Recovery the rest of week 1

Well I guess I fell off the proverbial horse pretty quick. I totally failed to post the last half of week one. We went to visit the in-laws on the other side of the state and due to lack of wi-fi, I gave up. We had a wonderful weekend relaxing with my mother and father in-law on the east coast. I got to visit with friends close by that I rarely get to visit with and in general had a great time!

I'm still sleeping upright, and not in much pain. A little discomfort is about it. I have, however discovered that with my ear in its current state of repair is sensitive to weather changes and is a bit temperamental when it gets cloudy and dark. I've always been sensitive to weather changes and pressure systems so I suppose this is just an extension of the usual for me. Ibuprofen was as usual a workable cure.

I went back to teaching today. It went well and I daresay the doughnuts I brought in for my co-teacher and interpreters did not go amiss. My classroom still seems to be only vaguely air conditioned and about 5 minutes after my arrival I had already pulled my nicely styled hair up and was sweating to death.  Welcome to working in the public schools.

My students seem fascinated with my progress in receiving my implant and are asking lots of questions and are curious to see my stitches. I happily oblige them because several of them have implants themselves but received them so young (average age of 2 yrs old) that they don't remember getting them. Often Deaf and Hard of Hearing students need help in understanding their hearing loss and assistive technology as well as their accommodations afforded to them under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). A self-advocacy goal often makes an appearance on their Individual Education Plan (IEP) that they will be able understand their hearing loss and assistive technology and explain it to a peer or adult. I have taken the time to share with my students the literature that my doctor gave me regarding the 3 major companies that produce cochlear implants here in the U.S. They all have excellent pictures of the ear, placement of implant and of the implant and processors they make. I have students with all three types of implants. They often do not understand what is in their head and how it works. I am sharing this journey with my students in order to help them better understand the technology they and their friends use. It is important to understand the benefits gained from and limits of the assistive technology that they use.