My ears see!
“What? That’s crazy!”
Well I would have said that too if I had not had this experience.
About 6 weeks ago a couple of us ‘Oldies’ raced into the freezing ocean for a splash.
I love to body surf. For me it’s amazing to feel the power of being surged forward by the wave, until the sand and bubbles churn around my head and I find myself lying prostrate in the shallow water nearly on the beach. It’s so exhilarating. Then I jump up like a 30 year old and head out for more.
My visual impairment does not really bother me when body surfing as, statistically, I presume most swimmers can see me and get out of the way. (The odds change when in a retirement area;)
Anyway, I seemed to have netted a tiny sea shell in my ear canal which I only found 2 days later. Then my ear was scratchy and irritated for a few more weeks. Finally I went to the doc thinking I had swimmers ear. I had a thriving infection in both ears, had 2 bouts of antibiotics, 5 days of daily, fantastically gross ear seringing and finally 5 days of a very beautiful bacterial-killing, fungal-fighting ear plug.
It was in these few days that I realised how blind I really am. I could not find things when rummaging in the drawer or finding pantry items. My right ear was plugged, but I kept bumping into things on my left hand side. Door handles, walls and even furniture in our own house have left bruises on my left arm and thigh.
My balance seemed fine, but I realised that I could not hear my distance from objects. As I walk down our passage the sounds of my footsteps bounce against the wall and back to my ears to tell my brain that I am walking down the middle. Not being able to hear the objects being moved in the kitchen cupboards was disorientating.
My ears literally help me see. Our brain’s sensory processing capacity is brilliantly designed and so helpful when all the parts are working together.
I am still trusting for full recovery of my lateral radar and I have a new respect for those with deaf blindness.
There are many things I want to hear again but, oh, I can’t wait to eat without hearing my chewing!
