the reason i chose not to get the cochlear implant is that i need the vns therapy (vagus nerve stimulation) to help with my treatment-resistant depression, and it involves an implant of a generator with a wire attached to the vagus nerve. i consider this one far more important than the cochlear implant because i can be happy being deaf. oh, yes, i can. i can be hearing, but also depressed, too. plenty of hearing people have depression....

(((((stefano))))) thanks for telling me about aikido. how physically involved is it? i was wondering not because i'm lazy, but because i have serious energy breakdown issues where i end up paying a huge price. i even pay a price for doing tai chi! i know it sounds ridiculous, but it's also possible that i may have chronic fatigue. the thing is, it's impossible to test for it. my docs know about, though. also, i have problems finding instructors who can accomodate for my deafness. a lot of times, i can't understand what they say.... of course, a dvd would be good if it's closed captioned for the hearing impaired or subtitled. i wouldn't mind trying out aikido, as long as it doesn't cause an energy breakdown where i end up laid up in bed for days afterward. sure, i've exercised in spite of it, always paying a price for staying fit. i even get physically ill that way sometimes, with colds or whatever. like it somehow is detrimental on my immune system, despite having a very healthy immune system. i know it's healthy because i had an immunoassay done over 1 1/2 years ago. been tested for everything under the sun. it sure is weird, since the docs found absolutely nothing wrong with me.