The Love You Get...Even If I'm Still Deaf!

In the past 8 months I have pretty much earned a medical degree, I figure.
I have spent more hours in hospitals and medical practitioners offices, than I have in the solace of my home.
I have, and will, consider all types, theories, classes, and categories of treatment.
It matters not country of origin, or age of theory. I am indeed open minded, ready, willing and able.

From the sublime, rigid and staid practices of the oh so serious Neurologists, to the far out and often silly suppositions of acupuncturists, naturopath's, and osteopaths. I go down the paths in search of relief of pain, and ideas in getting me back to "normal".

TCM (traditional Chinese medicine), was one of my first "out there" practices that I undertook. I boiled celery and radish roots. I went to the local Chinese herbalist in search of powders, herbs, roots and animal substance, that would restore "balance and harmony" in my walk.
I drank drops of mistletoe to cure tinnitus.
Even if they did not work as I had hoped, I developed some good eating habits and enjoyment of teas and herbs in daily life now. The ancient Chinese were on to a good way of life centuries ago.

These days, I split my "healing time" between western practitioners and my own personal regime of new and interesting diet of juices, herbal teas, Omega supplements, huge amounts of vegetable servings , Udo's Oil, combined with a very long work out that consists of stretching, yoga, weights, strength and conditioning.

Audiologist, neurologists, GP's, are all very much in need still, it would appear, as I fill my calendar with their openings and requirements to see me.

There was a time when I wrote them all off and went on a total "eastern" medical conquest to cure what ails me.

In the end, it was the technology of a cochlear implant that gave me the sounds of my life back.
Time was the equalizer that rid me of my double vision.
It was a chiropractor that found me so far out of alignment that it took sixth months of weekly adjustments to undo the ramifications of 3 months of laying in a hospital bed.
It took a massage therapist to start down the long road of relieving debilitating muscular aches that kept me from moving many days.
It was a technician at in Vestibular clinic testing at Sunnybrook Health and Science that told me after a 3 hour test that I had no balance due the the firestorm that destroyed my cochlea.
All the Stinging Nettles teas and mistletoe drops would never restore my balance.

Yet I still reminisce about the 28 needles in various meridians dotted and lined in my body, as the good acupuncturist poked them in and added heat lamp to key points. And as I closed my eyes feeling the warm sensation (did I just imagine it?) of fluid flowing through my body.

I recall with rather silly fondness the Osteopath holding his hands over my ears and "willing" my hearing back.

I think of the days where I would research with unhesitating enthusiasm the theory and practices of aboriginal holistic healers.

I read and subscribed to the powers of faith and prayer to get me through the hospital recovery ordeal.
I came oh so close to purchasing those on-line cures to restore hearing.

In my analysis at times, (and hindsight is indeed 20/20) it was a fast paced, hectic life that lowered my immune system, that caused the infection, that required the medicine, that cost me my hearing.

It will be a slow recovery, with a new and improved immune system, with no infection, and new herbal natural antioxidants, combined with grit, determination and hard work, that will restore me back to me.

It is the love of my family that is, and will heal me whole.

After all of this, and in the end; I will always be deaf.

But I will have health, I am wealthy (I have always measured wealth not in dollars or possessions, but by the abundance of love) by having an amazing wife and boy, the joy and friendship of some beautiful good people, and Speeder, the world's fastest dog.

The love that you get.......I am indeed blessed!


"And in the end, the love you get is equal to the love you make" - The last line of the last song , recorded by the Beatles.

Warmly,
and Happy Fathers Day!

David