Cochlear Implants: A small, intricate device that can help provide the sense of sound to a profoundly deaf, or hard of hearing patient. There are two types of devices: internal and external. For the internal cochlear, a surgical incision is made behind a shaved part of their ear. A bone drill is used to open the mastoid bone (the bone behind the ear) and a microscope helps get the insertion spot ready. After inserted the electrode in the inner ear, the receiver is placed into a special pocket-like section behind the ear. Helping the device stay in place, the device is now close enough to the skin to allow electrodes to be sent from the device to the brain. How terrifying does that sound?

The doctors literally drill a hole in your head, stick a small machine inside by your brain, and the device might not even work. After the surgery, you could develop a 'tick', your face could begin to resemble one who has suffered a stroke, an infection near the incision site, and a complete breakdown of the cochlear implant itself. Now, mind you this is a forever surgery. Once you get a cochlear implant, you can never go back to what you heard, or didn't hear before. If you were a hard of hearing patient that only heard muffled noises, the cochlear has the potential to completely knock out all hearing you used to have. There are a long of scary stories about implants, and negative risks, but there are also a lot of good. Almost too much that is being shown to be reality. Some patients really benefit from implants and hear very well after surgery. That's great, I'm very happy that those people are given the gift that us hearing people were luckily blessed with. The media likes to show the good sides of cochlear implants and a lot of it.

Have you ever gone on Facebook and seen a child or adult hear for the first time with a cochlear implant? People are quick to assume that they hear perfectly fine, but really their sound is extremely distorted and rough. I came across a video explaining what deaf and hard of hearing people hear while using an implant:

Kind of scary isn't it? Now you might ask, how does one depict which channel the patient receives, or which cochlear the patient will use? It all depends on price. Typically, the average cost including post-surgery check-ups, the whole shebang costs at least $40,000. Going off what you heard in the YouTube video, is it worth it? To some yes, to me no.

Two to three children out of 1,000 are born deaf, or hard of hearing. Ninety percent of those children are born to hearing parents. Being hearing, and giving birth to a deaf child is very scary for some couples. It's almost like giving birth to an alien. How are you supposed to take care of them, to know what they need, to know what they feel? It takes a special type of parents to go through the process of raising a deaf child. So many children are given up for adoption after being born because they are deaf. That breaks my heart.

When cochlear implants are introduced to the parents of a deaf child, usually it sounds great, it can work, the family would benefit so much because of it; but would the child? Who's to say that the child would benefit? No one knows. It's either yes it works nicely, or it doesn't help them at all. It's black or white. Asking a hearing couple if they'd like to give their child a cochlear implant, and asking a deaf couple if they would like to, you would most likely receive two opposite answers.

To the deaf community, being deaf is who you are. It's your 'niche'. To the hearing community, being deaf is a disability, it's a pain the ass, it's not normal. Why? Why do hearing people have such a hard time connecting with the deaf? Because they would have to physically adapt to the deaf person to be able to communicate. They would have to go the extra mile to learn ASL or learn how to speak to them. Why are the deaf expected to change, and "heal" or be "fixed" to accommodate the hearing community? Out of all of the deaf people I've met, they love being deaf. They are curious to know what sound is, and what it's like to be able to hear, but they never say, "I hate being deaf."

So if I were to have a deaf child, which I would absolutely love - would I consider giving them a cochlear implant? No. Why wouldn't I want to give my child the chance to potentially hear something? Why would I not want my child to get the best care or the best answers? Because they wouldn't need to be fixed. Deaf community members do not need to be "fixed." If anything, they need to be respected. So many parents decide to give their child a cochlear implant without them even having a voice. Being less than 12 months old, undergoing anesthesia. That just scares me in itself, and not knowing if the surgery would be successful is enough for me to deny the option right away.

I believe that the consumer deserves the chance to say yes or no to the procedure. Imagine if your parents gave you a tattoo on your shoulder when you were a baby, and you have to live with it your entire life. What if you didn't like the tattoo? It's permanent. It's visible. It's a part of you. Maybe you would like it, and wouldn't have a problem with the tattoo. That goes the same for people with implants. Some people love it, some people hate it. I had just spoke to a deaf woman the other day about cochlear implants and whether or not I am for or against them. She cut off that conversation really quick. She wanted nothing to do with it. She didn't want to hear it, she didn't want to speak about it - she despises the thought of them. It's a very touchy subject whether the person you're talking to is hearing or deaf, so be careful of your surroundings.

I cannot imagine raising a deaf child, knowing I am the reason they can, or cannot hear. Being deaf is a blessing, it's a character trait. It's not a disability. Crohn's is a disability, make fun of me for that - not my deaf child. American Sign Language is the language of the deaf and hard of hearing. It is their main form of communication as English is ours. I am not given the right to ask them to change so it would benefit my life, and make things easier for me. They don't expect anything of us, so why do we of them? It's just not fair. Giving your child a cochlear implant, a life-altering surgery without them knowing, or understanding what is it, is not fair.

When my child grows up, and is beginning to form their opinion on life, and wants to talk about hearing aids, or perhaps the implant, I will let them. That's great that they want to learn more about the possibilities they have as a deaf person. I will give them that opportunity to seek out their options by themselves. It's their body, it's their right. If they don't want to, that's just as great.

If my child is deaf, I'm deaf too.