Saturday, June 15, 2018 - CURIOSITY
"Curiosity
killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back." That's a
saying that dates back to 1598 from a play by Ben Johnson. It holds
true today with this "old cat" - pardon the slang. With not
much to do today, as my recovery continues as if the surgery never
happened, I've been pondering on the cochlea,
the remarkable hearing instrument we've been blessed with by our
Creator. It's tiny. If the spiral is unwound, it's just about an inch
and a quarter from base to apex. That's where the miracle of
electrical impulses sent to the brain happens.
Before my surgeon
bored through my skull and placed the electrodes inside my left ear
cochlea, I had some minimal residual hearing there. Enough that with
my Phonak aids I was listening bilaterally with both ears.
Now,
until "turn on" on the 27th, the aid in my right ear is my
link with the world. Considering all, it's doing a pretty good job. I
hear the ticking of the Regulator pendulum clock on my wall loud and
clear. Just had a short face-to-face conversation with a friend and
understood all. The wire link that plugs into the bottom my
ComPilotII from the TV is functioning as it should, allowing me to
understand the news of the world. There are days I don't switch it
on, mainly when I have a good book going on my Kindle Fire.
But, today
curiosity won out. Not that I was looking for the latest Trump bash
or boost, depending on the station selected. I wondered if I put the
hearing aid into my now "dead ear" if anything remained of
the residual hearing I had before the operation. In TV mode, my
controller has just ON and OFF. It's a blessing that allows a mute
for commercials with a click of the button. Every time I click from
OFF to ON, the lady inside my controller says "Audio Check"
very distinctly. She's not much of a conversationalist beyond that.
Not even a "Have a nice day!" when I tune out and turn in.
In addition to
the built-in volume control in the TV, I have an in-line volume
control in the wire from the TV that amplifies even more - enough
that it can be unpleasantly loud streamed to my hearing aids when set
to max.
I took the aid
out of my right ear and placed the left aid into my implanted ear -
turned the TV volume to the highest level and the in-line to the max.
I could hear and understand! The TV volume was so loud that my
neighbor in the next room came in and asked that I turn it down.
I think that
means the electrodes in the cochlea - at least in my case - do not
"kill" the function of the eardrum and middle ear when
amplified. That's a question I'll ask my doctor when I see him next.
Everyone is
different. Would my "Curiosity killed the cat" experiment
turn out the same for you - or you - or you?
No idea. But this
"cat" has a satisfied smile on his puss for having tried it
on his journey to better hearing.
Pizza for dinner! Then hopped in the car and drove for the first
time in four days to be sure our gorgeous Gulf of Mexico was still
there. Watched the boats and a couple of dolphins come in and out of
the pass between Venice and Nokomis beaches. Checked out the
fishermen and then on to the Drum Circle. Every Saturday evening
drummers from all over the area gather for a couple of hours before
sunset to say goodbye to Ol' Sol as he drops below the horizon.
incredibly blessed I am? You bet! Not just every day. Every hour. Even with just one hearing aid I can hear percussion and rythmn. I wonder what real music will sound like when I can hear it as I used to.
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