Last day as a Volunteen!!

The other week I had my last day of being a volunteen at Egleston Children's Hospital. I have been working there in the Operating Room every tuesday this summer and it has definatly been the highlight of my summer! I got to help patients get ready for surgery, get the operating rooms ready for surgery and I also got to help nurses during surgery!! And whats so cool about it is that I got to get all dressed up in scrubs, a hat, and a mask! And I still was able to hear everyone!!
But there is one thing that my mentor, June Malcolm, and I will always remember! The story when she learned I was hearing impaired. Ok, on the first day of working there, June was giving me a tour around and telling me everything I've got to do, etc. And we come in front of the OR room where Dr. Todd does his implant surgerys. And June was getting ready to tell me this whole "speel" about what the cochelar implant is and what its for. And immediatly I bursted out "I GOT ONE!!". hahaha, I was so excited to be able to see them getting one that I just bursted that out! And the look on June's face will always stick with me! She was so suprised and couldn't believe that I was deaf and I was working in the Operating Room! So then from then on, she told all the nurses and advisers, etc. about my hearing and about our story! And everyone that she told was always shocked and so suprised that I was deaf!!
So yeah, I guess you can say....nothing will get in the way of getting what you want!! And I wanted to be a volunteen at Egleston and I got it!! And I had the BEST TIME OF MY LIFE!!

This is a picture of June, Me, and Cynthia. Notice the scrubs - don't we look cute!! hehe : )

Swimming with friends....finally!

I just got back from going to a mountain house with a group of my friends for the weekend. I had an awesome time!! We got to hang out, go swimming, canoeing, hiking, listen to music, etc.
But the main thing I really wanted to share was about the swimming, I've never been much of a swimmer and I always tried to avoid swimming with a bunch of people as much as I could. And the reason being was my hearing. I was to embarresed and almost scared to swim with a bunch of people. I was always worried about missing what people would be saying. I don't lip read and I don't do sign so its kind of hard and wierd to swim with a bunch of people. And plus the fact, I always felt wierd just sitting there while everyone else was having a great time chatting and playing games. But for the first time, I actually swam with a whole group of people! It was alot easier than I thought it would be!
My best friend Zoe was there too, so she kind of stuck by my side to help with what people were saying and kind of guide me to where we were all going, etc. And when ever people would start talking to me while I'm in the water (which would be quite often) zoe would explain to them that I can't hear. And everything would be fine!
But then at one point I sat on the dock (with my aids on) while everyone else swam and I was listening to what everyone was saying. And at one point this guy was talking to us (me and zoe) and zoe was explaing to him about my hearing...and suprisingly he was realy accepting of it! All my life I have tried to keep my hearing as much of a secret as I could becuase I was too embarresed of what people would think of me. But this weekend I was so suprised and it felt so good to be able to tell people and they don't treat me differently! Everyone was really nice and treid to help me with whatever we were doing in the water.

I don't know what I was thinking on how poeple felt about my hearing! I wish I had expeirenced this earlier in my life. Becuase now I feel like I can come out of my "shell", you know? It felt sooo good to be able to swim and hang out with a bunch of friends and knowing that they all know about my hearing and they have no problem with it!

Gosh, this feels great!! : )