As I head home from the second cochlear implant appointment, I can’t help but squint with pride after discovering my new superpower.

I remember this movie from my youth where they were testing a girl’s hearing, and they discovered that she could hear beyond the normal human range. I thought that was SO cool and I secretly wished for some phenomenal human anomaly as such that would make me a unique human being.

Having superhuman hearing was… well obviously not my superpower. Nor was superhuman underwater breathing or having webbed toes… But I can’t help but think and evaluate why I can hear individual keys on a piano only a few days after my cochlear implant activation. It was only a few days ago that they were clusters of 5 or 6 notes all sounding the same. To quote the audiologists again on my progress: “Phenomenal”.

Music in My Life

Sitting back down at the piano after decades of not playing I am reminded at what a bad sight reader I am. That might have always been my weakness and I made up for it with practice… which ties to reading a new language. (Learning new languages was never my gift). My connection with hearing a mistake with the keys and the passion behind the notes probably come from dance,… which probably is, in turn, helping me bring it back into my life.

Music Therapy

In the last week or so, I have been listening to some old favourite music from the past: 60s, 70s, 90s dance… I would navigate to YouTube and just let the mix run and let my memory take over a good tune that I can’t fully hear. The way I see it, there is nothing wrong with recalling the joy of hearing this music and using my memory to put it back in tune.

Magic of my Genes and the Brain

Maybe the way I am biologically made has something to do with it. Sometimes I literally feel like I see words fly together in mid-air like puzzle pieces and to form a complete sentence. (Or at least to create what I think is being said)…. Many times during my life I am in shock what comes to me when I think about it. This is quite possibly the reason why I have been able to understand speech for so long!

Community Support

I cannot help but be certain that the power of prayer and community support has been a huge part of my healing and progress. So many of my family, friends, & colleagues have been my cheerleaders and support through prayer, messages and thoughts. I believe that my community is a huge contributing factor to why I have healed and have been advancing so well!!