The Road to Recovery is Nothing Like the Brochure
I’ve often heard that the first 24 hours after cochlear implant surgery were the hardest any parent will face. You will find yourself doubting yourself in ways you never imagined. As much as I’d psyched myself up for the big day, the evening of the surgery was probably one of the darkest I had ever experienced in my life.
In my head, I had envisioned the day of surgery to have a very Norman Rockwell flavor to it. We would entrust our daughter to the surgical staff. After about 2 hrs or so we would get our daughter back. She would have a head bandage and maybe cry from the anesthesia, then we would drive home as a family and my wife and I would take turns nursing her back to health. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation was somewhat different.
"Hi. I'm Carina. What's your name?"
That's usually the first thing you hear when C-Note sees you. Her favorite past times are meeting new friends, hosting real and imaginary parties, and drawing pictures of everyone and everything, yourself included.
As C-Note's father, I stand in complete amazement of this young lady, who God has chosen to complete our family. As an adopted child with a hearing impairment, she experiences levels of joy that surpasses many who do not face similar challenges. A spunky kind of girl, she has also been affectionately nicknamed Wiggly, Jumping Jelly Bean, Wii Girl, and of course, our precious C-Note.