Bob's House -- Pepsi's new Super Bowl Ad

I got to have it on my blog for my family to see! It became my favorite (winks)

Entering the world of Sound-Cochlear Implants

I think cochlear implants were invented in 1985. Here is the website I read. I'll explain why I'd rather enter the world of silent later at end of this post.

http://www.cqc.state.ny.us/publications/DisAwarenessPast/pastissues/oldissues/2004/Cochlear%20implants.htm

Thirty years ago the likelihood that a person with profound hearing loss could gain any ability to hear was doubtful. Then, in 1985, the prospect became an attainable reality when a device was invented to aid those individuals unable to perceive sound waves. This remarkable invention was the cochlear implant.

A device that provides stimulation directly to the auditory nerve, bypassing damaged hair cells in the cochlea that prevent sound from reaching the nerve.
Hearing individuals have ideal pathways for sound to pass through the outer portion of the ear and into the inner ear. People who are deaf have damaged hair cells within the inner ear or cochlea, which inhibits sound from reaching the auditory nerve. In order to compensate for the biological flaw, an implant was designed to bypass the obstruction.
The implant is unique in that it sidesteps the external and middle ears by means of electrode electrical stimulation, which allows impulses of nerve fibers (from the eighth cranial nerve) to be carried to the brain. The device has microphones to collect the sound, speech processors or tiny computer chips for interpreting and converting sound into digital signals, and transmitters which receive the signals and send them to an implanted receiver. The cochlear implant allows for the sensation of sound, but not for a quick fix to hearing loss or damage. Obviously, this process isn't as simple as pressing a button in the inner ear to suddenly enable sound perception. It is complicated and may not have the desired effects or produce any sound at all.
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders reports that roughly 14,000 adults and children have received cochlear implants in the United States, and more than 30,000 individuals have received cochlear implants throughout the entire world. Although the price of implanting the device reaches close to $40,000, this medical procedure is considered one of the most cost-effective treatments available.
The cochlear implant is the first instrument that allows for the partial recovery of a damaged sensory organ. For the first time in history, a technology exists that allows auditory perception for people who are profoundly deaf. In a once silent existence, they can now perceive sound.
Cochlear implant surgery is not without risks. They include:
- Short-term dizziness
- A ringing sensation in the ears (tinnitus)
- Numbing behind the ears near the incision
- An alteration in the way things taste
- The possibility of developing infection, such as meningitis, and
- The risk of device failure, which would require additional surgery to correct them malfunction.

Or...would you rather be entering the Deaf world without any risk?

As for me, I'd rather to be deaf the way I was since I can't predict if I would succeed or if the device's failed, I'd have to go through another surgery to get it corrected. It's like when you are gambling and you can't predict if you would win big money or lost all what you have. It's a scary decision, so I will let it pass and be happy. If I'd not be able to perceive sound waves, I can DO hands wave in ASL, so who cares? We will be able to hear again in Heaven, then why do we have to worry when we are on Earth? We will be always in one piece.

A Red Rose, written by my youngest daughter~

Sunlight and water is what you need,
You were first a tiny seed,
But with some love and care, you grew,
And from that moment I suddenly knew,
Once you blossomed big,
You became not a beanstalk, but.....
A Red Rose!
Written by Hannah Mow

Hearies can use Closed-captioning for reading!!

I laughed when I read this newsletter from my youngest daughter's school library. I wonder if the parents would use it for their HEARING kids to read the closed-captioning on t.v. while watching. My kids always read while watching T.V., and they read books. Their reading level on the standardized test was very high. So, I guess it explains that. In the short article, it says, Did you know your kids can improve their reading while watching t.v.? Go to the set-up menu on your sets and turn on the closed-captioning option. Then, as the dialogue happens, the kids can read along with it down below. Easy! Since I thought it was so cool, I decided to post it for you.

A state of being a whole?

He was thrown off a train after refusing to move from the first class to a third class. They didn’t treat him like others. What became of him? He became a true leader and India’s “Father of the nation. “ His quote is still alive today. Read his quote and the only word I would like to discuss for the Deaf community.

“Truth, purity, self-control, firmness, fearlessness, humility, unity, peace, and renunciaion—These are the inherent qualities of a civil resister”
~Mahatma Gandhi, Indian Spiritual/Political Leader and Humanitarian (1869-1948)

You can recognize the word, unity. He wanted Hindus and Muslims to be kept in unity. Let’s look at the item of the history.

“India was granted independence in 1947, and partitioned into India and Pakistan. Rioting between Hindus and Muslims followed. Gandhi had been an advocate for a united India where Hindus and Muslims lived together in peace. On January 13, 1948, at the age of 78, he began a fast with the purpose of stopping the bloodshed. After 5 days the opposing leaders pledged to stop the fighting and Gandhi broke his fast.”

He only wanted them to be in unity and he did it. I believe that he is the most respected man in a whole wide world! Of course, it's because of the nine qualities he believed in is Truth, purity, self-control, firmness, fearlessness, humility, unity, peace, and renunciaion. But I want to intend on just the word, Unity I chose for my writing.

My wish is to be shared as my writing to be shown. I am not that great in writing, but I just went ahead to post it to reveal the similarity to Gandhi’s belief.

I am Deaf just as you are deaf and as she/he is hard of hearing/ late deafened, and we are on the same surface. We can be in the unity as long as we respect each other ,and will be always in the same core of DEAFNESS no matter how much one can hear or not. Being in the unity as a beauty leads to a better world or if you would call it as a Deaf community by respecting, reaching each other in any way, and educating. Reminding what’s the most important is that ASL is to keep for the generations to come and have all the deaf/Deaf children (Cochlear Implanted, Cued, SEE, Oral) to develop in ASL beautifully. They can be completed!

Join the train and we’ll go on a journey to ASL land! If you struggle with ASL, someone will be your friend and help you to make an effort with digging into ASL. It’ll be fun!