As I've said:

I don't like stirring up trouble, and I won't encourage it here. However, it's been brought to my attention (it's ALL over the blogosphere, can't go a single blog without bumpin' into it) that Rachel Chaikhof's blog has been booted from DeafRead because they claim that: "Cochlear Implant Online violated...because Rachel didn’t reveal her affiliation with the Cochlear Awareness Network, whose purpose is to promote Cochlear Americas products". Me personally...you'll never get me to believe that. I think I've always known that Rachel was a Cochlear volunteer, and a good one, too. I honestly think that this is just another tactic to please the DeafRead readers. Several of them have been gracious and kind to us new kids on the block when we first parked our little CI magnets over there...I've made several new friends and my life has been brightened by their encouraging comments and e-mails. However, I've heard ominous rumblings from DeafRead from the beginning...the majority of the readers, it seems, want us out.
If you want me out, let me make it easy for you; I have nothing to hide:
I'm an Advanced Bionics Bionic Ear Association volunteer and mentor, and thrilled to be one. I haven't received one penny in pay but money can't buy the satisfaction I get from knowing that I'm making a difference in people's lives. I am a moderator on HearingJourney.com , which is an INCREDIBLE forum where people exchange ideas and offer support and encouragement. If you haven't been, I think you should check it out. I'm a member of the Nashville HLAA chapter but am a strong supporter of HLAA as a whole; I raised $1200.00 and traveled to Florida, on my own dollar, to participate in the Walk4Hearing in April. I haven't seen a penny from any of this...I don't even advertise on my blog. Nobody, whether it be Advanced Bionics, HLAA, Vanderbilt, or anyone else, tells me what I should or shouldn't write here...this is my blog. I LOVE my Advanced Bionics cochlear implant...it rescued me from my silent life and gave me the chance to once again hear my children's voices, the birds "tweeping", as Ellie says, my beloved music, my husband snoring (oy). I plan to promote my cochlear implant as long as I'm able...it has given me my life back. HLAA offers tremendous support, advocacy, and education to the deaf and hard of hearing and I'm always privileged to have the opportunity to give back whenever I can.
I went for my six month tune up today at Vanderbilt and while my comprehension in quiet dropped a bit, to 96% (I was fidgeting and missed a sentence), my comprehension in noise went up to 84%, I believe, and while I don't remember the exact score of the phenomes and the other word test, they were markedly higher than they were at three months. My audiogram also went up nicely this time...hooray! I will copy and post the new audiogram/test results when Susan mails them to me. We programmed my first CI for my second ear today. Vanderbilt is a one-processor outfit, unlike some that offer two processors per ear, and I decided that if I wasn't going to wear Thing 1 in my first ear, at least not for now, I can use it for backup in case anything happens to the first one while I'm out of state. Susan and I discussed Thing 1 a bit and she was very supportive of my decision to talk to Dr. Haynes a bit more about the CT scan. We just want to get as close to the bottom of this as we can :).
One week til' we leave for the convention...and I think I am finally finished shopping...found the last pair of shoes today. Now to get caught up on what needs to be done here...I have a stamping party Thursday night, a birthday party Friday and Saturday nights, church Sunday. Monday is, so far, free...Tuesday is crazy. If I ain't crazy by the time I get on that ol' plane.... :)
Headed out for the night...love y'all! :)

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