A SOUND INVESTMENT

Glendora Hammond

 For those of you who don’t know, I lost the hearing in my left ear last November.  Like a switch pulled to the off position, I could no longer hear.  A roaring sound replaced my hearing.

Even though the other ear is near normal, one ear does not provide adequate hearing.  Try to find a misplaced phone when it rings.  The sound comes from every direction!  In a crowded room voices are blurred and words become indistinct.  I can’t hear the waitress nor the person I am sharing dinner with.

The music I listen to on my IPOD is poor quality, tinny, and no longer enjoyable.

If I weren’t a menace on the roads before, I might be now! 

My family and friends are tired of me saying, “ What?   I can’t hear you.”

I am tired of saying, “What?  I can’t hear you.”  

I am having a surgery called BAHA.  Bone anchored hearing aid.  It sounds daunting, but it really isn’t dangerous.

Many of you were certain I had a hole in my head or a screw loose before, but with this procedure I really will have.  A hole is drilled into the bone area behind the deaf ear for placement of a titanium implant, which in time fuses with the bone and transmits sound vibrations within the skull and inner ear.  This stimulates the nerve fibers of the inner ear and ultimately allows a sensation of hearing from the deaf ear.  Total recovery takes about three months.  The wound must be kept scrupulously clean as danger of infection is great.

A noninvasive test was done recently to see if the implant would help me.  A headband with the sound projector was placed on the same bone behind the ear.  It transmitted sound through the bone in a similar manner as the surgical device,   though not as accurately.  I was amazed that I could hear.   I wore the headband outside, and I could clearly hear voices and sounds.  I didn’t want to give it up! That’s when I knew I really wanted this procedure. 

 After the surgery and three months have passed and we are assured the implant has fused to the bone, the next step will be sound processor.  This is when I will eagerly count the days, and it will make the whole procedure worthwhile.  A small box about the size of a Listerine Pocket pack, attaches to the implant, and, as the name says, processes the sound to the good ear.  Nature takes care of the rest.  The box will be under my hair and will be hardly noticeable!

This description is certainly not as technical as the process really is, but it gives you a simple idea what it is about.

 I have complete confidence in Dr. Jose N. Fayad and the Los Angeles House Clinic, and am looking forward to the procedure.

To be continued.