No Batteries

Well, the inevitable happened tonight. My rechargeable battery in my right (new ear) CI died on the way to Bible Study tonight. (I normally change my rechargeable battery after 10-12 hours because they don't last all day but I forgot.) I thought, "No problem, I have batteries in my purse." Well, I didn't. (They were on my desk at home when I changed my batteries yesterday on the other CI and were under a pile of papers.) So, I had to sit in Bible Study tonight listening with just one ear and it was a struggle. I've gotten so used to hearing well with BOTH ears that it is difficult to go back and hear with just one CI. About halfway through the lesson, I decided to switch ears to see if I could hear better (I was listening through my older and left side). I actually heard better with ONE EAR on my NEWEST side. That was the ear I favored from the beginning before both of my surgeries and it is true now with both CI's. If I had to do it over again and only had one ear to choose from, I would do the ear that is favored the most. That was one of my questions when I first started my CI journey in 2005 and I just answered it tonight. I didn't want to do my *favored* ear in the beginning because I heard best with it (even though the audiogram said it was my bad ear) and wanted to save it just in case the surgery wasn't successful. Two ears is definitely better than one but if I had to choose only one ear, the favored ear wins, hands down.

I continue to make good progress hearing bilaterally. Tonight was one of those nights where I was glad I was able to hear with at least one ear. Otherwise, I would have plunged into total silence when my battery died.

Note: If most people are right handed, they are most likely *right-eared*. The same holds true for left handers. Test yourself and see which ear you put the phone up to when you answer it. :) (I'm right handed but deal & play cards with my left hand).