I CAN BREATHE and JEFF EAR UPDATE

I CAN BREATHE.

Last night was the first night I breathed through my nose and didn't snore.  Now I have to get my wife to stop snoring since I still have a little bit of hearing in my right ear.






 What is next thing in my life since nothing is ever dull around here.


A miracle happened last week Let me explain.  Karen and I went to go see the cochlear implant doctor again just to touch base.  There are only 3 manufacturers out there for cochlear implants and the doctor I was seeing didn't do the one I wanted.  I have done extensive research, asked a lot of questions, gathered information from all 3 manufacturers, and I wanted Advanced Bionics.  The sad news is I have to find another cochlear implant physician.  My wife and decided the choice of brand is more important but of course we don't want to choose  a poor surgeon.  I rushed home and called other cochlear implant surgeons.  I knew the next step I had to take was to see audiologist and qualify for cochlear implant before scheduling a date. The type of cochlear implant auditory test is different than other ones I have had in the past.  I called an audiologist that works with a good surgeon here in Atlanta area and was able to talk my way into seeing her the following day.  Unfortunately, she was not as great as I thought and just told me to go back to work and read lips.  Now, I am against the clock because I was having nasal surgery on Monday.  I had to have nasal surgery completed before having any ear surgery.  I called Dr. Bhansali's audiologist and we spoke on the phone.  She told me to come in Friday but that I might not be able to see the surgeon because he was scheduled for surgeries.  Dr. Bhansali is a great surgeon but some people don't like his abrasiveness.   Dr. Bhansali was the last option here in Georgia or I would have to fly to Baltimore and go to John Hopkins, which is the best place in the USA for cochlear implants.  The problem is I don't know anyone in Baltimore.  When I arrived to meet with Jocelyn, the audiologist, she mentioned Dr. Bhansali was available to see me because his surgerie had gone quickly.  I turned to my wife and said, "This is God helping us out."  The typical waiting time to see a doctor like this with an appointment is several weeks to months and I was able to see him without an appointment.

THE INTERVIEW
The interview went well.  I mean he is straight-forward but he was thorough.  I could sense during the interview process that he didn't believe that I had  hearing loss and something else was going on because my ABR was normal.  His comment on my audiograms was, "There are some people who can essentially lie on the audiograms."  Anyway I went back with audiologist and she did her test.  The audiogram came back with the same results as previous test from 3 other audiologist, which shows I don't lie on the test, but now my right ear shows signs of an abnormal ABR.  With the results of the test he came back into my room and said I am progressively losing my hearing but he thinks I should wait a little bit longer until cochlear implants.  He sees me needing them in the near future and he works only with Advanced Bionics, which is the brand I want.  He wants me to use hearing aids for few months and then get re-tested for cochlear implants in 6 months unless hearing aids do nothing for me, which could speed up a re-evaluation for implants.  He is hoping the hearing aids will suppress the loudness recruitment I experience, which is why I have pain in my ears, yet still give me some improvement in understanding speech.

Regardless what others have said about him I like him.  I guess I surprised him with my hearing results.  I am still severely to profoundly deaf in my left ear and my right ear is moderate to severe.

I will be returning back to work  once I recover from my nasal surgery and get the hearing aids - hopefully by the middle to end of October.


Please pray my hearing aids will  help with my recruitment and that I will find money somewhere to pay for them.


What a journey this has become.