Welcome to the Hearing Spanglish blog. You may be wondering about the name.
HEARING SPANGLISH
My Cochlear Implant Journey with Carrie Spangler
Hello
and welcome to HEARING SPANGLISH
My name is Carrie Spangler and I am excited to share my journey of becoming a cochlear implant recipient.
I want to share a little historical information so that you can all relate to my upcoming journey. I am currently in my mid forties. When I was born, universal newborn hearing screening was not something that was even thought of yet! I did have complications at birth resulting in lack of oxygen.
Fast forward a few years and my speech and language skills were behind. After many visits to many different doctors (and my parents continuously questioning my hearing) I was identified with a mild sloping to profound hearing loss in both ears at the age of 4.
This is where my journey with hearing aids began.
This blog is
MY JOURNEY towards the cochlear implant process.
Keep reading and visiting to share in this journey as I venture through this process. I hope that by sharing, you will be encouraged and willing to be an encourager!
Welcome to Hearing Spanglish!
More from the blog
The snowstorm postponed my mapping appointment, but it also gave me something unexpected: time. Time to look back at the last six weeks and notice how much has changed—and in ways I didn’t fully recognize without reflection.
Activation day marked the beginning of my second cochlear implant journey—bilateral! Spoiler alert- it didn't sound good----yet! With preserved low-frequency hearing and amazement for the brain’s ability to adapt, I reflect on the unfamiliar sounds, the emotions that surfaced, and the confidence that comes from knowing this process is a marathon I’ve successfully run before.
Nine days post-surgery, I’m living in the unilateral listening world—grateful for what I know and amazed by how much has changed in six years. From electrocochleography signals to Frosty's and French fries, this part of the marathon reflects healing, gratitude, and the road to bilateral sound.
“The first CI is life-changing. The second CI is pure joy.” Friday I begin that joy-filled marathon as I step into the bilateral CI world—ready for new sounds, new possibilities, and a brand-new chapter of hearing.
