I believe I have fixed the issue, but if you receive any fishy emails from that address, please do not open them or click on any links! Thanks!

I'll leave you with the picture from me voting early last week, as well as with the happy news that I have been accepted into 2 schools so far, both of which with large scholarships :)

College Guide

A little over a year ago, I posted about wanting to create a College Guide specifically for students with hearing loss. It got put on the back burner for a while, but Rachel and Elizabeth from CI Online expressed interest in the project, so it got restarted. I am proud to present to you the Ultimate College Guide for Students with Hearing Loss, and many thanks to the friends who contributed their stories and thoughts. It is ever-evolving, so if you have something you'd like to contribute, please let us know!

The Ultimate College Guide

On a related note, I have been school and college applications have been taking up just about all of my time. I guess that's what I get for applying to eleven schools! Wish me luck :) I was also notified that I'm a semifinalist in the National Merit Scholarship competition, so with the added excitement comes additional work... Not that I'm complaining!

I turned eighteen about a month ago, and I must say that I do not feel like a "real" adult yet. Maybe once I'm out of the house the feeling will kick in! I'm definitely excited to be able to vote in this upcoming election-- it's nice to feel like my thoughts and beliefs count.

Happy Fall! Don't stop reading, as I'll be back for more updates shortly!

Guest Post: How Tinnitus Affects Hearing Health

Below is a guest post written by John O'Connor who told me, "Over the past few years I have become more and more interested in hearing loss.  My father and grandfathers along with various other family members and friends suffer from hearing loss.  I feel that there is a general lack on understanding around the issue and it is right to try and spread awareness." Enjoy!

New studies show that there may be more health benefits from the statement, “Get your beauty sleep.” Poor sleeping habits may make it difficult to cope with certain types of hearing loss. For instance, tinnitus is characterized by ringing, hissing, clicking or buzzing in the head or ears. Poor sleep habits make it difficult to cope with the condition. People with tinnitus may need to get more sleep to improve hearing.

Are There Any Studies to Prove This Finding?

 
Several studies have been conducted. The most notable study was conducted at Detroit’s Henry Ford Hospital. The study conducted between 2009 and 2011 included 117 patients. The studies showed that the symptoms of tinnitus and the patient’s emotional state worsened with insomnia. Tolerance levels decrease when a patient’s sleep decreases.

Patients may, subsequently, begin to experience depression, anxiety or annoyance. Treatment of insomnia seemed to alleviate some symptoms related to tinnitus. Since more than 36 million Americans have tinnitus, there is extra incentive to find relief for sufferers of this type of hearing loss. Lack of sleep is not the only condition that affects tinnitus sufferers. Loud noises, ear infections, Lyme disease, hyperthyroidism and fibromyalgia may all affect tinnitus sufferers.

What Causes Tinnitus?

The exact cause of tinnitus is not known, but it can be a result of acoustic trauma. High intensity sound could cause the acoustic trauma to the ear. The ringing of the ears is a common symptom of tinnitus.

Acoustic trauma is defined by any event that delivers excessive sound energy to the inner ear. The event may be permanent or temporary based upon the severity of the noise. After an exposure, oral steroids can help the inner ear to recover. Many people take oral steroids after a loud rock concert to reverse the effects to the acoustic trauma. If the exposure is long, the damage may be permanent.

One-third of 30 million people in the United States have hearing loss due excessive noise exposure. Since noise-induced hearing loss can be prevented, people must do all they can to prevent hearing loss. Prevention of hearing loss will lead to an overall better quality of life that is free of frustration and annoyance. If the damage is permanent a reliable option, after speaking with your doctor may be the use of hearing aids.  Instead of risking losing hearing, people should take the necessary precautions to preserve hearing.

Protect Your Hearing, Protect Your Health

Many people take hearing for granted and neglect to make the necessary changes in their lives to prevent permanent damage. Everyone should have a strategy to preserve their hearing. Hearing is one sense that most people cannot afford to lose. Take the necessary steps to protect hearing today. 

Good Customer Service

Most of the time, my cochlear implants make it so that the person I am conversing with has no idea I am deaf. Occasionally, however, conversations are a struggle. One such incident occurred when I went to order lunch at a bakery a few weeks ago. It was noisy and the cashier seemed to see no reason to speak any clearer than a mumble. The interaction was painful as I struggled to catch onto a single word that was said.The cashier made the situation much worse, making sarcastic comments about me not being able to hear him. Flabbergasted, I told him I was hearing-impaired, but his rude attitude continued. Embarrassed and angry, I took my food and left.

On the drive home, I was fuming. Why should I have to apologize for my hearing loss? And why should I allow someone to make me feel inferior just because I struggle to hear them? The AG Bell Convention was just a few days away, and I was in full-on advocacy mode. I went to the company's website and filed a complaint with the local restaurant.

A few days later, the manager at the location I went to contacted me and apologized profusely, stating that the employee was reprimanded and that his behavior would not be tolerated. Then, they asked for my email so they could send me a coupon.

Sure enough, they sent me not one, but two coupons for a free meal! Now that's what I call good customer service. Good move, Paradise!

Is it offensive to find people with disabilities doing ordinary things "inspirational"?

I found this article to be really interesting. I'd like to hear what my readers think! Here is an excerpt from it, and the link to the entire thing can be found here.

"Let me be clear about the intent of this inspiration porn; it's there so that non-disabled people can put their worries into perspective. So they can go, "Oh well if that kid who doesn't have any legs can smile while he's having an awesome time, I should never, EVER feel bad about my life". It's there so that non-disabled people can look at us and think "well, it could be worse... I could be that person".

In this way, these modified images exceptionalise and objectify those of us they claim to represent. It's no coincidence that these genuinely adorable disabled kids in these images are never named: it doesn't matter what their names are, they're just there as objects of inspiration.

But using these images as feel-good tools, as "inspiration", is based on an assumption that the people in them have terrible lives, and that it takes some extra kind of pluck or courage to live them."

Stay tuned for an update on my life shortly!

Musings

Murphy's Law of High School: You will be one of the few people stupid enough to stay up until 4 AM to see the results of your SAT II Subject Test... and you will also be part of the "small percentage" of people whose score was mysteriously not released online. Yeah, I knew I would regret waiting up..

I am pleased to report that I've been doing really well hearing-wise lately. I know most of you are able to go once or twice a year for mappings, but I have never been so lucky. It usually ends up being once or twice a month for me, so it seems like I'm constantly at the audiologist. It's been a month and a half since my last mapping, and I'm still hearing well, so that's good news. I was actually at the dentist today and I surprised myself that I was able to hear every single word spoken to me clearly, even with the hygienist wearing a mask and the noise of all the dental equipment. Even 5 years later, it's the little things that make me grateful that I am able to hear!

I am enjoying my summer. I'm working on getting an internship at a daycare to keep my free time occupied. Who needs to rest anyway? I am also working on applying to colleges. I am almost finished with my first application essay, and I've been on a few campus visits. I've managed to narrow down my list to 19 schools, but I'm still trying to decide on another 5-10 to take off. I have an idea of which school would be my dream school to attend, but there are so many great schools, it's hard to scratch any off my list. Those of you who've been through the process (with or without hearing loss) feel free to share any advice with me as I embark on this stressful journey :)

I actually had my first college admissions interview the other day! I was insanely nervous, but the interviewer was extremely friendly and casual. It went well, and I didn't even mention the fact that I had  a hearing loss or cochlear implants; I had no trouble hearing. We had a pleasant conversation about my aspirations to go into medicine and my motivations for doing so, as well as opportunities the school had available that I'd be interested in. I actually thought the interviewer was a current student, but I found out afterwards that she's the assistant director of admissions! Yikes! I'm just glad I didn't know ahead of time, or my nerves might have gotten the best of me.

Also thought I'd share a tidbit of good news. A few weeks ago I was notified that I am a store winner for the Kohl's Cares Scholarship Competition for community service. Store winners don't actually receive scholarship money, just a gift card, but I'm hoping I have a shot at advancing to the next level. Even if I don't, it was also exciting winning something and getting a congratulatory letter and certificate in the mail!

Miss me?

Yes, I have been AWOL. Mostly because, well, I don't have much to say. Bet you never thought that day would come, huh?!

Hearing and implant stuff is going well. Had my 5 year anniversary of getting my first implant last week. I can remember it like it was just yesterday, but it's also hard to believe that it was only five short years ago that I was stressing over whether or not to have the surgery, what it would be like to go completely deaf, and what the right decision is for me. Hindsight is 20/20, and looking back I would not change a thing. I  have no regrets about my CI journey whatsoever!

Been pretty busy with life as of late. My oldest sister got married a couple of weeks ago, and I was a bridesmaid in her wedding. As if that wasn't stressful enough, the wedding was the night before the start of my AP exams. I managed to enjoy myself, and it was great being surrounded by family, even if it meant not studying as much as I would have liked.

Now, all I have to do is get through my exams and SAT II/SAT Subject tests this week, and then summer will commence! I am excited for everything coming up! I'm going to the AG Bell Convention (will I be seeing any of my readers there?), volunteering at the hospital again, narrowing down my list of colleges, and working college applications. Then I'll be a senior! In September, I'll turn 18. Can't believe I'm going to be an adult! I may also be taking a couple of other small vacations.

Well, that's about all I have to say for now. Let me know if you'll be attending the Convention in Arizona!

Big Changes- Bye bye, CI's!

All of you know that high school has been filled with its ups and downs for me. Fortunately, it seems I'll be finished a year earlier than originally expected.

I am proud to announce that I have been recruited to attend Harvard University for the fall of 2012. I didn't even have to apply. Apparently the admissions officers came across my blog and were so impressed that they chose to admit me. I don't even have to finish all of my high school credits!

As you all know, the costs of attending a school such as Harvard are astronomical. It is for this reason that I am announcing that starting next week, I will no longer have cochlear implants. It's been a neat experience to be able to hear, but the world is just too noisy for me anyway. I am selling all four of my processors, so please contact me if you are interesting in buying one (or all) of them. I will be having surgery to have the internal implant removed, and I have a company that is willing to buy them back from me and refurbish them so another person will get the chance to hear.

It is with these funds that I am hoping to scrape together enough money to pay for my first year at Harvard. I am not sure how I will pay for the remaining years, but if anyone is in need of a new kidney, feel free to contact me, and perhaps we could negotiate an exchange between the organ and some money for tuition.

I hope that you will all be supportive of me as I endeavor on this life change. I encourage you to keep in touch with me and check out my new blog in which I will account my adventures at Harvard.