Cloud ahead

For the last 17 years I've been deaf in my right ear.

I have a condition called otosclerosis, and it was triggered by my pregnancy with Emily,

so it's 17 years pretty much to the month since I first noticed my ear

felt blocked all the time and I couldn't hear properly.

At the time I was advised to finish my family and then consider a stapedectomy.

In 2009 I visited the surgeon again and discussed the procedure and risks of surgery,

and he advised trying a hearing aid if I wasn't sure about the surgery.

So for 4 1/2 years I've been wearing a hearing aid.

It was very hard going at first, but the day after I wrote this post

about how I couldn't keep wearing it,

everything suddenly clicked and I kept it after all.

Conversations in noisy rooms became easier.
I could actually tell when we finished praying in bible study.
The TV volume could come down a bit.

Music became louder, but more cacophonous.

With every high note comes a ringing feedback sound in my ear.

And I still struggle to hear someone speaking directly to my right.

So, after all these years, I've decided to have the surgery.

I booked it in November, but had to wait until this week to have it.
The surgery has an 89% success rate,
so I'm hoping there will be no complications.
My sweet friend Carol has had this surgery twice
and has been my mentor and cheerleader
over the last 9 months or so we've been chatting about it.
She now has about 80% of her hearing in her recently operated ear.

On Wednesday I will go to hospital, stay overnight,

and return home on Thursday to recover.

For the next couple of weeks I have to avoid
bending, lifting, and sudden movements.

I can't blow my nose or wash my hair,
and I still won't be able to hear for about 6 weeks.
I've canceled my teaching and other responsibilities
for a few weeks.
After the initial dizziness
I'm planning to catch up on period dramas and romantic comedies,
 read a few books and do some crocheting and knitting.
The girls have been told they will have to wait on me hand and foot.
We'll see how that turns out ...

In the eye department, I'm still getting used to reading glasses,
reading is not always the pleasure it was.
Using the computer is marginally better with my glasses.
I'm sure it will continue to improve, along with my hearing after surgery,
as my brain adjusts to all these changes.
Hopefully in 2 months or so I'll be hearing and reading with no problems.

So at the moment I'm feeling a bit anxious,
aware of the various risks of the surgery,
doing lots of housework, shopping and cooking
to prepare for the next fortnight when I can do nothing,
trying to remember everything that I need to be on top of.
It's a strange state to be in, knowing that if I don't do something now,
I can't do it for a few weeks.

It's hard to hold on to the calm of last week,
but if  the surgery works, it will all be worth it.

Thanks for sticking with this long post to the end,
I'll see you again out the other side.