Thanks where my thanks is due today.

There are so many people I am thankful for in my life, and I’ve said so many times throughout my blog. My family and my husband’s have all been very supportive to me through so many years of deafness before my Cochlear implant, but today there’s also another I’m so very grateful for.

I’ve seen an enormous amount of posts across the web from so many who are thankful about various people and things (yay food!), and I couldn’t go without posting my own warm and fuzzy thoughts.

I’m thankful today, Thanksgiving day, for this man.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I thank God today for Professor Graeme Clark.

I’m thankful that Professor Clark had the tenacity to succeed and successfully implanted the very first multi-channel bionic ear and cochlear implant. If it hadn’t been for his perseverance, despite so much stacked against him, I wouldn’t be hearing during my very first winter Thanksgiving after being deaf for so many years.

Many, many thank you’s to Professor Clark and to Cochlear Americas for what they began and what they continue to do.

“In spite of the problems and criticisms, I just had to go on. A cochlear implant was their only hope of ever hearing.” – Professor Graeme Clark

Nothing says holidays like a cheese log

Holidays are the former bane of my existence as a deaf girl. So were drive-thru lanes. And phones. And conversation with human beings as a whole.

But now that I have a cochlear implant?

The other morning I thought about the upcoming holidays. Hard to believe we’re rapidly approaching the season again, isn’t it? And with that thought, I almost had an emotional breakdown because I realized something that I haven’t really thought about much in a long time.

This will be another first for me.

As I’ve hit my six month’s post activation of my cochlear implant, there really aren’t so many wow I heard that moments. Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely not complaining. I love hearing, and I love that it’s not so emotionally overwhelming anymore. It was rough those first few months when every time I heard something new, I’d practically bawl my eyes out because I was so happy I’d heard that something again. With all the tears, I had to drink a lot of water to stay hydrated! But in all seriousness, while I did love those moments of hearing things again for the first time, I’ve also enjoyed slowing down to just enjoying every day, hearing the same things, in a routine of sorts.

But oh, the holidays.

Who doesn’t love the holidays?

Even last year, as much as I wanted to hate the holidays, I do love them. I love spending time with family, enjoying their company, and hearing kids squeal in delight when they’ve opened an unexpected gift. And I love music. Classic Christmas songs, revised pop versions, rock versions, and every other kind.

This will be the first set of holidays that I can enjoy in a very long time as a hearing person. I’m crying just thinking about it!

And I’m excited. I’m excited about hearing this season for the first time again after so very long. I’m under no impression to think that this won’t be the best year yet.