Turn on time at MidWest Ear Institute is 1:30 p.m.

11:15 Houston's Restaurant on the Plaza - Kansas City

I requested that everyone meet for lunch before we all go over for the Turn On For Sound. I arrived first to request that Houston's arrange a table that would accommodate 12 people. Then waited in the vestibule of the restaurant. I was the first to arrive. When Dad and Mom arrived, I explained that the table was reserved for us all and we could just wait for the others.

I turned then ­ looked up into the bar eating area ­ and saw Buck O'Neil, the Kansas City Monarchs baseball player from the old Negro Leagues. I walked over to the stool that Buck was sitting on and introduced myself. I said, "I have been profoundly deaf all my life. I have never heard one sound. 30 days ago, I had a computer chip implanted in my head and an electrode woven into my cochlea and I have been waiting for it to heal. In about an hour, the sound is going to be turned on and I will hear for the first time in my life."

Buck O'Neil jumped down off that stool and grabbed me and gave me a long tight bear hug. And Buck said, "That is just the best thing I have ever heard!" And he hugged me again. We took some pictures of the two of us and then Buck said, "Good luck!" and we walked away. My day was beginning in a great way ­ just by meeting Buck.

And now at the restaurant, we are: Dad and Mom who had each arrived in separate cars, David Michael and Angie, Stan Viebrock, and Aunt Juanita who was in town from Ohio. Erin soon arrivedthen Doug followed heras did Phillip Woodward who has videoed all of the surgery for meand then Rob Monsees made the table full. Missy couldn't leave Sprint until time to arrive for the turn on ­ so she and Tracy were not there. This is my favorite restaurant on the Plaza and I wanted to have my "Before Sound Turn On" celebration meal here.

Midwest Ear Institute - Trinity Lutheran Hospital Annex
1:00 p.m.

When Missy and I stepped off the elevator at the Midwest Ear Institute, the first thing I saw was a poster setting right on the table in the main lobby that read: This Adventure Begins for you, Jason! And for you, Missy! A set of Mickey Mouse ears was glued to each side of the poster. I knew Mom had somehow gotten there first!

Missy and I were next to arrive at MEI..with everyone from the restaurant-Dad/David, David Michael and Angie, Doug and Erin, Tracy who arrived from Sedalia, Scott Swain, Rob Monsees, Stan Viebrock, Phillip (videoing all), Jason Ormiston, Aunt Juanita from Ohio, my cousin, Beth (Dr. Beth Gallup), .and Father Dan who had gotten a ride there with a friend. From my hometown of Sedalia, Missouri, a reporter for the Sedalia Democrat newspaper, Ron Jennings (who has written stories about me through out my life) and Sidney Brink, the photographer came in. From the Kansas City Star, John Martellero came in and a Kansas City star photographer.

Barbara Luethart, the supervisor of clinician services, that was going to do the "mapping/programming" of the computer for the sound turn on was amazed at the never ending line of people who kept coming in to be present for my turn on. Barbara said: "We have never had so many people come to be present for a sound Turn On before." But in our family, we didn't think it was unusual, because we always have a large number of people for family celebrations or whatever we are doing. Lots of people are always around.

1:30 p.m.
Barbara ­ at 1:30 ­ said: "Are you ready to begin, Jason?" I looked at Missy and I nodded my head that I was. The room where the main computer is placed is not a large room however there is a smaller connecting from with a closed circuit t.v. Barbara said that everyone could try to fit in that little room and watch and some of us could come into the large room.

She directed me to sit at a low child's size table in a small child's chair and Missy was seated directly across from me at the little table as the front line person for information and interpreting for me. Barbara was seated next to us making it a tight triangle. Doug, David Michael, Tracy, and Mom walked into the room with us and sat in chairs.

The turn on for sound involves this: 2 things implanted in my head is a processor hooked to an electrode that is woven through the cochlear of the ear to touch the auditory nerve. The electrode looks like a tentacle of an octopus with suction cups along it ­ and that the suction cups attach themselves tightly all along the cochlea. Now that the swelling has gone down from the surgery, a powerful magnet ­ the size of a quarter -encased in a colored black, blue, red, tan, or white covering is placed over the implant chip under the skin. A wire leads from the magnet down to a small computer that is the sound processor on the outside. This small computer is then attached to the main "mapping " computer in this room for the programming to be done.

Barbara said: "I am going to program each of the 8 electrodes one at a time. I want you to tell me I when you hear the tone ­ and when it is comfortable or uncomfortable."

Barbara started turning buttons on the main computer. I waited. Missy had interpreted the instructions. I was to raise my hand if it was uncomfortable. These electrodes are pure tone sounds ­ programmed in individually ­ later to all be put together for environmental sound.

As Barbara watched me closely, she slowly turned the dials.and then my eyes popped open wide. I was startled. That look was on my face and rapidly changing expressions of awe, amazement, disbelief were moving through my mind and apparently across my face.. and I said ­ "Oh, I feel that! I feel that inside my head and in my chest. Oh Wow. That is enough. No more." Missy was interpreting everything, but she somehow instantly picked up her camera and snapped a picture of that first moment.

Barbara said that the amount of sound that I had indicated for that electrode was very soft ­ that I was not used to having any sound to my brain and so that sound ­ although soft ­ was all he could handle. The programming for each electrode has to be done very specifically to try and reach the most comfortable levels for me ­ without me actually having anything to compare any of this with to know what is comfortable. I was afraid that it was going to be painful if I didn't stop the levels soon enough.

Barbara went to the second electrode. I reacted with my eyes popping open with wonder. I had never had this experience before! My facial muscles were twitching. I was trying to decide what was sound ­ and what was comfortable inside my brain or even what was coming into my brain. These were pure tone sounds ­ not environmental sounds. The programming of each of these electrodes took between 10 and 15 minutes.the first one took a long time. I was trying to get used to what was coming into my brain.

Then the third electrode ­ I was just beginning to have a sense of what this pure tone sound was like. "This is inside my head!" This time I indicated that I understood what the sound was feeling likejust a little.

Then Barbara did the fourth electrode ­ and on this electrode, I began to say that she could turn it up a little more ­ just a little more -- as I began to recognize the feel of the sound.

And then Barbara began to program the fifth electrode. This was really work for me. There was every expression on my face. Intense listening inside myself ­ because of course no one else could hear any of these sounds that were being introduced inside my head. I was concentrating -- wanting to make the right decision about what I had heard -- ­ trying to determine if in fact I was hearing ­ because I had nothing to compare it with. I kept saying, "I feel it in my throat. I feel it all over my head. I feel it in my chest. I feel it in my back."

As Barbara programmed the 6th, 7th, and 8th electrode, This was emotional ­ straining ­ nerve wracking ­ and joyous all at the same time. I was becoming more and more aware of the sounds of these pure tones in programming the electrodes. I was still tentative but able to have louder sounds introduced.

The total time for programming these 8 electrodes was about one hour and a half. This was an emotional time for every person standing in that room. Dad had to walk in and out ­ dry his tears ­ collect his nervousness ­ and then walk back in. Each person had tears in their eyes ­ witnessing this miracle of technology. I recognize so much is involved here ­ for me - for Missy - for everyone.

During the programming, one by one, it seemed that all my family and friends were moving into the programming room.and by the end of the total mapping ­ everyone of them had all been in the room for much of the time.

When all of the electrodes were finished being programmed ­ one at a time ­ one at time. Barbara turned to me and said: 'Each of the pure tones have been "mapped" in-and now I am going to turn them all on together. This is what will produce the environmental sounds and the voice sounds that will enable you to actually hear." She paused and she collected every person who had been walking in and out of the room ­ those who were drying their tears ­ composing their emotions - to come into the room all together -- and they stood in a hushed stillness in a group.

3:00 p.m. on Thursday

Barbara said: "Jason, this is going to be pretty overwhelming. So are you ready for that?" Missy was interpreting all of this. I looked at Missy. I was nodded my head.

All of the family members were inside that small room. Aunt Juanita and Beth were in the anti-room watching.

As Barbara started programming the pure tone sounds for the electrodes, the KC Star photographer and the Sedalia photographer were on the floor ­ they were moving into different positions. They were moving to see my face. To see Missy's face. They were sitting on the floor ­ kneeling on the floor ­ almost lying down on the floor. . Snapping pictures of every expression of mine. Taking pictures of me but also of every person in the room ­ however I wasn't really aware of that at the time. The emotions in the room were extremely high and all eyes were glued to me. The sound turn on was having such an impact on me emotionally as well.

Everyone gathered around as Barbara made it clear that we had arrived at the moment for me to hear for the first time ­ REAL VOICES, REAL SOUNDS!! She repeated, "This is going to be overwhelming." Then she turned on all the electrodes at once to create the sound of voices and the environmental sounds.

When she turned it on, she said: "Can you hear me, Jason?"

My hands flew up to my forehead and my eyes widened in a lightning flash. "Oh, Oh, Wow! I CAN HEAR!!!" And then I ­ indicated for everybody to wait a minute ­ that I wanted everyone to be quiet ­ indicated with my hands ­ "Shhhh." And I said to myself, "I want to introduce you, Jason, to the sound of your own voice. I know there were tears in my eyes. I said, "I hear my voice for the very first time!"

Missy then said: "Hi Jason, how are you doing." (That sentence is a private joke between us.)
Dad said: "You are doing great, Jason."
Mom said: "I love you Jason."
Tracy said: "Good for you, Jason."
David Michael said: "Now you know just how damn loud your voice is."
Doug said: "Welcome to the wonderful world of my voice."
Father Dan said: "Hello, Jason."

Everyone went around the room. Each person in the room all took a turn saying a sentence to me. And each person in the room had tears in their eyes at this unforgettable moment. Having this sound introduced and the miracle that it is ­ this very first time is never to be repeated.

And then Mom said to the reporters: I know that reporters are supposed to stay objective from their stories and photographers from their subjects, but we are all here in the midst of this amazing moment and you are here to record it. We would like for you to say something also.

The reporters and the photographers had tears in their own eyes as they were speaking. Comments of ­ "We are so happy to have been a part of this today."

I then said I had something to say: "This is like nothing I ever expected. I never expected to hear my own voice or my wife's voice. It is like nothing I have imagined. I appreciate all of you being here with me." My voice was breaking and I was wiping tears from my eyes.

Mom asked Barbara: "Are you finished programming the computer?" Barbara replied, "Yes, I will be telling Jason how to take care of the equipment now." Mom asked then if the family could have some minutes. She asked me to close my eyes.

When I was a little boy ­ age 4 ­ and my parents helped to create a classroom for children who were deaf at the Children's Therapy Center in Sedalia, Missouri ­ I would not wear a hearing aid. I did not benefit from an aid at all and I would not wear one. But in this classroom, there was sound equipment and a hearing aid for all of the three children. I had to wear it. But the only way the classroom teacher could get me to keep it on was to put Mickey Mouse ears on it. And then I would wear it.

To everyone in the room's surprise ­ with me with my eyes closed ­ mom gave each person a set of Mickey Mouse ears for them to put on their head. So that when I opened my eyes, I would have that picture to remind me of coming full circle from my first day with a hearing aid with Mickey Mouse ears to today with real sound in my ears. So each person in the family put on the ears. Missy said her trademark: "OH, My God!!" David Michael could be heard saying to Father Dan, "Your ears are not standing up right." And Father Dan replying, "Well could you fix them? I want them to stand up." Even Dad, without one bit of hesitation, put those mouse ears on his head. Then Tracy suggested that everyone get together in one big bunch so that when I opened his eyes I would see all the Mouse ears at once for a bigger surprise. Everyone gathered in a big circle ­ except for Missy who kept her post as interpreter at the table.

Then Missy said to me."O.K. Open your eyes." When I opened my eyes ­ I couldn't believe what I was seeing! There they all stood looking at me and grinning with those mouse ears on their heads. I laughed hard out loud. When I did - "Oh! Oh! That hurt! Oh! That laugh was so loud! Shhhh". It was my own laugh that was loud that I was hearing! I told them all that I needed to be quiet because my laughing hurt my head. They all laughed at the same time when I said that. "Ohhhhhh you are tooo loud. Shhhhhhh. That is hurting my head!"

These are moments of wonder. These are God moments. Father Dan came into the room and gave a blessing and some statements for Missy and me.

From Mom and Dad, Missy and I each received a gold and silver Mickey Mouse watch to remember this day. Course Missy's watch is Minnie. And Missy said: "As if we could ever forget this day. But we love these watches!!!"

3:30 p.m. Barbara explains to me about the care of the equipment. This tiny $6,000 computer that I am carrying around every day. David Michael suggest that I put on the bright blue covering of the magnet when I leave ­ cause I can be very proud of having it!!!

Missy is very attentive about listening to the care of this equipment and the return dates and the therapy schedule. As always she did a great job.

4:00Leaving MEI to meet at The Cheese Cake Factory for an after Turn on Snack

4:30 At Cheese Cake Factory the noise from the kitchen is making me crazy. All the sounds are cloudy but very confusing. I can hear them all. Most of them were hurting my head. All the sounds were not clear at all. They were hitting my head like lightning all at once.

Thoughts from Mom about this day:
A note: All of the wonder is here. The years of praying. And all of the wonder of how I has handled his life through all these years as if not being able to hear were not a problem for him at all. And the courage with which he did everything from when he was a little boy. We had not even started to sign because we did not start signing until he was 4 years old. When he was a little boy out in the back yard running around playing games -- playing with little cars ­ with all the other children in the neighborhood. Us taking him to school and him sitting in a high chair and having speech therapy from the time he was a year old. And then being in a little classroom that we formed with 4 other children who had special situations. And him jumping out of our arms and just walking off into that classroom.

Going to public school every day from the time he was little ­ being the only child who was deaf in his class - interacting ­ making friends ­ riding his bike to school. Riding his bike to Eddies to get a hamburger all by himself. Joining the scouts. Getting himself a paper route when he was in 7th and 8th grade. Working at the Jewelry Store. Playing on the football team. Going in the summers to the Gifted Camp for children who are deaf in Omaha where he knew no one and was the only child there speaking English. Playing drums in the middle school .

The willingness to try. All of that. He did without even seeming like not being able to hear was a problem for him at all. Through his college using real time ­ joining the Sigma Nu fraternity ­ meeting Missy ­ getting married ­ all of the discrimination he has faced in work settings -- he has just focused on other things. His body building, his health. All wrapped into one positive picture. All of that was running through my mind as I wiped the tears from his eyes. Oh prayer had always been that I would be able to hear for the additional enrichment it would be to himbut he clearly was never lacking anything. There was nothing missing in I before hearing.