tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68540965656177735932024-03-05T17:28:08.525-08:00Sarah's Cochlear ImplantSarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-4906900722053057162022-05-24T02:57:00.002-07:002022-05-24T02:57:39.466-07:00<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In Jan/Feb 2020, I chose to set my ‘T’ levels (the minimal
amount of electrical stimulation required for the auditory system to perceive
sound) too high for my brain to tolerate, but my audiologist and I hoped that
with time it would settle down and I would benefit from hearing lower pitches
as a result. I had an appointment to return in April 2020, which was obviously
cancelled due to the pandemic and I waited until August 2021 before requesting
an appointment and I was seen in September 2021. I remember that these settings
meant I could hear more background noise around me and understandably, my
speech perception skills slowly dropped off. Back then I was working in a
pre-school; sounds like children crying or yelling were absorbed into the ether
& I was unable to quickly respond to a child in distress or two kids that
had taken a dislike to each other! I was mistaking my husband coughing for my
name (“cough cough” = “Sarah” somehow!) and in the ASSEs (Auditory speech
sounds evaluation) for a few years, I had been unable to hear the difference
between ‘i-a' and ‘y-I’ at 4K and ‘eh-a’ and ‘er-a’ at 1k, which again affected
my speech perception. In addition to this, and perhaps the worst thing for me,
was the fact that when all around me appeared to be quiet, I later learnt that my
processor was picking up environmental sounds around the 15db at 1K and I was
hearing this as a ‘sink filling up with water/water trickling’ sound. It almost
verged on a buzzing noise too. It wasn’t very relaxing and meant I didn’t look
forward to quiet and I just preferred to remove it, which was a crying shame! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So... In September 2021, I saw a lovely audiologist, Gemma,
(who I hadn’t seen before) and she sympathised with my frustrations that my
hearing hadn’t been as good as it was in 2017/2018. Straight away, she set
about testing my hearing levels, using the normal ‘bleep’ test, she tested my
BKB sentences & did the ASSE test. She also tested my impedance &
although one electrode was a little high, she said we would monitor it and it
wouldn’t affect my hearing. She also adapted one of the tests to get me to
count the beeps, rather than use the bleeper (hand switch) because my tinnitus
kicked in during the tests. This enabled her to see what I was *actually*
hearing and what was a manifestation of noise in my brain (tinnitus). Unbeknownst
to me, whilst doing all these tests, Gemma was switching between the program
I’d walked in with and a new one that she was tweaking as she tested. When she
finished testing, she put the new program on. Immediately, her voice was
clearer, I could hear more consonants and amazingly, the ‘trickling’ noise had
gone! Gemma quickly switched back to the previous programme for me to compare and
her voice sounded like she’d gone underwater… With the tweaks she’d made, I
finally scored 100% on the ASSE test – a feat I hadn’t been able to do for a
few years! Here are the results of the BKB tests:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Female voice, in quiet, CI only:<o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Old settings 64% - New 86%<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Speech in Noise, female voice, CI only<o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">old settings 20% - new 46%<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My audiogram is below with my pre CI hearing levels shown
by the pink dotted line at the bottom – a ‘severe/profound’ hearing loss and
the black dots at the top – what I can now hear. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRksZ7mgP6E4tzCfFJalsisKsvGoaAHtiXL_S6IEH1C_rapU6cv4zg8ialW7S9S6uGM5lYCJ1Z6lawXk2LkjL-lF8yqR4WYPxs7YJs7DnUqptu41yMlL1hwr3TnIQ010PE9ISkx3fO0S1XLEYnJ-mgqxldDDOO2xaAis3mMueBddXujdokfY-NeRB2/s662/Audiogram%202021.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="662" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRksZ7mgP6E4tzCfFJalsisKsvGoaAHtiXL_S6IEH1C_rapU6cv4zg8ialW7S9S6uGM5lYCJ1Z6lawXk2LkjL-lF8yqR4WYPxs7YJs7DnUqptu41yMlL1hwr3TnIQ010PE9ISkx3fO0S1XLEYnJ-mgqxldDDOO2xaAis3mMueBddXujdokfY-NeRB2/s320/Audiogram%202021.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is so important to highlight here, that a CI is not a
cure for deafness. These black beautiful dots below do not translate to “normal
hearing” in real life, into noisy, busy, multifaceted environments. For me,
these dots translate into being able to hear speech when previously, I couldn’t
hear consonants or hear without lip-reading. These dots translate into hearing
my son yell “Mummy” 50,000 times a day, when previously I might have heard
“Mumm*”. I can hear the difference between him reading aloud a ‘b’ or a ‘d’;
for god’s sake the word is ‘dog’, not ‘bog’!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My take home point from this recent programming is, find a
good audiologist and never let them out of your sight!! Unfortunately, we can’t
stalk our NHS staff and so my advice is: write down every single sound you feel
you’re muddling up. The more specific you can be, the more your audiologist can
target an electrode/pitch array and tweak it to improve your hearing ability.
And when you do hearing tests/speech tests, be honest – tell them exactly what
you are hearing as then they can apply that knowledge to their programming. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-74663282852604425952017-10-09T12:49:00.001-07:002017-10-09T12:49:36.995-07:00My new Phonak Naida Link Hearing Aid! <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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In June 2017, I received the
Naida Link hearing aid. This hearing aid is compatible with my CI processor and
the two can communicate with each other. When I want to listen to music or a
telephone call using my Com Pilot, both the Link and my Naida CI processor will
connect to it at the same time, so I can hear using both ears. I can touch the
program button on either my hearing aid or my CI and it will effect the program
change in both ears at the same time! There is 1/2 seconds more time delay on the CI side before I can hear again but it's a small price to pay... </div>
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<br /></div>
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I can choose which side I want to hear on
by pressing the program button on the appropriate side – this is so useful in
the car when I want to hear the passenger or my child in the back seat!! </div>
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<br /></div>
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I
noticed my speech perception improve within the first few days after I started
using the Link, walking along corridors and listening to a child at the same
time was no longer such an effort! And with the zoom control feature in a noisy
environment, it feels like the child’s voice is right by my ear! </div>
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<br /></div>
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In August 2017 I had the
automatic settings on the Naida Link hearing aid switched off because it
affects my perception of the environment and my concentration on speech sounds.
I noticed this mostly when I was walking with people I was trying to listen to,
especially when I wasn’t lip-reading them. If I turned my head away from the
person, I could no longer hear their voice and in addition to
this, I couldn’t really hear any environmental information. With each turn of
the head, I found myself incredibly disorientated and I really didn’t like it. Once
it was turned off, I was much happier with the hearing aid and my ability to hear with both ears.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
#lifeison</div>
Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-62161493351874959752017-10-09T12:45:00.002-07:002017-10-09T12:45:58.946-07:00Upgrade from Harmony to Naida Q90<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I was upgraded from the Harmony
to the Naida Q90 in November 2016. I’d been waiting patiently since the 5 year
mark, so 3 years of waiting felt like a long time. I didn’t expect a lot,
because I didn’t want to be disappointed, but I felt excited to finally benefit
from Advanced Bionics’ (AB) newest technology.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Upgrade day came and went without
too much of a hitch. There was a processor mix up over the colour (I have the
beautiful Caribbean Pirate colour – thank you, AB) and there was, admittedly a
few moments of panic when they first turned the Q90 on; all I could hear was a
horrid buzzing sound. “Am I not compatible with this system?!” was my first
thought. It transpired that they needed to switch a few settings off that were
used with the Harmony processor between the internal and external implant, to
allow the Q90 to send its information through. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Phew! But it sounds the same…
Nothing is different.” Part of me was incredibly relieved. I didn’t want the
same emotional upheaval that I experienced when I first got my implant in 2008 but at
the same time, I wasn’t gobsmacked by this amazing new technology! I loved the
smaller size though, it just ‘disappeared’ when I was wearing it and it was so
light! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Just two days later and the
following *amazing* benefits started to emerge: </div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Better pitch perception without the assistance
of my Phonak Hearing Aid – the sound with my CI alone no longer sounded 'flat'</li>
<li>Improved listening in noisy conditions<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I HAD A FIVE MINUTE PHONE CONVERSATION WITH A
STRANGER – I never achieved this with my previous processor. I have also made a
phone call to my doctors and spoke with the receptionist for a few minutes
about making an appointment and discussing the possibility of needing an x-ray
at the hospital.<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Speech sounded clearer when listening to music<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>When listening to music, I could also hear my
own voice. It use to ‘disappear’ with my Harmony processor </li>
</ul>
Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-5547366213540987802013-08-04T01:43:00.004-07:002013-08-04T01:44:26.115-07:00Trialling a Neptune<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU57g15SUC6QKP6l_qrIgG1irc1ijl0FVL9SnA7qR8W35CtBDMPZr2DUcg7jtV58AevJxqc_ISeT7ePPfFvP_en1XXu0qchg_GJSP0u7hYArecTLimW65xbCtM_H2lZp9JJZ2mxbUgp_k/s1600/Neptune+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9c0UMeGsQ1UdCevwTyrAAHZEeNK1TOPkFGcMTcbAIu_3qduqzhPvpGhXdksMmufOmbMRxNu40DV4Ry_W00HIac4vutf3AsIwbM0v1xRAl3VgmJyPNzfBXNkSzlWhiedBDRiVb5Q3tdJw/s1600/neptune.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9c0UMeGsQ1UdCevwTyrAAHZEeNK1TOPkFGcMTcbAIu_3qduqzhPvpGhXdksMmufOmbMRxNu40DV4Ry_W00HIac4vutf3AsIwbM0v1xRAl3VgmJyPNzfBXNkSzlWhiedBDRiVb5Q3tdJw/s200/neptune.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
Advanced Bionics have given me a Neptune to trial (Thanks AB!). This is the world's first fully immersible, waterproof cochlear implant. I love it! Let me tell you why: I can swim, shower, exercise indoors or outdoors
without any fear of rain, water or sweat impairing its ability to function.
It's small and light, it looks trendy and I can personalise it with my
favourite colour covers and headpieces (available from Connevans). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
Immersing myself underwater in a bath for the first time to test my hearing ability underwater was, scary, to say the least because I didn't trust electronics and water! I had my other half on standby to fish me out as I tested it! Once underwater, I was amazed, I could hear his voice and hear my body sliding about on the ceramic surface of the bath.... What with the water sploshing about and the grouting groaning underneath the weight of the water and my body, I couldn't handle all the noise and I quickly wished for silence again!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
On another day, I spent a whole day in a Spa with my Mother, where I was able to
test its ability to hear in a sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi and a swimming pool!
Previously, in this environment I would have had to spend the whole day in
silence but not that day... I could relax in the sauna and steam room knowing
that if somebody spoke to me I'd be able to clearly hear them and I swam in the
swimming pool, hearing the water splashing and lapping at my shoulders for the
first time in a very, very long time. I could also still hear the music, whilst
underwater; it just sounded slightly muffled... In a normal environment,
everything sounds slightly louder with the Neptune, because the microphone is
in the headpiece, but this is a good thing in my opinion! There is a sensitivity dial too, so you can adjust the sound settings to your own personal levels. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQ9jgv9ofVqusaDaPLKF6xA1zxhK6n7V-4_vaBqf6cGNSZU89xv1wEoLYjsPMZ_g0zvMLrRexdFeVlrIokt4ZBeTQFad7xZE1dGa9aIS8tN14qzIBq3Fe8q-lSb3OKTl3HpA7c-Y-IuU/s1600/Neptune+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQ9jgv9ofVqusaDaPLKF6xA1zxhK6n7V-4_vaBqf6cGNSZU89xv1wEoLYjsPMZ_g0zvMLrRexdFeVlrIokt4ZBeTQFad7xZE1dGa9aIS8tN14qzIBq3Fe8q-lSb3OKTl3HpA7c-Y-IuU/s200/Neptune+4.jpg" width="164" /></a>I've worn it in a variety of combinations, clipped into my hair beneath my ponytail, clipped to my sports bra and attached to the arm band provided by AB. My personal preference is to attach it to my sports bra because I do wonder what people think when it's pinned into my hair! I've had somebody at my running club come up to me (they weren't aware that I was deaf) and jokingly admonish me for listening to music when I'm running in a group of people: "what do you need that for?!" and then he realised that there was a headpiece magnet at the other end, not a headphone! He couldn't apologise quick enough and every time I've seen him since, he banters: "How many more times do I need to apologise!?"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU57g15SUC6QKP6l_qrIgG1irc1ijl0FVL9SnA7qR8W35CtBDMPZr2DUcg7jtV58AevJxqc_ISeT7ePPfFvP_en1XXu0qchg_GJSP0u7hYArecTLimW65xbCtM_H2lZp9JJZ2mxbUgp_k/s1600/Neptune+photo.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU57g15SUC6QKP6l_qrIgG1irc1ijl0FVL9SnA7qR8W35CtBDMPZr2DUcg7jtV58AevJxqc_ISeT7ePPfFvP_en1XXu0qchg_GJSP0u7hYArecTLimW65xbCtM_H2lZp9JJZ2mxbUgp_k/s200/Neptune+photo.jpg" width="200" /></a>The only
downside to the Neptune is being unable to adjust the volume and programs to
adapt to the different listening environments without first attaching the
Neptune Connect. I often find that running outside requires a different volume
to running in the gym or swimming in a swimming pool and I need to carry the
Neptune Connect with me to adjust the volume; it'd be nice if one day this
component was built in and waterproof too...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
It is important to
care for the Neptune by taking it apart and using a Zephyr Dry & Store
overnight on a frequent basis, especially after being in a wet or moist
environment so that the components can dry out. I'd heartily recommend a
Neptune for people who are active, because there's nothing on your ear so you
can sweat, swim, roll around, climb or jump about to your heart's delight (with an extra magnet in the headpiece)! </div>
Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-10108003593027447582013-08-03T09:17:00.000-07:002013-08-03T09:20:48.040-07:00Advanced Bionics BEA International Mentors Meeting in Staefa, Switzerland, September 2012<div style="text-align: justify;">
For quite a few years now, I've been a member of the UK Bionic Ear Association for Advanced Bionics (my CI company) and in September 2012 I was lucky enough to be one of two UK mentors to be invited to the first International BEA meeting in Staefa, Switzerland. We flew out there on Wednesday afternoon and flew back to England on Friday evening so it was a whistlestop tour of everything AB had to offer at their Staefa offices and lots of FUN!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In no specific order of events, the food highlight of my two days was having a chocolate workshop with all of the AB staff and mentors. In this, we learnt how to make a chocolate cup and shoe and took them home as gifts for friends and family. We also were given free license to 'sample' all of the different types of chocolate that we could see laid out and you can probably imagine, we went a bit mad! Dark, milk, plain, lemon, nuts - we tried all different types of truffles... It was yummy and so much fun, in our personalised BEA aprons (that we could keep) that I went back to the hotel with lots of new memories and 7lbs heavier!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0MMgQjeTD3k6LOui7h6sHvGFrWWEXE14lTbZlDp_1mH_MJjE8lIT0TXii0CQ6onZwl95hKt1C10vnyAgc62xSXx7jijSZ7o8BJYA8NZ9ZCtaCGjgTt8nTMQQaFDMG_59IG9vFL8-923g/s1600/251094_10151191005468678_576832037_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0MMgQjeTD3k6LOui7h6sHvGFrWWEXE14lTbZlDp_1mH_MJjE8lIT0TXii0CQ6onZwl95hKt1C10vnyAgc62xSXx7jijSZ7o8BJYA8NZ9ZCtaCGjgTt8nTMQQaFDMG_59IG9vFL8-923g/s200/251094_10151191005468678_576832037_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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At some point, we had a presentation from employees at Phonak (got to see a prototype of the future processor - exciting and jaw dropping didn't cover it!) and had a tour of the huge factory next door to the offices. In there, we witnessed the mind boggling scale at which hearing aids are manufactured at from the tiny, nimble fingertip work being carried out by human workers and the vast, huge numbers of hearing aids that are lasered, cut out, installed, tested in seconds, minutes and hours and moved around the building by robots. Seeing crates whizz around over our heads whilst we walked from room to room only hinted at the size of the building and one wished they could sit in a crate for an exciting ride! (Think of the Monsters Inc film and all the doors) Disappointingly, we learnt that our CIs are manufactured in America, so we couldn't see that in action but for those of us that were hearing aid wearers or used to be, it was still incredibly interesting to see it all in action.</div>
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Part of the trip was about creating a short video to be posted on AB's YouTube channel promoting the BEA website so all the mentors featured in a video clip with personalised message boards. It was a lot of fun filming these and you can watch them here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffkFtkQZQEY&feature=share&list=PLo1a43uJmTy14eZlozNaF3A7MZjVEqhtJ </div>
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I feature in both the videos - see if you can spot my embarrassment at having to 'bop' my head along to music!</div>
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Just before we went home on the Friday, I gave a short PowerPoint presentation about my experience of having a CI to the other mentors and Phonak/AB employees. This was quite nerve wracking but I felt it was important to increase awareness of the unique and emotional journey that we humans go on when we decide to be implanted with a medical device. It was humbling to hear from the other international mentors who are parents of children that have CIs and we watched a video of a father's son playing the drums and singing in the bath with his Neptune. I work with hearing and deaf children every day and this video brought tears to my eyes (In fact, I don't think there was a dry eye in the room afterwards) because his parents had made the decision to give their child access to sound. A momentous decision that took a lot of courage. One day, I may have to make that decision myself and although I know what I'll do, it won't be easy because it involves handing your child over to surgeons and medical professionals for a life changing operation and lots of work afterwards. But it'll be worth it.</div>
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The highlight of the trip for me was making two bionic friends for life, they'll know who they are when they read this, and I'm glad the trip brought us together. We all had so many laughs together at the evening meals and I consumed more alcohol in those two nights than I have done since my university days! Another highlight was meeting the other BEA mentors, who came from the Netherlands, Spain and other European countries. Being together for two/three days and sharing our different experiences of acquiring CIs and mentoring candidates was a privilege. The language differences, surprisingly, wasn't a barrier and we all had a common experience of adapting our communication to understand each other, which helped. I loved being in Switzerland, with the crisp blue skies and fresh mountain air, and I was very sad to fly back to England. </div>
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Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-44383821711277343842013-08-03T08:12:00.000-07:002013-08-03T09:00:39.590-07:00A lot has changed in the last year...<div style="text-align: justify;">
Since getting High Res Fidelity 120 last year, I have experienced a lot of CI "firsts" - too many to note in one blog so I'm going to list them as bullet points and then work my way through them in subsequent blog posts. I have sorely neglected my blog whilst training to become a Play Therapist and there's no written record of my experiences in the last year, so I'm going to rectify this!</div>
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Here are the changes:</div>
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<li>High Res Fidelity 120 (HRF120). </li>
<li>Advanced Bionics International Mentors Meeting in Switzerland 2012.</li>
<li>Getting a Neptune!</li>
<li>Naida Q70</li>
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<b>High Res Fidelity 120</b> </div>
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I was excited to be finally using the strategy that my ears couldn't handle all those years ago and I could hear things that I wasn't used to hearing and this was great and I felt that my hearing plateau was climbing again but I spent much of my time confused, wondering why sounds were quieter instead of sharper, crisper! Eventually, after another trip to my audiologist, it transpired that I had spent a whole month, that's right, a whole month, listening through my 50/50 program meant for use with my FM radio system instead of HRF120! There had been a mix up in the order of the programs on the three program settings on my processor and silly me hadn't realised the difference between them. No wonder things sounded quieter, I had been listening on 50% of the sound coming through the microphone... Once this had been sorted out I was really happy with it all and I went off to learn how to process the 'extra' stimulation that I was receiving and this took quite a few weeks of practice, patience and perseverance. It kind of reminded me of the early days of my implant.. In the future, I'll ask my audiologist to write down the order of my programs so that I won't get them mixed up again! </div>
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A bonus of having HRF120 is that ClearVoice (CV) seems much improved; everything doesn't sound so 'clinky' and it's a useful program in very noisy situations such as the car. I just wish my implant was in my left ear, as when I'm driving my CI is on the "wrong side"! I don't use it all the time, like I know some some users do, because I like the additional environmental sounds that CV will cut out in order to highlight speech. </div>
Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-8869495206528023342012-09-20T13:23:00.000-07:002012-09-20T13:23:19.132-07:009 days to go till the 4th anniversary of my AB CI activationI had my annual programming yesterday and usually, programmings/mappings are very uneventful and I'm in and out of the soundproof room within the hour.. Not yesterday!
Yesterday, I had a new program added to my choice and this program had the High Res Fidelity 120 technology added to it. Why didn't I have this already? I hear you ask.. Well, four years ago, my brain and my auditory nerve couldn't handle the over-stimulation and richness of sound and I complained that it was too loud! In the meantime, no audiologist had thought of trying it again... But yesterday I had a lovely audiologist who wanted to try something new and see what I thought of it.<br />
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Initially, she had to turn the volume down and I was instantly transported back to four years ago, when everything sounded robotic and very strange and I felt emotional again. However, within minutes, the 'roboticness' had faded and although things were much quieter than I was used to, I wanted to give my new program a go. My audiologist said that it's usual for the auditory nerve in people with long term deafness to fatigue quickly and my brain would have to re-learn sounds again with the new program. Great(!) I thought, another four years of getting to a good level of hearing again??<br />
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Yesterday's hearing test (before trying the new program) showed new hearing levels of 25dB across most of the range of frequencies!! This is so much better than I ever could have hoped for, but obviously those results do not translate into coping with real life situations; accents, background noise and unfamiliar sounds. However, after a day on my new program, I'm finding that things are changing; I can hear speech on the TV at the same time as my own voice or another voice in the room which is a complete contrast to before, usually the loudest voice would dominate what I could hear. This is exciting, but needs to be explored more!<br />
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I wonder what else I will discover with time....?? Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-10418408840559874382010-11-30T12:02:00.000-08:002010-11-30T12:32:30.619-08:002 years and 2 months afterwards...and I love my Cochlear Implant more than ever before.. There's a few reasons for this, which I'll go into now...<br /><br />1. I can watch "I'm a Celebrity Get me out of Here" without the subtitles! I can hear what Ant and Dec are saying, without the subtitles.. This is a challenge in itself because of their Geordie accents! <br /><br />2. I have been doing an Introduction to Child and Adolescent Counselling for the past 9 weeks and I've been using my FM system (radio aid for the oldies out there!) to help me hear the lecturer better. The FM system works by a microphone and receiver principle, so the lecturer wears the microphone and the receivers are little wireless things plugged into my Hearing Aid and Cochlear Implant. So it sounds like the lecturer is standing right next to me because I can hear every breath she takes and word she says. I've been so happy every Thursday because I can take notes and listen to what she is saying, <strong>without having to lipread!!!</strong> I can sit there like a normal hearing person and stare out of the window, or fiddle with my fingernails or watch everybody else in the room and still hear what is being said... Of course it helps that the lecturer has a clear speaking voice and there is no background noise bar the hum of the computer and projector.<br /><br />3. I've been to see an <strong>unsubtitled</strong> film at the cinema!! I went to see Saw 6 with my boyfriend and apart from not being able to hear the voice on the tapes played in the film, I could follow the storyline and hear what the characters said. It's the first time in 6 years I have been to the cinema and been unrestricted by the subtitled film timings/day. I don't think I could do the same with a crime thriller or a fast paced film where there is lots of information in the audio, but still - it's so liberating and great! <br /><br />The only downside to having much better hearing than before is the fact that a skill of mine is getting worse... Lip-reading. Without my HA and CI on in the morning or any other time of day, I cannot lip-read my boyfriend! It's because my ears are doing all the hard work now, not my eyes... However hard I try to read his lips, the things I come out with are totally wrong and sometimes hilarious and I go straight to get my HA and CI to put them on because it's hopeless! I'm a little sad about this, because lip-reading is a skill I really value, something I have been doing all my life and I hope it doesn't get any worse - but it's a small price to pay for the above benefits!<strong></strong><strong></strong>Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-66234930485015797572010-03-08T10:28:00.000-08:002010-03-08T10:50:24.737-08:00A year and 4/5 months later..and I still love my cochlear implant! I'm loving the fact that life is easier these days, I don't have to rely 100% on my eyes to lip-read people, it's more like 50%.. At the weekend I visited my great aunt and her sons in Sheffield. My great aunt who is 86, does not move her mouth as clearly as she used to and I hadn't seen her for two years so I was not familiar with her lip-patterns. This is where my cochlear implant really had to work hard and so did my eyes. But I found it so much easier to manage, now that my hearing is much better than with two hearing aids.<br /><br />I've had lots of times recently where I've heard what people have said without lip-reading and this still makes me jump for joy inside! My family are the best example of this story, the people I'm the most familiar with are the people that I can hear without lip-reading the best. I also have to tell you all about the two times (in the same day) that I had conversations on the phone with complete strangers! I needed to cancel a hair appointment and Typetalk were taking an age to answer my call so I thought "why not try and ring direct?". After all, how complicated could the call get, I'm only cancelling something!? It went relatively well, I did have to ask them to repeat things a few times and this is where my manners went out the window - "whhhaattt??" But I put the phone down and I felt like "I've just made a phone call to a complete stranger, am I insane?!?" Yay!!" Later that evening my dad's car broke down and we called the RAC (through Typetalk) to come out and fix it. The RAC said that they would call when they were 5-10 minutes away so I explained, ok as long as the call is quick and simple, I can answer it.. The RAC man in the van phoned and he asked "What's the problem with the car? What type of car is it?" I heard both these questions really well but we did have a little misunderstanding towards the end of the call and I had to explain to him to talk in short sentences otherwise I could not understand! I thought that he said he could not sort the problem out and it was best to take the car to the garage in the morning and that he was not coming anymore. It turns out (when he arrived 5 minutes later) that he probably wouldn't be able to sort the problem out and it would be best to take the car to the garage in the morning but he hadn't said that he wasn't coming anymore!! I heard half of it right and the guy was very sweet, saying that his hands free set wasn't very loud and he couldn't hear me very well half the time anyway! I haven't got back on the phone again since but it's given me lots of confidence that I hope to do it again when the opportunity arises :o)<br /><br />My boyfriend can say things to me when I'm leaving a room and instead of stopping, turning around to lip-read him and then leaving again, I can keep walking and see if I hear him correctly and then answer whatever he's said! Nine times out of ten I can hear what he says and it's so nice to be able to do this as it just saves time and makes me feel like a 'hearing person'.. <br /><br />My next challenge is to go to the cinema and watch a film that is <span style="font-weight:bold;">not</span> subtitled.. I want to see how much of the film's storyline I can understand and then perhaps I can go to the cinema more often than I do now.. I'm very restricted to Sundays, which is when most films are subtitled and I'd love to be able to go on a Friday or Saturday night.. I'll let you know how I get on with this! I'm also going to get my new audio book out soon, it's called Death is now my neighbour by Colin Dexter. Watch this space!Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-31947145273715268712009-09-08T04:56:00.001-07:002009-09-08T05:20:23.534-07:00Approaching the ONE YEAR mark!!Wow doesn't time fly when you're having fun?? On the 29th September it'll be my one year anniversary of having my C.I activated.. I'm so glad I've kept this blog going because already I'm forgetting how I felt in the early days of this experience and things are still changing and getting better. I haven't been to hospital much in the last few months which is such a contrast to the early days when you're pretty much there every week! I had a new hearing aid called Phonak Naida fitted on the 21st July and I got used to that pretty quickly and I was so happy because it boosted my hearing up in my left ear. Going from hearing not very much speech to hearing the gist of everything (with lip-reading) again was lovely. Put that together with my implant and I was very happy! <br /><br />Things have been quiet on the audiobook front because I've got out of the habit of doing it before I go to sleep at night and because most nights I'm so tired I just want to turn off the light and sleep so I've hardly done any listening practice.. Once I'm back into a proper routine I'm sure I will continue it! <br /><br />The best thing about this implant recently is hearing what people have said without lip-reading in a quiet situation (one situation in a car!!) and this is such a good feeling because it makes me feel like a 'hearing person' haha.. I heard my boyfriend's father (sitting in the front driver's seat and I was sat behind him while the car was moving) say: "If there's nothing there, we'll just go to Ikea!" before we all went for a walk around a park. <br />Last week while sorting files and catalogues with a colleague we were having a conversation and I spent most of the time looking at what I was sorting, not at her lips! <br />I'm finding most of the time that if it's a quiet room and what the person says is in context to what we're doing - be it cleaning, talking about a topic or 'pass the ketchup' at dinnertime - then I can mostly hear what the person has said. It's great to not look at the person who's said something/ asked a question, give an answer and then look up to see their astounded face when I've heard/ answered correctly! Tee hee! However, none of the above applies when I'm tired or in a noisy situation - this is where lip-reading comes in very handy.<br /><br />My only complaint about the Advanced Bionics C.I brand is their batteries. As I've completed my first summer holidays with an implant I'm now aware of a practical problem. My batteries only last for 9 hours which means I need two batteries a day (more, if I'm going to be awake into the early hours at a special party or up early for a long day). As AB only give you 4 batteries to rotate this means I need to charge all of them every other day or charge two every day. Sometimes (and I've done this twice now) I forget to put the charger on at night to charge all 4 batteries and so I wake up in the morning and I have no charged batteries to wear! Luckily I'm peripatetic and spend a good hour in my car first thing so I can make use of the in-car charger which plugs into the cigarrette lighter compartment and I can charge maybe one battery. Also, I went away for 4 days and took the charger but OH NO I forgot thee three other batteries which were at home on my bed in the little black zip up holder and which blended in with my black duvet cover so I didn't see them and forgot them! I had to spend 4 days charging the battery overnight, not wearing my C.I until after breakfast at 9am and then charging the poor one battery whilst I was eating my dinner at 5pm and then I could hear for the rest of the evening. I do wish I had chosen Cochlear or Med-el simply because of this battery practicality as they use disposable batteries. Why did I have to be so vain (with the colour caps) and environmentally friendly (with rechargeable batteries)!? When I go travelling or camping in the future, charging my batteries is going to be a problem that needs to be carefully thought about... grr!! Advanced Bionics - change to disposable batteries please!!Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-47898627606408828122009-05-04T15:20:00.000-07:002009-05-04T15:21:09.651-07:00Just over 7 months..Sorry guys! Every time I have sat down at the computer I forgot to update this because I have so much to say that I have been waiting for a bank holiday! What a lovely three day weekend, wish it happened more often!<br /><br />Things with my C.I are now very positive!! The biggest thing to report is that I have had simple conversations on the phone with Anthony and this is so cool because now I can hear what he's saying and he is actually clear, not mumbling like I thought he was and blaming it on the fact that he's a man.. It's such a strange feeling to be talking to somebody on the phone like a hearing person, as I haven't done this for a good ten years and even ten years ago I don't think I could hear on the phone as well as I can now. <br /><br />Audio books made all the difference.. Once I started (very reluctantly after a kick up the bottom from Anthony after complaining about being deaf and it being rubbish) doing it every day a week later I was able to hear Anthony better and I was noticing that listening to speakers on the tv without subtitles was easier and life was getting easier too! I've been doing the audio books since January and I'm now on my 2nd one "Murder on the Orient Express" written by Agatha Christie read by David Suchet and I'm finding this extremely difficult because of the French, Swedish and American accents in the book! However, I'm persevering because I know it will pay off in the end.<br /><br />I had a tune up recently as I noticed the high pitched sounds were getting quieter and just generally everything wasn’t sounding as clear as it should. I was pleased that afterwards sounds such as s, t, shh and f were sharper and more pronounced and I’ve also had a really good rehab session recently. I was doing the hardest stuff that they had in their books and understanding most of the sentences! I have a programming coming up in a few weeks which I’m really looking forward to as the sound always improves a few weeks afterwards.<br /><br />The only negative thing I have to report out of all this is that the hearing in my left ear has deteriorated quite suddenly to more of a ski slope loss instead of a bump then a ski slope. This happened just after Christmas and I went to bed with a severe/profound hearing loss and in the morning when I put my hearing aid in again I couldn’t hear speech as well as I could before. I blamed it on the hearing aid thinking it wasn’t working and so promised to sort it out next time I was at the hospital. It was a long time till I sorted it out and had a hearing test and realised that I had lost 20DB of hearing in the middle range of frequencies which really affects how well I hear speech. So I had my hearing aid adjusted to cope with this loss but also to work with my implant and away I went to get used to the fact that I had lost a lot of hearing overnight. This took me a few weeks to get used to but it happened around the same time that my implant was starting to give me some positive moments so it was a bittersweet time. <br /><br />I’m so happy that I feel positive about it now because it’s such a marked difference from 7 months ago when I wanted to rip it off and hurl it at the nearest wall and did not want to put it on again. I heard a saying recently and it definitely applies to me now “It’s the best and the worst thing that has ever happened to me.” As long as someone is prepared to put in the hard work and not expect immediate results I would recommend having a C.I. Wow – I never thought I’d say that either!Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-9601278502556795612008-12-24T04:33:00.000-08:002008-12-24T04:46:04.500-08:003 months and countingIt's been more than a month since I've written on here, how I've neglected my poor blog.. I haven't written because I feel not much has changed, I feel I'm not having many "what's that?" moments and because I've been waiting till I felt positive to write on here. Even though I feel the above, things have changed, it has improved and I'm now probably hearing about the same as I was before with two hearing aids. I have been spending a lot of time wearing my H.A together with the C.I in really noisy situations (such as the pub, or a party - there's been lots of those in the lead up to Christmas!) and this helps to keep me sane because I just cannot manage in noisy situations with only my C.I. Music through the C.I has really improved, there's more melody as opposed to when I could just hear the voice of the singer, the beat of the drums and another instrument. It's still better with the hearing aid but it's always changing and I can't keep up with it! <br /><br />I can hear the birds when I walk out to my car in the morning and I could never hear high pitched birds before, I could only hear the 'coo,coo' sound of pigeons.. Now I'm hearing lots of different birds - my only problem is locating where they are! I turn to the direction I think they're in and they're not there, so I turn to the opposite direction and they're still not there! Half the time I think they're hiding in the bushes to torment me as if to say "we're here but we're not showing you where we are!!" <br /><br />I still can't really hear my car engine but there is a huge difference between the amplified sound of the car engine I get through my H.A and the quietness I get through my C.I. It's SO noisy through my H.A! So when I'm in the car I'm quite happy to turn my H.A off and have some peace and quiet..<br /><br />My rehab sessions at the hospital finished about 3-4 weeks ago although I had one last week which was interesting as I hadn't been for what felt like a long time so I was interested to see what the results would be considering I hadn't done any concentrated listening for some time. It took a while for my brain to get into listening mode but once it did, I got some really good results. I can hear most of a sentence in the environment of the soundproofed room and the rehabilitationist read two paragraphs about the country of Bali to me. I picked up two-three important words in a sentence which gave me the gist of the sentence and I was pleased to understand most of what she was saying. Translate this into the real world however, with background noise such as the tv and it doesn't quite work the same way! My boyfriend's voice is still the hardest to listen to, but that's because I don't see him very often and so don't get much opportunity to get used to his deep voice. Everyone else sounds 'normal' though and there's no computerised sound to their voices anymore - I'm pleased to say!<br /><br />I have my 4 month programming on the 13th January and I can't wait to see how much it changes after this..Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-79690543493704015952008-11-10T14:53:00.001-08:002008-11-10T15:09:17.360-08:00I'm now HA free most of the time...You'll be pleased to hear I've spent the majority of the past week without my Hearing Aid! I can manage in a work situation without it and generally know how loud/quiet I should be speaking. What I don't have is surround sound so I'm looking forward to the time when I can wear the two together and have bilateral sound again. After a discussion with my rehabilitationist I decided I'm going to pursue with just my processor for another couple of weeks and see how it goes day by day. I wear my HA when listening to music as this keeps me sane, I miss music too much to go without it and it just doesn't sound right through the processor yet. <br /><br />I had a tuning last week which made an incredible difference to how much low sound I can hear. The physicist didn't change much on my map but adjusted the rate that the information is going through to my nerve at.. he increased this twice and after the second adjustment I could hear how deep his voice was. Up until that moment he sounded like any other person but now he sounds like I remember him sounding with a hearing aid. I couldn't cope with all the information that was coming through in the beginning so they had to turn my rate down, but now I've had more experience with listening I can manage the world again! In a rehab appointment after this tuning I was able to hear sentences when I had the context and usually able to grasp a sentence if I had an important word in it. In a more recent rehab appointment I improved even more and was able to hear sentences on at least the first attempt. The rehabilitationist went through all the months in the year to see if I had any difficulties with these but I'm pleased to say I had none. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy! <br /><br />I've actually just noticed typing on my laptop keyboard for this post that I can hear the lower sounds of my fingers hitting the keys. When I was first switched on I didn't like the sound of typing as it was so high and sounded like a woodpecker going "tt,tt,tt,tt,tt," in my head. Now it sounds more like a soft thudding sound. I was relieved after a conversation that I had with the rehabilitationist that the lower sounds WILL come through eventually, my brain is still getting over the shock of hearing high sounds again that these are dominating the lower sounds. I was starting to worry that I would never hear my car engine properly again but I've just got to give it time.. I have so many quiet realisation moments like the keyboard one above that I can't remember them all to write about them on here. I'm getting used to speech and can't wait for the day when everything sounds balanced and no one sound is more dominant than another.Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-72345817827039594092008-10-28T12:44:00.000-07:002008-10-28T13:12:34.435-07:00One month since switch on... I'm feeling good!I realised yesterday that it's been just over 4 weeks since I've been switched on. I can't believe how slowly time has been going, but I also can't believe how much time has also passed! When I think back to what I was hearing through my processor a month ago and compare it to what I hear now, it's amazing. From "beep, beep, beep" and a bird in my ear to sounds that are becoming increasingly better shaped, if that makes sense! What's even more amazing is that it's my brain doing all the work to change the sounds into what they should sound like - in such a short space of time..<br /><br />I've been to London today and I was happy to order my train ticket at the station with just my processor, I sat on the train and was really annoyed at having to listen to people's conversations on their mobiles! I can't hear voices clearly but I know they're talking and it's bloody annoying when you've settled down with a good magazine and some nice snacks expecting a quiet journey! I did the same again on the train home and as it was rush hour everyone was tired and so no one was talking - giving me time to enjoy the peace and work out what the occasional noises were. Coughs are becoming clearer, they've been a sharp noise up until now but when I hear it, I know it's a cough, not something that makes me jump out of my seat anymore! The only thing I do struggle with (which is a common problem with implantees and hearing people anyway) is multiple voices in the same room, I can't pick out who's who or focus on one particular voice. My mum tells me this will get easier as I get more used to listening with it and I can hear more sounds.<br /><br />Time for a funny story.. yesterday mum and I were talking about the credit crunch and she mentioned JCB knickers operators have taken a 50% pay cut to avoid redundancy. However, when she said knickers I realised, "that doesn't sound right, knickers taking a pay cut?" So I said "knickers?" and she replied "no, <strong>diggers</strong>!". It gave us quite a giggle and I was very pleased I had something silly that I'd misheard that I could put on here! My mum's voice is also starting to sound more like I remembering it sounding. I've already mentioned people are sounding weird, almost mechanical and that I couldn't hear feeling in their voices. Well, I think that is changing.. I can hear which words people are emphasising and accents are beginning to come through. I'm trying to find time to practice with my audiobooks that the Emmeline Centre have given me because I know that this will help with my speech recognition. The man reading the story is so slow though that I get bored with it easily so I'm just doing a chapter at a time - the book is: <em>Three men in a boat</em>.<br /><br />As you can probably tell, I'm having a positive day and I can't wait for my next tune up on Thursday afternoon. Perserverance is a real key with an implant and just when I'm feeling down about the whole thing my bionic ear gives me a new sound or I realise I can hear a sound in better quality since switch on. I wouldn't go as far to say I love it yet, because I'm still enjoying using my other HA (naughty me) and I like it when I have both on because my processor gives me the higher sounds and my hearing aid gives me the lower sounds and everyone/everything sounds human! I'm also pleased to say that kissing Anthony is a much nicer sound to listen to. It sounds like a kiss instead of a beep or whistle and I can hear all of it clearly. Let's see what my physicist does on Thursday and we'll see how the sound changes even more...Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-90469600008469332642008-10-24T14:41:00.000-07:002008-10-24T14:50:04.705-07:0024th October 2008Very sorry I haven't written in here for a long time, I've not been feeling very positive lately and have been tired everytime I've sat down to write so I decided I would wait until I felt a bit more positive. I won't write a lot today as I'm going through a little period of "can't be bothered" to write on here so I'll just give a quick update.. Speech is becoming a lot clearer, but it's still monotone so everybody sounds the same and we found in a rehab appointment on Thursday that I really struggle to hear the letter 'm' with my processor so this is something for me to work on. <br /><br />I have gone though phases of feeling really positive and happy to wear just my processor and other days when I want both my processor and my HA on to give me a bit of "normalness". I have been adjusted once since I last wrote, to get rid of the start up noise, which I'm pleased to say has gone and so it is much more pleasant to put it back on when it falls off! The audiologist also brought my lower thresholds down to try and give me some more lower sounds and I noticed an immediate difference in how many more speech sounds I could hear which was great. I think it's slowly getting quieter and quieter but at the same time the amount of things I'm hearing is increasing which is a bit of an oxymoron but good progress nevertheless! So I'm looking forward to my next tuning which is in a week's time and I'm really looking forward to having my map changed more! Music is becoming clearer, I can hear more of the melody and the lyrics are more obvious, 3 weeks ago they were very quiet and I struggled to hear them. That's all I'm going to write for today, I hope I find some renewed energy for this blog somewhere!Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-18189102540954223262008-10-14T11:34:00.001-07:002008-10-14T11:55:57.727-07:00I'm in Limbo...Well I had my 3rd mapping done on Friday last week. She only changed a few of the electrodes so the difference wasn't huge. The reason for this was because I had that emergency mapping done so I'd already been adjusted quite a bit. After the 3rd mapping I hoped I would be able to hear a little bit better or at least be picking up a wider range of sounds. I was disappointed to find that it sounded much the same! However, the more I listen, the more I can tell that there is more sound coming through. I can hear cars whooshing past in my car even when all the windows are closed. And it sounds real too, like a whoosh sound. I heard my mum's cuckoo clock ticking from across the room and I have never heard it before. In tesco today I was dawdling in the cereal aisle and kept turning around when a lady squeaked a dog's toy behind me because I wanted to confirm that's what I had heard. She must have thought I was getting annoyed with her! Speech is still a weird sound, if I have subtitles on the tv or a film what I'm hearing sounds right but if I've no idea what's coming I couldn't tell you what people were saying. It's possible that some sounds are robotic but I really can't tell at the moment, it's still monotone. Plastic, paper and bags are the most annoying sounds at the moment. They're so scratchy and uncomfortable I have stopped swinging my bags! I heard someone's trousers behind me swishing along the floor outside today with a lot of background noise.. I wouldn't have heard this with two hearing aids as the background noise would have drowned it out. I'm still not feeling 100% happy about all of this because I'm being impatient and there's not enough sound coming through all the time to give me the information I want. I.e how loud or quiet should I be talking in a situation, do I need to tread lighter in order not to stamp along school corridors (I have a very heavy tread anyway!) <span style="font-weight:bold;">But</span> all those little sounds that I can hear and mentioned above give me a warm good feeling inside that makes me think, well the more of those I have, the more I'll feel I've done the right thing..<br /><br />I had a rehab appointment at the hospital after the tuning and in this I had to do lots of listening practice which was really hard. It's the first time I've really <span style="font-weight:bold;">listened</span> and I was pleased to find that I could follow the speakers voice as they read from a script. I struggled a little with identifying an everyday sound but I was able to hear the rhythm of the noise or say whether it was high or low. I was exhausted after this appointment but pleased as I felt I was making progress. I didn't get told off for wearing my hearing either but they did "encourage" me to spend time with just my processor on to practice listening and as I type this post, I have been wearing just my processor for the past 3 hours so I'm doing good. :o) The reason I'm in Limbo is because it's just over two weeks till my next tuning. I want to be tuned every week and have more and more sound come in during those tunings because I'm impatient to hear well again! However, I have a lot more listening practice to do and so that time will encourage me to work hard. I'm going every week for rehab and the next one is tomorrow so I'll write soon to let you know what happens!Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-86498448273654173942008-10-09T12:49:00.000-07:002008-10-09T13:15:28.977-07:00The day before my 3rd mappingI'm off to the hospital tomorrow for my third mapping. I wanted to update this before I go so that I have a before and after memoir! I have had some real ups and downs in the past week and a bit. The first few days after switch on were a nightmare. All I could hear was what sounded like birds in my ear all day. "Shh", "ch" and "ss" were the only clear sounds. By Wednesday I was very emotional, hating the implant and all I wanted to do was rip it off and hurl it at the nearest wall! I cried a lot that day and lots of my colleagues witnessed this, but I couldn't pretend I was happy when I clearly wasn't. Because of this state that I got in I really wanted to go back to the Emmeline Centre and change the settings. From talking to others and what I felt personally, I decided that I'd set my comfortably loud sounds too loud and wanted to get them turned down. I also wanted emotional reassurance from professionals that things were going to get better! So I went back to the hospital on Friday and I spent a good hour or so with the Physicist adjusting all the levels and he tried to give me more lower sounds as I could not hear these as yet. I went away from that appointment feeling much happier and the sounds I was hearing didn't give me such a headache. I still reluctantly wore it but over the weekend something happened to my attitude. At a concert on Sunday I fully expected to remove the processor and enjoy the music with just one hearing aid. However, I took it off and felt unbalanced without it! OMG... So I put it back on and wore it for the whole evening, beeps and all! I have continued to wear it with my hearing aid all week and just wearing the processor in the mornings and evenings at home or any other opportunity when it's quiet and I can focus on noises around me. I can hear my very loud kitchen clock ticking from two metres away and couldn't do this with just my hearing aids. I can hear my car indicator ticking and couldn't do this before.<br /><br />My colleague tested what I could hear using six sounds that are used to test childrens hearing with their implants; ooh, arr, eee, mmm, sss and shh. If there were two sounds to choose from I could discriminate which sound she'd said. If I was choosing one from all six I didn't do as well. I tended to confuse ooh with mmm and sss with eee as these latter sounds are quite high. I was very pleased with these results though and felt good that just over a week after being switched on I'm able to discriminate between these sounds and it can only improve. I might have been able to distinguish these sounds with my two hearing aids but I certainly would have struggled with the higher sounds and these are the sounds I'm now having success hearing again. <br /><br />Some things are no longer sounding beepy - I scratched a rough velcro strip on Wed after switch on to see what it sounded like and instead of sounding scratchy it sounded like "beep,beep,beep" in very quick succession. Now, things are starting to make sense, paper and plastic are still weird but getting there. Speech is very boring to listen to as the higher frequencies are clearish but the rest is low and monotonous, like a very boring maths teacher droning on at the same frequency. So, if I sing along to music with just my implant I start singing with a low, boring voice and I switch my hearing aid on and realise the music is soaring and my voice should be too! I must be getting used to these higher sounds though as the lower ones are starting to come through. I'm looking forward to tomorrow and seeing how much it changes afterwards!Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-54008004015059847942008-10-01T17:51:00.000-07:002008-10-01T17:55:22.951-07:00My activated cochlear implant!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVPzZwuUDsKf9M2ggjYdsDB855rVtLd0BebEOS5YKSSySHo2jL2xK5kXKE5RFmU9pNX4FpWoP3D6fYsBHSOIFP2jL3q3rcZse4fU7-s1u6d6_sPIvtkljDOGu98qxolBTJtG7Xev83MI/s1600-h/P1000340.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVPzZwuUDsKf9M2ggjYdsDB855rVtLd0BebEOS5YKSSySHo2jL2xK5kXKE5RFmU9pNX4FpWoP3D6fYsBHSOIFP2jL3q3rcZse4fU7-s1u6d6_sPIvtkljDOGu98qxolBTJtG7Xev83MI/s320/P1000340.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252353274421199826" /></a><br /><br />My Advanced Bionics Cochlear Implant complete with 'rockets' headcap...Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-83014352028769119172008-10-01T17:48:00.000-07:002008-10-01T17:51:33.594-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNX0DQ6nGwd4Gx3dkMXbXI3_uRRnTVWY_2CwHzHY5FLT-ZDJFWuYmKGx1eAQ3PbRfYLQxX__MPXkKab7AiXV-ak34lF-HJrByNcmpsOEt6s3f7QqO1Wtxv-i2976TYfhDHkdL8dnFNG4/s1600-h/P1000348.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNX0DQ6nGwd4Gx3dkMXbXI3_uRRnTVWY_2CwHzHY5FLT-ZDJFWuYmKGx1eAQ3PbRfYLQxX__MPXkKab7AiXV-ak34lF-HJrByNcmpsOEt6s3f7QqO1Wtxv-i2976TYfhDHkdL8dnFNG4/s320/P1000348.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252352522288486018" /></a><br /><br />It's all healed apart from a small scab at the top under my hair.. and my hair is an inch long - it's growing quickly!Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-79325001476802082922008-10-01T17:41:00.000-07:002008-10-01T17:44:56.174-07:00My scar the day after the op<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtIQXPF5D6byHtTzsUaJnT2KrXf1d6trkmfGnuCdJMXfN__MOQ_mRmjqNGXJQFHcR96MvtHrcyeyWK88zwmwQAxY6Degg83ckNcYzrpJMIu8-4QFR6ZHOczKmJjHU1buQereoc9PccVA/s1600-h/P1000332.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtIQXPF5D6byHtTzsUaJnT2KrXf1d6trkmfGnuCdJMXfN__MOQ_mRmjqNGXJQFHcR96MvtHrcyeyWK88zwmwQAxY6Degg83ckNcYzrpJMIu8-4QFR6ZHOczKmJjHU1buQereoc9PccVA/s320/P1000332.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252350824845960978" /></a><br /><br />I haven't washed my ear yet but it all looks great and isn't too sore :o)Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-90078710089866175202008-10-01T17:34:00.000-07:002008-10-01T17:40:46.125-07:00Friday 22nd - Home after the op<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZipqwvy-72iAGJhf5aTOzLg-01Eh-EFJjS13CCIAGRvWheLdMz4_5VE2r7efkTIKIUfroMOYI-BCPeagBy-Z2YvYM1Z8fWJnMuDzScHP0YuJA-uhe_l8r_mo_mILLAxXNgY82PiINuk/s1600-h/P1000330.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZipqwvy-72iAGJhf5aTOzLg-01Eh-EFJjS13CCIAGRvWheLdMz4_5VE2r7efkTIKIUfroMOYI-BCPeagBy-Z2YvYM1Z8fWJnMuDzScHP0YuJA-uhe_l8r_mo_mILLAxXNgY82PiINuk/s320/P1000330.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252349481859302850" /></a><br /><br />At home resting on my parent's couch - feeling dizzy and sick and my hair's a mess but I'm home.Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-54378279017842076912008-09-30T04:21:00.001-07:002008-09-30T04:36:19.545-07:0029th September 2008 - switch on day!Yesterday I got switched on. The whole process was very nerve wracking and emotional - here's why. My appointment was at 10am and first I had to find the lowest sounds that I could hear with the implant. The first time they sent a sound through my implant into my nerve was extremely strange. It felt like there was an electronic pulse going through my head and it made a kind of "whum" noise. The first few times this happened I twitched my neck and couldn't believe that's what it felt like! Then it turned into sound and the noise was high pitched. The audiologist lowered it and lowered it until I could no longer hear it. This was very difficult and I had to do it again and again with different frequencies. The next exercise I had to find what was "comfortably loud" for all the frequencies. This exercise was even harder than the first because it's impossible to know what volume I can tolerate high pitched noises at for a whole day! I cried during this bit because it was so hard and I was also feeling like "is this what I'm going to be hearing when they switch it on properly? High pitched whistles?. Once I'd got over it we finished this and then they turned it on!<br /><br />At first I had a continuous whistle noise in my head/ears which was quite uncomfortable and then gradually within a few minutes it had faded and I was only hearing it every time there was a high pitched speech sound or another sound. However, high pitched speech sounds feature very often in conversation! I ended up hating the word "so" because it really penetrated my head. We then had to adjust my lowest settings as I'd got used listening with it and could actually go lower. They then sent me outside for lunch and I had to return in an hour to pick up everything else and my Advanced Bionics monkey! (Their mascot is a monkey.) I walked outside and I couldn't hear anything. I spent the majority of the time in what felt like silence and only high pitched noises penetrated this "silence". However, when I took it off I knew then it was really silent. Because they've set it so low I can barely hear anything but I know there's constant noise because it's not what it's like when it's off. I absolutely hate it at the moment because I know there's so much more noise I should be hearing but I know there's a lot more tunings and hard work to come. Ant shouted at me really loudly with my back to him and I didn't hear him. Or I might have done but everything's so jumbled at the moment I can't make sense of it. The only time I recognise a sound in this high pitched jungle I'm living in at the moment is if it's a solitary sound that I'm aware is happening. For example, putting a cup down on the table, turning a page, sniffling and so on. The only sounds that sound like they should are the wind and my sniffs! Kissing Ant isn't very pleasant because every kiss is punctuated with a high pitched whistle. I hope it develops as time passes and I don't have to live with this all the time... My next tune isn't till Oct 10th so I've got what feels like a long time to wait!Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-35945657935218060322008-09-23T12:44:00.000-07:002008-09-23T12:59:53.268-07:00The period in between op and switch on...I can't believe it's been almost a month since I wrote a new post. I've been going through an intense experience since then. I had a check up with Mr Gray on the 9th September and all was fine, I had an X-ray and got yet another sick note for work! I started back at work on the 16th September and it's been difficult managing with one hearing aid. It took a long time for me to be ready for work as I couldn't drive as this involved turning my head quickly and I couldn't do that without losing focus for a few seconds. Another thing that affected my speedy recovery was my tinnitus. If I overexerted myself or heard a loud sound this would trigger off a noise resembling a plane taking off in my ears or drums beating over and over again. I found it very difficult to be in Tesco in the first few weeks as I couldn't distinguish between all the different sounds - children talking/screaming, people talking, trolleys and general hubbub. Based on this, I knew that a classroom experience was going to be difficult and it was but I have slowly got used to not being able to localise sounds and tried to relax a bit. Apart from now battling a cold I'm feeling almost 100% and it's nearly 5 weeks since the operation. My scar is healing very well and my hair is about 8-10mm long and growing far quicker than I expected it to! I have taken photos but I'm not able to put them up on here, sorry.<br /><br />My switch on date is 29th September! I had hoped it would be sooner but I just have to be patient. I'm worried I've made the wrong decision but I've done it now so I'm commited - ooops, bit late to decide that! I'm only worried because I've no idea what I'm going to hear when they activate the implant. I hope that people's voices sound normal. That will be the hardest thing to cope with, I think, if people sound different. I'll be patient and I'm not expecting miracles or for it to sound like I expect it to sound like. I'm quietly optimistic about the long term future though, it's so exciting to think I might be able to hear without lip-reading, talk to people through closed doors and maybe even hear on the phone. :o) We'll see.. It's going to be so weird having a magnet on my head (I can feel where it is) and I'm not sure I'm going to be happy with the fact I've chosen a rainbow coloured cap! But as Anthony said, I should be proud of it, not want to hide it... Haha! Watch this space!Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-21926466277479192932008-08-29T14:12:00.000-07:002008-08-29T14:24:45.817-07:008 Days Later...And I'm almost back to normal! The dizziness slowly improved and I am now able to respond to the sound of my name at normal speed as opposed to turning my head very very slowly in whichever direction needed.. I'm no longer walking like an old woman either and can walk up and down stairs unaided now. I used to go up a stair at a time and had to hold onto the banister! Around about the 3-4 day mark I felt able to do things for myself again. I have been sleeping fine which is nice as it means I'm not tired during the day. I managed to do a trip around Tesco on Tuesday and I walked around Ely on Wednesday which was lovely as it was so nice to get out again. I did feel tired after these things but not overtired. I scratched my scar on the 2nd night whilst sleeping which made it bleed a little and now it looks worse than it should because of all the dried blood but otherwise all is healing well! I put my hearing aid in the implanted ear yesterday and turned it on and could hear... nothing. Absolute zilch. I already knew that I was going to hear nothing though because I couldn't hear Anthony screaming in my ear. This made me very upset and I had a little cry, it was so strange to realise I'm never going to hear naturally again in that ear. It did make me think whether I've done the right thing but now I just have to look forward to switch on date (which I don't have yet) and look forward to better things. I'm going to see Mr Gray on the 9th September for a check up and hopefully switch on should be shortly after that!Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6854096565617773593.post-40425739980320183642008-08-27T04:50:00.000-07:002008-08-27T05:01:16.903-07:00Friday 22nd August - my birthday!I didn't eat anything at all yesterday, didn't fancy anything. I ate a few bites of cucumber from my sandwich as it had lots of moisture.. My mum ate my dinner for me! I got woken up today by the catering lady at 7:30am for breakfast and I'd ordered a croissant, yoghurt and special k cereal so this is what was put in front of me. I only ate the yoghurt and drank the orange juice. I wanted the croissant but couldn't face chewing it! Mr Gray came in about 8:30am and removed my bandage. This didn't hurt at all, I expected it to. He was very happy with the wound and said that the operation had gone very well, it was just under 2 hours long. He managed to get all the electrodes in and all the way into the cochlear so that's great. My hair was all over the place and had dried blood in it so I was not looking good! He also took off more hair than I was expecting him to but 'ce la vie'... I couldn't face brushing the tangled mess and I was still suffering from dizziness so I left it and walked out of the Nuffield with my mum and boyfriend - still wearing my pyjamas - at 10:50am. I made Anthony drive like an old woman on the way home as I was still trying to gain complete control of my stomach! I turned 23 today but didn't feel like celebrating it. I share my birthday with my younger brother who's 4 years younger than me and this evening he had friends round in the garden and they were drinking and having a good time. Unfortunately I couldn't join them! I'm staying at my parents for a few days as my mum wants to look after me which is nice. I've got purified water with a straw and anything I want at the drop of a hat! :o) Still not eating much and my tongue is numb all down the right side but I'd rather have this than a dropped face or one of the other possible side effects! I'm very lucky really..Sarah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05456839386628332571noreply@blogger.com0