About blogging

I started this blog kind of on a whim, thinking that it would be a nice way for my family and close friends to read about my recovery from my cochlear implant surgery and how things were going post-activation.  I didn't know how often I would write in it, or whether I would even have anything to write about.  It was an experiment.  As I wrote, more and more words started coming to me. Posts would start forming in my head, and I had a nice list of things that I wanted to write about. Because I spent so much time in bed recovering from my cochlear implant surgery, I was able to write as much or as little as I wanted. The words and experiences kept coming, and I kept writing.  Here I am nearly one month after my surgery, and I'm still finding things to write about.

I decided to share the link to this blog on my Facebook page. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and I was surprised to see that so many people had started to read about my journey.  My family told me that they were checking it every morning to see if I'd posted, even my grandmother! A few friends linked to the blog on their own Facebook pages.  My mom has shared the link with her circle of friends. My sister-in-law, who has a degree in audiology, asked to share it with her network of audiologists in Austin. And I've given Amy permission to share it with any of her patients who might be interested in reading about cochlear implants from one patient's perspective. 

I recognize that blogging is a mostly self-centered pursuit. I'm writing about myself, and my little part of the world is front and center.  Parts of myself that have previously been private are coming out on the blog. But it would seem that's what readers want, to know more what it's like to be hearing impaired and to suddenly have the promise of hearing and to know that it isn't always a pretty process.

I knew that I wanted to have an accurate record of the ups and the downs (hence, all the recent whiny posts about my homework) because each post is a snapshot of how I am feeling on a particular day.  Someday I hope to look back and be most grateful to have a candid record, rather than a sugar-coated, glossy view, of what has been one of the hardest things I've done, to date (motherhood will probably take the cake on that one, though). Given how my readership has expanded far beyond what I originally intended (and I'm OK with that), I also hope that if there's someone out there considering a cochlear implant for themselves or a loved one, they will have a better understanding of what they might be in for. And someday, it will be a nice feeling to look back to see how far I've come.

Knowing that I have an active readership makes feel a compelling responsibility to tell my story and share it with others. The emotional risk of laying this experience out for the world to see has been worth it, because so many of my readers are watching my ups and downs without frowning in disapproval of a woman who throws cards on the floor when she gets mad. Instead, they've been sending words of encouragement and promises of prayers for me to have a better tomorrow.  And that has made ALL the difference.

Thank you again and again.