Update on Becca from her father Dave...
Clearly it has been a while since my last message. This email may well be the last "official" update on Rebecca as the most dramatic aspects of our recent challenges appear behind us. The primary reason for the extended lapse between this and the last update was our waiting to see how Becca would take to her cochlear implant. Only after I sent out the last email did I realize I'd neglected to mention that, by standard practice, cochlear implants are not made functional the day of the surgery. Typically, patients must wait a month to heal. That is to say, Becca has been experiencing her new form of hearing for just over a week now. It was two Fridays ago, on the 13th, that Becca, Amy and I went to the Michigan Ear Institute to receive the outer part of the hearing mechanism--the microphone and sound processor. This part is what sits over the ear like a regular hearing aid and connects magnetically to the internal machine. Sound waves are picked up by the microphone, converted to digital signals which are transferred to the implant inside the cochlea. Those signals are then converted to electrical impulses which register in the brain as sound. To be clear, what Becca hears with the implant is not the sound we hear. As an artificial means of hearing that replaces the inner ear, the implant translates everything into something with less nuance, more standardization. For much greater details on the workings of the device, see http://www.cochlearamericas.com/Products/2012.asp.
Of course, our naive hope as parents was that the solution to Becca's hearing deficit would be solved as soon as we had our new medical wonder hooked up. In practice, however, the adoption of such a life-altering appliance is not straightforward, especially for a four-year-old. Our greatest stumbling block has been simply keeping the rather bulky processor on Becca's dainty ear. Even with the manufacturer's special fastening attachment, the hearing aid drops off fairly regularly. Forget about running around the backyard. So far, stretchy hair bands have been reasonably effective. One wonders what we would have done had Becca been a boy. As for the actual functioning of the implant, it does indeed improve our daughter's hearing. She definitely picks up more words and doesn't need to look at our mouths so much. And we expect improvement over time as the device is fine-tuned for Becca. We will be back to the Michigan Ear Institute on several more occasions for reprogramming over the coming months. We were told to expect an adjustment period, both in terms of Becca getting accustomed to the implant and her brain adapting to the new sound. While we might have wanted to flip a switch to give Becca her hearing back, we are obliged to recharge and replace batteries, learn the meaning of two-digit codes and convince our daughter of her need to stick with this new part of her life.
I speak for the entire family when I say that each of us has experienced the lowest point in our lives in 2008. The whole experience has been physically and emotionally taxing. Speaking frankly, I can't say we've yet found the silver lining in these dark clouds. But then, so little time has passed. I will say that Jesus remains faithful and has in no way forsaken us. Throughout our ordeal, we have experienced a great outpouring of love from our family, friends and even strangers. We feel honored to be the recipients of others' sacrifices.
God bless,
Dave
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