More updates from where the Blue Ridge yawns its greatness

First, the random stuff:

Fall break is October 14-18th...

I'm coming home to Charleston...the only place other than Clemson that owns a piece of my heart. I'm looking forward to seeing some people I haven't seen in awhile and to being able to relax and see my family.

This weekend is the PSA retreat to Camp Buc in the Upstate...should be a good time.

And finally, in other news, I hope to continue to keep you updated on the PSA Fighting Llama football team, of which I am a member. After a hardfought battle on Tuesday night, the Llamas found themselves down by two touchdowns in the final minutes of the final half. But, prevailing as all llamas must, we fought back. A decisive drive and TD catch brought us within a touchdown with nearly a minute remaining. We needed a turnover, and we got it in the form of an interception that gave us the ball on their twenty yard line. We were able to convert, and the llamas snatched a vict...I mean tie...from the jaws of defeat! Next week, Tuesday night, at 8:45, the Fighting Llamas of PSA will be bringin it! Be sure to stay posted for an update!

And now for the reason this blog was created in the first place:

It is getting so cool to walk on campus during class changes and actually HEAR snippets of conversations going on around me. Sometimes, in brief bursts of clarity, I'll hear what the girl next to me said to her friend on the phone, or I'll hear a joke being told by a passer-by to his group of friends.

I think my audio cable has been a big help in allowing me to begin understanding voices with my implant. I listen to music exclusively through my implant now, and as I listen, I can hear the words as they are sung. As I continue to use these headphones, my implant continually grows more and more used to understanding spoken sound.

It is also cool to be able to hear the TV without closed captioning. While I can't understand everything, I can be sitting on my couch with just my implant on (no hearing aid) and hear Scott Van Pelt on ESPN report that David Dunham just got the number one play of the week for his hit on BC's Quinton Porter, without even looking at the TV or the closed captioning! It's getting easier and easier to understand speech through mechanical devices, such as the radio or the TV!!

Speaking of mechanical devices, I have begun using my cell phone on my implant ear. I haven't used a phone through my left ear in over a decade, so it's quite a new experience. It is such an akward feeling to hold my phone in my left hand up to my left ear! Since I also have hearing in my right ear, I can switch ears at my leisure. The sound quality may be slightly different, but one I can adjust to fairly quickly! I remember I had to listen to a voice mail last Tuesday, and I decided to try it with my implant ear, just to see what it sounded like, and I was just absolutely ASTOUNDED that I heard every single bit of it on the first go-round. Usually on a voice mail, I have to hit number 4 to repeat the message several times to catch everything. Not so this time! Of course, it's easier to understand/recognize the voices of certain people (such as, of course, and thankfully, my mother) simply because I'm used to the sounds and inflections of their voices. Hopefully in time, my confidence in using the phone with random people I don't know will increase! Now that I feel certain I'll be able to use the phone with my implant ear, I feel able to justify getting a new cell phone, which for those of you who call me or have tried, you know I need! I should get a new one when I go home for fall break! Whoohoo!

The phone thing has given me so much confidence in my hearing. To be able to hear, with just my implant, without reading lips has been a benchmark of sorts for me in judging how well my implant hearing has progressed. To finally be able to hold conversations without asking for repitition is an amazing accomplishment. I feel certain things will only continue to improve!

I had quite a scare last week involving a serious head injury that left me with serious dizziness and major hearing loss in the right ear. Fortunately, and almost miraculously, things were better within a day or two and my dizziness completely disappeared and my hearing in my right ear returned. I'm also happy to tell you that the dizziness/loss of balance I have complained about since my operation has largely disappeared in the last week or two.

I have also made a decision today that could very well affect my life positively in many ways to come. When the time is appropriate, you can be sure I'll be posting more on that!

In short, life continues to be wonderful. I am continually thankful to God for giving me the ability to find the positives in the negatives. I am also thankful for my parents, my brother, my friends, this University, and everyone else who continually challenge me to find these positives, and to make the most of the life I have been given. With some of the stuff that has happened to me lately, it wouldn't be a stretch to say I should be going through some of the worst times of my life...but I'm not...quite the contrary, in fact...I can't say I've ever seen better days in life than the days I've been priviliged to spend in this place among these people.

I saw a verse on the wall the other day down at the PSA, in some obscure corner where few people go, much less look at the walls. It is absolutely amazing.

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9

Simply awesome.