Originally Posted by Rayfus

I'd take a deep breath and get a grip. Hearing athletes are required to removed jewelry, like rings, ear rings, necklaces, ankle bracelets, etc., etc. ALL the time in athletic events. Some people would wear nose rings if you let them. This is most likely an insurance issue and not some War against CI.

The other thing is, it take almost exactly ten minutes of focused concentration in a golf game to forget you don't have an HA or CI. I'm mean, if you're THAT upset without your CI, imagine what you'll do when someone in the gallery squeals like a pig just when are teeing off or putting. Don't make an issue of a non-issue. This sounds like Michael Jordon saying he won't play a basketball game without his big hoop ear ring dangling.

And as for the guy who played football, that makes some sense that you'd want to hear the whistle, but the Gallaudet Bison and deaf kids in residential schools all over the the country have been playing for decades and somehow they manage to stop at the end of the play without getting on the umpire's nerves. If you're so worried about it, go explain the situation to the umpire before the game. One assumes that a deaf person knows how to compensate with their eyes. Unless you just don't want to take responsibiliity for your athletic conduct. But the thing that really got me was the problem of not being able to hear some kid ask for an autograph. Gimme a break! Who's going to prevent you from wearing you HA when you're not on the field? And if you are on the field you should have your head in the game and not be signing autographs.

Finally, the implant is SOOOOOOOOOO expensive!!!! How much? $60 to 90 thouand dollars? That's like the Queen of England wantiing to wear her crown jewels on a loop-the-loop roller coaster. Just plain unwise. You can buy a HOUSE or a college education for that amount of money. Don't do it. Do you think some sporting event promoter wants to pay for your next CI or HA or compensate you if some other athlete breaks the damn thing, even if by accident? Because the promoter of these event is the LIABLE party, forever and always. The have to post insurance bonds for accidents and they can significantly lower the cost of the event by implementing rules for this very thing - wearing posthetic devices. In the age of SOMEBODY HAS TO BE BLAMED lawsuits, I'll guarantee you this organization has to march to the drum of their insurance company no matter who gets insulted.

So I say, relax, go and enjoy the competition and don't get the promoter sued if somebody breaks you CI. If you do, that will probably put a permanent END to all such competition until someone can fork over the insurance premiums; and just because you couldn't take the ten minutes (if even that much time) to adjust. Grow up, young lady. The world doesn't revolve around you. That competition means a lot to everyone. The best athletes plan and train for every possible obstacle. For the deaf athlete removing your HA and CI is just something you should always incorporate into you training so you do get so psyched-out when something doesn't work out. You should train with and without you prosthesis just to be ready to kick some butt rather than crumble if your battery goes dead.

Rayfus