The perks of being deaf...

Chance definitely has an advantage that the rest of us don't have...he can turn his hearing off.

Chance and his brother were arguing about who's idea it was to play hotel. They each kept saying "It was my idea!" and the other one would counter louder," No! It was my idea!"

Chance put an end to the arguing when he walked down the hall and took off his implants. "I know that you took your implants off and now you can't hear me!! " his brother yelled. "Well, I can't hear you either!" And then he covered his ears.

I am thinking that Chance won this argument. As soon as those implants came off, he could not hear a thing his brother said. So, score one for Chance.

We see each day as we head off to swim class the profound miracle that the implants provide for Chance. Chance takes his implants off as we walk out the door to swim class since we just drive to the swimming pool, swim for half and hour and then come home. We could take the implants in the car, but then I would have to worry about getting them off before Chance headed off to the water.

It is amazing to be reminded of just what a miracle the implants are. When Chance runs up to me and hugs me after swim class, he can not hear a word I might say. And calling out to Chance to come, or to look, or to pick up his towel is impossible. The funny thing is, I find myself calling out anyway. Then it hits me,"Oh yeah! Chance can not hear a word I say!"

Even signing to Chance is not a perfect answer at the pool because has to be looking at me to catch what I am saying. And Chance is not looking for me, when he swims, to see if I am talking to him. And if Chance heads off towards the concession stand, he doesn't know that I am trying to get his attention unless he happens to look over to where I am.

I wonder what swimming is like for Chance actually. The rest of us hear kids laughing, moms scolding, the diving board smacking, people splashing as they jump into the water or splash water at each other...... Chance hears none of these things. It must be interesting to see all of these things going on around you, but have no sound to accompany the action. We don't know exactly what Chance can hear with out his implants. He has some (very) limited residual hearing but we have been told that it helps him to hear things like the garbage truck or a lawn mower.

Today Chance had to go to the bathroom at the end of class. I was in the shallow end with the mom-and-tot class which happens to be closest to the bathrooms. There were only 3 minutes of class left, so by the time Chance got back to his class, it would be over. As Chance was sitting in the water with me, the lifeguards blew the whistle signaling that swimming lessons were over and it was time to get out of the pool. I pointed to my ear and said to Chance,"Did you hear that? It is time to go."

Chance started getting out of the water with me.

"What do we hear when it is over?" Chance asked his noise scrunched and his hand over his eyes to block the sun.

"The lifeguards blow a whistle." I said pointing to the lifeguards and pretending to blow a whistle.

"Oh." Chance responded.

So, Chance does not actually hear the whistle, but he watches the cues around him to know when lessons are over.