May 15th was finally here; the day of my surgery. I was born with a bi-lateral hearing loss which means I was born with a hearing loss in both ears. But when I was born, doctors didn’t have the technology to find this out. The first time I found out about, it was unbelievable. I couldn’t believe this was true. When the school nurse told me that I failed the school hearing test, I couldn’t process what she was saying. The school nurse called my mom and told her what had happened. The nurse had told my mom she should schedule hearing appointments with a hearing doctor. I was scared to go to a hearing doctor. What were they going to do to me? Will it hurt? All of these thoughts were going through my mind. After many hearing appointments they had decided that they had to put tubes in my ear. This procedure didn’t work, so I had to follow up with a specialist doctor at the Boston Children’s Hospital; Dr. Poe. I had gone to so many appointments and they decided that it was finally time for surgery. I was ten years old at the time and I was scared to death.


We drove down to Boston on that sunny, warm day. The ride seemed to take hours and hours, but really only 3. I arrived and I went to go meet with Dr. Poe. His voice was so dragged out and dreary, he seemed so tired. After waiting for ever, I was finally admitted into the hospital and they took me into this room where they gave me anesthesia. The anesthesiologist did this process by giving me this liquid to drink. She then gave me an I.V. with fluids to keep me hydrated. I felt so drowsy and sleepy. But that’s what I am supposed to feel like. They then wheeled me out of the room on a hospital bed and then to this room right before the operating room. I saw many other doctors and nurses that were helping other patients with their surgeries and other things. There was a row of rooms that patients waited in until it was their turn to go. It was finally my turn to go and I was already asleep. The only thing I remember them telling me was to move onto the operating table. All of the doctors and nurses then said 1, 2, 3 and they lifted me onto the table.


After the procedure was over, I was brought into my room. There was a chair that folded down into a bed and my mom slept on that and my dad ended up having to rent a hotel room for the night. I slept for most of the time, and nurses came in and checked my blood pressure and how I was doing. I had to get up to go to the bathroom, but then I got up too quickly and I almost fell. I realized when I looked in the mirror, that they had put something that was like a cup over my ear to protect it while I slept so I didn’t mess it up. The following morning, I went home. I noticed a little difference in my hearing. Everything was muffled and I could only hear out of my right ear. The doctors said that it would take a couple of weeks for me to be able to hear out of that ear, and they said it would “pop” and everything would be louder.


I had a wonderful stay at the hospital, but it was now time for me to go home. Oh great; another 3 hour drive back home. The traffic was crazy, and it seemed to not even be moving. After a while, it seemed to clear up, and we were on the move. I slept for most of the ride home, while my parents gabbed about useless information.


I will never forget this day. It has changed my life forever. That stupid hearing loss kept me from playing field hockey and trying out for lacrosse. Oh well. I am still able to play sports now. I would be so depressed if this hearing loss kept me from doing the things I love. Basketball and field hockey are my life! Nothing can stop me from doing those two sports.