My story

 All photos: ©A.K.W.

August 17, 2020:

Here is my story:

I was born in Korea and joined my adoptive family when I was 10 months old. When I was 5 years old my parents enrolled me in suzuki violin lessons. It didn't take long to realize I had some hearing loss. After a lot of trials and testing we learned Hearing Aids wouldn't work because I had a hearing loss pattern that "looked like swiss cheese" according to the Audiologist.

I was homeschooled; my Mother was a teacher and had experience teaching deaf children. We worked hard on sign language and lip reading. My parents worked hard to teach me life skills. Many people never realized I had a severe hearing loss! I also worked for my Father in his dental office for 15 years as a chairside assistant.

When my parents began preparing for retirement I was in my twenties. We moved to the country. I was active in the local church and helped with their office work. At home I began raising and breeding goats. At one time I had a herd of 73 to manage but it was obvious that my hearing loss was becoming worse. I was missing most of what people said.

The doctor recommended Cochlear Implants and I was thrilled to think I could be involved in conversations, I felt so isolated.

I had right sided cochlear implant surgery on September 6, 2019 and was activated on October 15, 2019. I am scheduled for left sided cochlear implant surgery on October 30, 2020.

I have been hard of hearing most of my life but in the last ten years I lost almost all my ability to hear human voices, listen to TV or radio, enjoy movies, and use a telephone.

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