It only takes a minute to remind myself that there are still many sounds that I hear with my cochlear implant that bear little likeness to the "real" sounds they make.
Take, for instance, this morning. A sound unbeknownst to me occurred repeatedly as my husband and I were watching the morning news. As the news anchors were talking, I was inundated by the most annoying, noisy whistle. I couldn't tell if it was coming from the TV, from outside, or from my husband. And I couldn't even listen to the news anymore because I became so obsessed with that damn whistle! Curiosity not only killed the cat; it got the best of me.
"What's that whistling noise?" I finally asked. (And not so calmly at this point.)
The conversation that ensued is one that is all too familiar to me since my hearing loss.
"What noise?" my husband asked innocently.
"That whistling," I said again. "What's whistling?"
"I don't hear a whistle," he said.
"There! There it is again!" I said. "What is it?"
"Oh. That's the jingle bells on TV. Santa has bells on," he explained.
"Well, isn't that irritating," I commented. "Sounds like whistling." And we laughed.
Hearing is good, but it isn't perfect. This first Christmas with a cochlear implant is interesting and new.
There are no bells - or whistles - in my house this Christmas season. That's probably a good thing.
Sometimes you have to smile -
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