I have had to work at not only living with a hearing challenge, but also a mental illness (bi-polar disorder) that is somewhat managed through a combination of medicine and reliance on friends and family.
Incredibly enough, I have a wonderful wife and two children (Ivy, 3 and Jonathan, 9 months) who love me just as I am: craziness and deaf-ishness included. Finding the humor in it all helps us get through. Laughter really is the best medicine sometimes.
My parents live in the same city and provide unending emotional and financial support, and love having grandkids 15 minutes away.
I have friends from church and school living near me and whom I interact with, providing me with another layer of assurance and encouragement on life's rough road.
But I'm still frustrated. Does it have to be THIS hard?
No, it doesn't.
Several months ago, my dad went to Oklahoma City with a missionary friend of his to help him get hearing aids. He noticed they also provided cochlear implants, which is an incredible technology that requires surgery and has improved the hearing lives of many people.
I've never met anyone that had a cochlear implant, but from what I've read and researched on the internet, the benefits are amazing and people's live have changed dramatically for the better because of it.
An audiologist from my church was actually the first person to tell me I may be eligible for a cochlear implant. But my first reaction in my mind was: "There is no way I can afford it."
But I feel this is a step that I feel I must take; a leap of faith into a new world of hearing, one that will give me, God-willing, a new-found confidence in my ability to communicate with others.
The total cost of the cochlear implant surgery and the device is $31,000.
My family is helping me get the word out and we have already raised almost half of this!
Please help me hear better. If you would like to send a word of encouragement or (tax-deductible!) gift to help me hear better, send me an email at "pjramey@gmail.com" and I will definitely reply!
Sincerely,
P.J. Ramey
P.S. Information about the implant--> http://products.cochlearamericas.com
Way to go, PJ!
ReplyDeleteAnd what a wonderful blog page.
Love, Janet
Wow PJ, you look great, and I think the surgery would be a great benefit to your life. Although your hearing aids never bothered me a bit! Hope all your prayers come through, I will be thinking of you!
ReplyDeleteLove your old neighbor, Kathie cole