Thinking it over
I'm happy to say that the potential CI recipient I wrote about on Monday did get in touch with me.
I deeply respect her concerns about losing her residual hearing. I wanted to make that clear to her.
We take our senses for granted. We take our mobility, our health, for granted.
We can't help it. It's how we survive in a world full of danger and bad possibilities.
But nobody understands how precious our senses are - even when damaged, altered, failing, trying but not succeeding - until they begin to lose them. Risking losing more in the gossamer-thin hope of gaining more feels like making a deal with ... well, someone dangerous.
I sent her an email about my experience of getting the implant, the good and the bad. I don't think the CI is the right decision for every person. I don't think anyone who is considered a candidate should get one. A lot of people assume that everyone who qualifies would - should - get it. They can't imagine choosing not to.
In the real world, there are many, many factors to be considered.
I feel so privileged to be able to have a dialogue with someone making the decision. She's really done me a huge honour by asking for my input.
She sounds like a strong, smart person. In the end, the good thing is that whatever decision she makes will be, by definition, right for her.
ronnie
posted by ronnie at
10:14 p.m.
7 Comments:
I'm glad she contacted you. Whatever she decides, she's done right to get your opinion to help round out the opinions of the others you mentioned. (This is going to sound crazy, but I was worried third-hand about her because of what you wrote previously.)
--"Threnody"
Bless you, Threnody, you're a good person. I was worried too - second-hand.
I hope she keeps in touch. She's a really interesting person working on some big decisions. I think - I hope - she knows that I'll support her just as warmly if she decides the CI is not her choice, as if she decides it is.
ronnie
Have you read Oliver Sacks' Hearing Voices? I'd be interested in your opinion.
I found it infuriating. In fact, it's one of the few books I'd classify as evil.
Carl,
A book you'd classify as evil?
Well, I have to read it now, don't I?
ronnie
I'm a big admirer of Sacks, but that book just horrified me.
My mind has a habit of noticing my mistakes much too late.
Sacks' book is Seeing Voices.
Hi Carl,
Yes, I figured out the actual title of Sacks' book pretty quickly when your post piqued my interest enough to send me on a web seach. "Hearing Voices Oliver Sacks" very quickly pointed me in the right direction.
I've ordered it from alibris and it should be here in a week or so.
I look forward to reading it and will post about it on the blog after I'm done.
Thanks for bringing this book and a lot of other interesting stuff to my attention.
ronnie
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