Friday was the CI Halloween Meet and Greet here at school. This is a party hosted by the Audiology and Speech departments here at school, so people (students, staff, faculty) with CIs can meet each other, as well as their friends. Events are held throughout the year, so I’m looking forward to more of these events and can’t wait!
It was a lot of fun, and I wish I was able to be there for the whole thing, but I had to leave for a little bit due to a prior commitment. I did manage to make it back for the very tail end of it. It was great getting to see some people that I haven’t seen for awhile, and some who were totally surprised to learn that I had gotten a CI.
What I learned at this party was that the official total of CI users here at school is 206 students and 15 faculty/staff, with one faculty member soon getting implanted. Then there was a boy who had a special pair of glasses, and the legs were specially made so they didn’t cause interference/push the CI off the ear. It was pretty cool, if not futuristic-looking.
This is my speech therapist, Karen! I’ve been working with her ever since I started speech therapy here at this school.
Catherine setting up for the party. She’s the one who has started the CI evaluation process with me every time.
And Don, who is being silly with the candy bowls. He’s also the one who discovered what was going on with my HAs last spring, and was also helpful in getting me started towards my final decision with the CI.
Scott and I decided to hang up the last Halloween hanging decoration out in the hall, so people could see it as they are walking down the hall. Scott is soon getting a CI himself. His roommate, was a friend of mine who was in my old major.
I went back to the HA shop to see what Mandy and Kathy were up to. She’s very bored, as she’s watching the shop, while the rest of us are having fun decorating!
We were talking about Halloween costumes for Kathy, when Karen came in dressed in full regalia, complete with a blinking bow tie!
Mary Karol, who is in charge of the CI Mentoring program, opens up the party with a presentation on the department. She makes an adorable witch, doesn’t she?
Just some of the speech therapists, audiologists, faculty/staff, and students that were there at the beginning of the party.
