Home › #Photography › BRACE YOURSELF! GONNA BE A LONG DAY – Marilyn Armstrong

BRACE YOURSELF! GONNA BE A LONG DAY – Marilyn Armstrong

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RDP THURSDAY – BRACE

It’s going to be a long day. Any time we have to get up early for one of these extended audiological checkups for Garry’s cochlear implant, it’s going to take a while. This is the one-month followup and I believe it will all be good news.

I also am pretty sure he needs a tune-up, especially for his left (the non-cochlear) ear because — how ironic! — that’s the one through which he hears much less than in the “new, rebuilt” ear.

We didn’t get that “sudden” moment when he just says “Oh, wow, I can hear.” More like realizing that he can hear the rain on the roof — and it’s loud! He didn’t know rain could be so loud. Or hear the beep from the microwave in the kitchen, the funny scrunchy noise you hear when The Duke has found something hard and plastic to chew on. The buzz the washer and dryer give from the basement and realizing he can tell the difference between the loud buzz (washer) and softer buzz (dryer).

How LOUD the dogs really are! And that he still won’t answer the telephone or even try. He hates the phone and I don’t think he will ever entirely recover because he hated them even when he could hear on one.

Finally, having an actual conversation with a total stranger in the grocery store when normally, he’d not even have heard her say “hello,” much less indulged in a conversation about whether or not it’s possible to not have failed to mention a sexual assault for 36 years. His answer being, “Absolutely. I remember how terrified those women were when I tried to talk to them.” Because he covered a lot of domestic violence calls and the story was always the same — women terrified, men hostile.

Our police chief told us that the most dangerous calls they make are for domestic violence. Those are the ones where a cop is most likely to be injured and also the cases that will never go to court, nor justice be done.

And me thinking there were things I’d never told Garry yet because all it would do it upset him and there was no reason dredge up old misery. Women don’t tell their men things. We don’t want to upset them if there’s nothing to be done to fix it — and they get extremely, sometimes lethally upset. Who needs that?

Having a reasonably normal conversation with a friend … and not having to say “what” a dozen times.

Discovering he can still take off his new hearing aids, put back the headphones and ignore me for a joyful few hours. Drat. I should never have pointed out he could do that!

It will be a long day and Garry’s not feeling well. Tomorrow we go for blood tests and find out what — if anything other than hay fever and age — is the problem. So let’s brace ourselves for two long days!

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Categories: #Photography, Cochlear implant, Daily Prompt, Hearing

Tags: , , , , , ,

86 replies

  1. Kiki
    10/04/2018 • 16:06

    what a discovery of ‘brace’ possibilities…. Be good and get better! Brace the new technologies and bridle that impatience 😉

    Liked by 1 person

  2. omniclassic
    10/04/2018 • 14:49

    Long days, when thing just aren’t quite right. Short days, everything is copasetic. These are good days and usually are over before you know you’ve had one.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Marilyn Armstrong
      10/04/2018 • 15:51

      Garry’s hearing tests went VERY well. He has come a huge way in just a month. Better than expected and it will keep getting better. It won’t be perfect, but I’m no perfect either. I have a feeling eventually his hearing will be better than mine.

      This little camera is a much better version than the one I had, by the way. If it would STOP RAINING for a while, I’d be able to take some pictures!

      Like

    • Garry Armstrong
      10/04/2018 • 16:37

      Well said, Ben. Very true.

      Like

  3. Melanie B Cee
    10/04/2018 • 13:58

    Best wishes for both of you! I’m positive that the hearing exam will be passed with flying colors – it’s very amazing they can do that now. Take care of yourself while dealing with these long days. Stress doesn’t help the immune system at all… 😦

    Liked by 1 person

  4. curioussteph
    10/04/2018 • 13:51

    Hope that despite the bracing, the days go smoothly with good results. Great progress with the implant! First thing I do when I get home after a day at work is rip out my hearing aids. My ears are tired and the sounds of cooking are very jarring. Of course, I have mild-moderate loss and can hear a lot without them.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Marilyn Armstrong
      10/04/2018 • 15:48

      Garry gets tired of listening and hearing. When you have a hearing disability, hearing and listening is real work and he gets very tired. They may actually be part of the tiredness he’s experiencing — listening so hard.

      Like

    • Garry Armstrong
      10/04/2018 • 16:34

      Steph, didn’t realize you wear hearing aids. You’re a kindred spirit. Yes, there comes a time–during the evening –when the hearing aids/cochlear implant parts — must come off. My head and ears are sore.

      Like

  5. choosingmyperspective
    10/04/2018 • 13:17

    Thanks for keeping us in your loops. And give Garry my best.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. rhscribbles
    10/04/2018 • 12:56

    Hope all goes to plan!

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Covert Novelist
    10/04/2018 • 12:47

    Thrilled the implant is working and Garry’s hearing sounds again, some he many not have heard in years. Hoping beyond hope that he’s alright and whatever is going on is minor (can there ever be minor) and not related somehow. xxx fingers and toes Garry and Marilyn xxx

    Liked by 1 person

  8. slmret
    10/04/2018 • 12:35

    Such good news about the implant! Feel better quickly!

    Liked by 1 person

  9. lifelessons
    10/04/2018 • 12:23

    My sympathies.. I have 3 weeks of tests, two days down, 19 to go! We require a lot of maintenance, don’t we????

    Liked by 1 person

    • Marilyn Armstrong
      10/04/2018 • 15:43

      We’ve got blood testing tomorrow — and THEN we’ve got the sorting out to do. I’m betting on vitamin deficiencies. I am supposed to have this kind of testing done every six months … but somewhere in there I got cancer and my heart failed, so I don’t think I’ve had vitamin level tests done in maybe 8 years … which is a LONG time for someone without a stomach.

      Yes, LOTS of maintenance. I used to go to the doctor once a year. Now, it’s … well … something is always happening. I suppose that’s the age thing.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Garry Armstrong
      10/04/2018 • 16:27

      Life, it’s like we are used cars with lots of mileage accrued.

      Like

      • lifelessons
        10/04/2018 • 16:58

        Yes–in need of new engines.

        Liked by 1 person

        • Marilyn Armstrong
          10/04/2018 • 17:45

          I’ve half replaced mine already!

          Liked by 1 person

          • lifelessons
            10/04/2018 • 19:23

            I know..I was thinking of that xo

            Liked by 2 people

            • Marilyn Armstrong
              10/04/2018 • 23:21

              I know all that testing is really hard. I hate it. I have no veins, so I need to really choke down a lot of liquid and pray they can find a working vein. Each time they do it, it gets harder. And so much of the time, you get all these tests and they find nothing at all. Or at least, nothing useful to you. But at least that way, you know what ISN’T wrong.

              I used to always say that the catastrophes we expect are never the ones that happen to us. It’s always the ones we never looked for that get us. It’s why I’ve tried to give up worrying. I always worry about the wrong stuff. Take care of yourself. Let’s ALL take care of ourselves!

              Liked by 1 person

              • lifelessons
                10/05/2018 • 03:46

                They have a new technology that makes it easy for them to find veins.. something you put on your arm..I’ll try to remember where I saw it and send you a link, Marilyn.

                Liked by 1 person

    • Garry Armstrong
      10/07/2018 • 17:55

      Life, I guess we’re high maintenance. I didn’t intend to be.

      Like

  10. Jan Wilberg
    10/04/2018 • 12:09

    Tell Gary that it’s three years post implant for me and I still don’t use the phone. It’s nuts and I have to get over it but it’s a long habit to break.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Marilyn Armstrong
      10/04/2018 • 15:41

      I don’t think he’ll ever get over it. He hated the phone long before he stopped being able to use one. It was the TV station, you know. They were ALWAYS calling. They never gave him a night off, so he still jumps when it rings. I think if he never needed to use a telephone again, he’d be one happy camper.

      Like

    • Garry Armstrong
      10/04/2018 • 16:26

      3 years, Jan, with no phone use? Well, makes me feel better about shying away from the phone just a month into the cochlear implant. I appreciate the perspective. Thanks,much!

      Liked by 1 person

  11. rugby843
    10/04/2018 • 11:19

    Good luck. It seems a lot of people here at WP are not feeling well lately. Goid luck at the appointments.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Garry Armstrong
      10/04/2018 • 16:24

      Rugby, I think there’s something in the air that’s getting to people, especdially those of us of a certain age.

      Today’s Cochlear eval went very well.

      Like

  12. Sue Vincent
    10/04/2018 • 11:16

    Best of luck for both days x

    Like

  13. cordeliasmom2012
    10/04/2018 • 11:14

    Hugs to both of you. Take it slow and easy. We’ll all be waiting to hear how everything went.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Garry Armstrong
      10/04/2018 • 16:21

      “Mom”, thanks. Today’s cochlear eval shows major improvement in hearing and word discernment. I still have a ways to go but am very optimistic.

      Liked by 1 person

  14. angloswiss
    10/04/2018 • 11:13

    I am so glad that everything is working out well with Gary’s implant. I also hope that he is OK otherwise. I had a big scare with Mr. Swiss, but after almost a month of all the possible examinations he could have, nothing was found. I think he was really worried about the CT Scan but all his organs are intact. Now a case of mind over matter probably.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Garry Armstrong
      10/04/2018 • 16:18

      Pat, glad to hear that news about Marcel.

      My cochlear eval today shows major imrovement in hearing and word comprehension. I call that GOOD NEWS.

      Liked by 1 person

  15. swo8
    10/04/2018 • 11:01

    Hoping for good news all the way around.
    Leslie

    Liked by 1 person

  16. judyt54
    10/04/2018 • 10:45

    Fingers crossed for both of you. Let’s hope it’s just a stress thing. He’s been under a lot of stress, both good and bad. And how wonderful he can hear stuff now. He should be grateful you don’t have a tin roof!

    When my mother finally got her hearing aids, she discovered that she had to turn them off when she was knitting, the clacking was intense! and one day she called me laughing, told me she forgot about the hearing aids being on, and tried to dust the metal venetian blinds. She said she damn near died from the racket, lol.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Garry Armstrong
      10/04/2018 • 16:15

      Judy, thanks for the share. It’s almost miraculous to hear these “ordinary sounds” for the first time in my life.

      Liked by 1 person

      • judyt54
        10/04/2018 • 18:38

        I would say miraculous is putting mildly. Wait till you hit your first thunderstorm, lol. And the sound leaves make, blowing across the grass in fall. And lying in bed in the winter, hearing the wind howl outside…oh and we mustn’t forget listening for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve…

        Liked by 1 person

        • Garry Armstrong
          10/07/2018 • 18:04

          Judy? My 1st thunderstorm? I thought you liked me.

          Hell, I’ll take on the thunderboomers — at high noon — on main street.

          BIG hugs and thanks. Judy.

          Like

  17. Taswegian1957
    10/04/2018 • 10:27

    I hope it will be nothing too serious. The implant seems to me making a huge difference already but it’s funny that he likes to take a few hours off from hearing now and then. Still I guess it is overwhelming when you are not used to it.

    Liked by 1 person

  18. Reflections of an Untidy Mind
    10/04/2018 • 10:24

    I remember when they did the first cochlear implant on a young girl in Australia. I don’t know whether she was delighted or terrified by the sounds she could hear. I don’t think anybody envisaged that the implant would work on adults too. So I am really thrilled that Garry got his implant. All the best for the next couple of days. Regards. Tracy.

    Liked by 1 person