Lost and Found: My Cochlear Implant Life: I'm Wired.

I confess.

I'm wired. I have a dependence on electricity.

When I got my cochlear implant, I had no idea how much electric this little device and all of its accessories could consume. From the hundreds of disposable batteries to the dozens of recharging cords, my world has become a messy tangle of wires, and cords, and recyclable batteries.

The problem is in finding a way to recharge all of the necessaries each night in a convenient, safe, and neat way. Each device has its own cord and connector. The cord for the Zephyr dryer doesn't fit the battery charger. And the connector for the phone clip doesn't adapt to the remote assistant. Throw in my cell phone, Nook, alarm clock with a bed shaker, iPod, bedside fan, lamp, and iPad, and I have an immense maze of cords and wires -- each vying for space on my nightstand and tripping me up in the dark of night.

Adding power strips, outlet adapters, and extension cords only seemed to compound the spider web of cords beside my bed. I experimented with plugging in my various devices all over the house instead -- the remote assistant on the window sill of the dining room; the dryer on the table in the TV room, the battery charger on my husband's night stand -- but making nightly rounds to plug everything in and then reversing the order each morning to gather my things again was becoming a problem. I sometimes left for work without important accessories. I had to find a better solution.

I searched the online world and local electronics stores for charging stations that could end my wired chaos and relieve my OCD, only to come up empty-handed.

I know I'm not alone in my suffering. My Cochlear Facebook group has frequent posts from members seeking the same solution to the "electrical dilemma."

So I got crafty this weekend. And came up with this. It's not perfect. But I feel a lot better now.