Wildfdog

AFTER 35 YEARS WITH THE TELEPHONE COMPANY I RETIRED IN 2003. i TOOK A PART TIME JOB TO KEEP BUSY CAUSE I WAS ONLY 53 WHEN I RETIRED. IN 2004 I WENT DEAF IN MY LEFT HEAR. NO DOCTORS COULD TELL ME WHY ? I HAD MY NEW JOB TAKEN AWAY FROM ME DUE TO NYS REQIREMENTS FOR SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS. PEOPLE WITH HEARING DISABILITES CANNOT CROSS CHILDREN WITHOUT PERFECT HEARING ! I CONTINUED TO TRY AND FIND OUT WHY I WENT DEAF IN ONE EAR. FINALLY I WENT TO L.I.J. HEARING CENTER TO TRY AND FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO MY HEARING. I MEET DR. VANBUTAS. THEN IN 2005 MY RIGHT EAR STOPPED WORKING, I BECAME TOTALLY DEAF AT 54 YEARS OLD. BACK TO L.I.J. HEARING CENTER FOR MORE TESTS AND THEN A DATE FOR SURGERY TO MY LEFT EAR WITH A FREEDOM COCHLEAR IMPLANT. DR. VANBUTAS DID A GREAT JOB. NO PAIN AT ALL AFTER SURGERY. NOW THAT I COULD HEAR OUT OF MY LEFT EAR LIFE SORTS BECAME NORMAL AGAIN. I COULD WATCH TELEVISION. HEAR MY WIFE TALKING TO ME AGAIN. I COULD NOW HEAR MY NEW PUPPIES THAT I PLAYED WITH WHEN I WAS TOTALLY DEAF. I COULD NOW HEAR BOTH OF THEM BARK. I COULD GO OUTSIDE IN THE BACKYARD AND HEAR THE BIRDS AGAIN. THEN I WAS TOLD I COULD DRIVE AGAIN WITH A SPECIAL REARVIEW MIRROR. AS SOON AS I GOT ONE I WAS BACK TO DOING ALMOST EVERYTHING I DID BEFORE GOING DEAF. I STARTED GOING TO SUPPORT MEETINGS AT L.I.J. HEARING CENTERAFTER A YEAR OR SO I APPRACHED DR. VANBUTAS ONE NIGHT AT A SUPPORT MEETING AND ASKED HER IF I WAS ELIGIBLE FOR A SECOND OPERATION TO MY RIGHT EAR. I WENT FOR MORE TESTS AND SURGERY WAS SCHEDULED FOR A OPERATION TO MY RIGHT EAR. SO I BECAME BI-LATERAL , AND WHEN MY RIGHT WAS TURNED ON A WHOLE NEW WORLD OF SOUND WAS PRESENT, BUT ACTUALLY IT WAS THE WORLD I LEFT WHEN I WENT TOTALLY DEAF. IT ALL CAME BACK AND I FELT SOMEWHAT NORMAL AGAIN. BUT NO MORE ACTIVITES LIKE BEFORE, NO MORE VOLUNTERR FIREMAN, OR ANY OTHER ACTIVITES I DID. I MISS SCUBA DIVING AND SNORKLING, BUT THEN YOUR EARS WERE NEVER GOOD UNDERWATER ANYWAY. I STILL RIDE A FIRETRUCK AT CHRISTMAS TIME TO HAND OUT CANDY CANES TO THE CHILDREN IN TOWN. I LOVE RIDING ON A FIRE TRUCK. WHEN I WAS CAPTAIN OF A ENGINE COMPANY I WOULD TAKE IT HOME TO WHERE I LIVED AND PARK IT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE. THE CHILDREN WOULD COME AND WANT TO SIT IN THE FRONT SEAT, THE BUCKET SEATS ON THE SIDE AND THE BACK STEP WHERE WE WOULD RIDE TO A FIRE. I GOT ALOT OF THE BOYS WHEN THEY GREW UP TO JOIN THE FIRE DEPT. AND BE ASSIGNED TO MY COMPANY. IT WAS NICE TO HAVE ALL MY NEIGHBORS RIDE WITH YOU ON A TRUCK TO A FIRE OR A RESCUE.

I HAVE NOW BEEN BILATERAL NOW FOR OVER A YEAR, IT IS GREAT, ITS LIKE I NEVER WENT DEAF, UNTIL I GO VISIT MY FOUR GRANDSONS, THE NOISE THEY MADE AND THEIR MOTHERS HIGH PITCHED VIOCE ARE A NIGHTMARE FOR A BI-LATERAL PATIENT. SUPRESSION SETTINGS I HAVE DON'T SEEM TO BE SET RIGHT, AT TIMES THE NOISE IS SO BAD I HAVE TO TURN MY EARS OFF, NO CHOICE. IN 2008 I HAD A MAJOR HEART ATTACK, I WENT FLAT LINE AS I WAS ROLLED INTO THE E/R AT FRANKLIN GENERAL HOSPITAL. THEY BLASTED ME BACK TO LIFE AND I AM HERE TODAY TYPING IS STORY. THANK YOU GOD ! I AM SOMEWHAT BACK TO NORMAL BUT NO LONGER DRIVING. I GAVE UP MY LICENSE TO DRIVE, LEARNED HOW TO WALK AGAIN AT THE AGE OF 59, HAD TO LEARN HOW TO WRITE AGAIN TO SIGN MY NAME TO DOCUMENTS. LIFE HAS NOT BEEN EASY SINCE I RETIRED AT 53, BUT THEN ALSO BEING A TYPE 1 DIABETIC SINCE I WAS TEN YEARS OLD HAS NOT EXACTLY BEEN FUN.