Sounds like......

i've had my BAHA since approximately 10:15am on wednesday, february 15, 2012.

aside from being asleep, i think it has been off of my head for a total of 2 hours. that includes showering.

there are some downsides to it, some things that need to be tweaked-- music keeps causing feedback after 10-15 minutes of listening, particularly with treble heavy music (in other words, my hearing aid ALSO hates katy perry. we are a perfect fit!) and when my hair is down i hear it swishing on the hearing aid a whole bunch so i have to keep my hair pulled back, which is giving me a headache! but taking a tylenol or two for a few days is well worth being able to hear!

when i took it off wednesday night, i ended up staying awake for a little bit playing spades and trying to settle myself down.

it was the first time i've ever really, truly felt deaf.

after spending a day "hearing" the world to the left of me, i was in love. when i heard stereo for the first time that afternoon, there was no turning back. i am in complete awe.

the appropriate thing to do would be to write a post about how life changing this is, the emotional weight of the situation, etc etc.

instead, i will make fun of myself.

people keep asking me what it's like to hear. it's so kind, and they are SO excited for me! but THEY already can hear. the best way to answer that question is to tell them the things that i am hearing differently.

but....

if you aren't deaf at all..... then you've never heard like a deaf person...... even if you plug an ear with your finger, there is still some residual sound, you can hear yourself talking. not the case with deafness. it is totally dead.

so when i say things like "the song 'boys of summer' by the eagles-- there are SEAGULLS in the background of the track!!!!!'" i mostly get blank, happy stares. like they're waiting for me to continue and explain the amazing part.

like i'm supposed to say "don henley came TO MY HOUSE and sang it IN MY DRIVEWAY!!!!!! THAT'S WHAT A HEARING AID DOES!!!!"

or i could say "the microwave hinges creak a little!!"

people generally tune that kind of thing out?

ok, maybe this is better:

"the world is effing LOUD"

stating the obvious?

"I CAN HEAR MY KIDS CRYING FROM ANYWHERE IN THE HOUSE!!!!"

that...... doesn't sound appealing at all.... even to me as i'm typing it....

"i was able to turn down my radio and my tv volume by almost HALF!"

i can only imagine the response to that will be great gratitude from those people who've been subjected to my apparently roaring media equipment.

but in all seriousness, the best way i think i've come up with so far to explain this is to say that it's as though my hearing is 3 dimensional-- there are layers and waves where before there was just one steady line. after my wedding day and the birthdays of both of our boys, this takes the #4 spot without contest.