Static!

G's finally back to sound.  After 1 month and 2 days of no CI, we were able to get in and get a loaner from the Audiology clinic.  Some of the hang up was our fault, ok a lot.  Looking back I realize that we let him go too long with not seeing the ENT.  So he couldn't get in to see Audiology until we went to see the ENT.  I didn't realize quite how things were supposed to line up.  I thought we just needed a referral.  So I got a referral from the pediatrician while we were still talking to the ENT about an appointment to re-establish care.  If I'd understood things better, I would have taken the earliest ENT appointment, or even better, never have let him lapse...  Instead, I thought there was nothing to be done, so we just set up a convenient ENT appointment on March 14.  Once we had the ENT appointment, the Audiology could see us the same day and let us have the loaner.  !!

Poor G.  I didn't realize what a set back this would be to his hearing.  At the Audiologist, he was very uncomfortable when they put a functioning CI on his head.  On the internet there are videos showing people getting activated.  This was similar, he pressed his hands against his eyes and started to tear up.  In the internet movies, the adults in the room start to ask if the recipient is happy, and if they can hear.  So it looks a lot like the recipient is overcome with emotion and gratitude.  But G went on to say how it was too loud and uncomfortable.  So that helped me understand that the internet narrative is misled.  The recipient is having a nerve electronically stimulated.  That creates a sensation that is probably a little like how I feel when I'm feeling the Spirit and start to cry with an acute pain in my nasal region.

Throughout the mapping session, G needed them to lower the volume again and again.  Even when they had lowered it to the lowest point, he was still uncomfortable and hearing static.  The Audiologists said the static would go away and I was worried.  But the static did go away by the next morning.  It was possibly the way the nerve interpreted being stimulated after a long time, like pins and needles.

G is back to "hearing" but he's lost some ground on speaking.  I hope to never make this mistake again.