Cochlear Implantation Surgery 7/28/15

ambrosia said:
I didn't get any of my stuff until I went in to be activated, we just put disposable batteries in the uhhhh disposable battery I don't know, thing. My clinic is a 2 processor clinic so I got 2 processors, one for a back up. I ordered a white one and a teal one. They screwed up my order. They sent 2 white processors so she'll send one back and I'll pick up the teal one when I go for my second mapping on the 31st. Also I have a small battery for the Aqua pack (and all the waterproof accessories that comes with) the battery thing that uses disposables plus 3 large rechargeable batteries (2 teal 1 white) I ordered medium batteries but they sent large. But screw it, I'll live. Then basically at least 2 backups of everything, cables and tmics, head pieces etc etc etc. they were running a special, automatically you get 2 accessory kits, I picked the backup kit and the Aqua kit but with the special you got a 3rd for free so I also got a compilot. She doesn't think I'll be able to use that fur a few months. Oh!! And a nice back pack, travel kit, the obviously the zephyr and charger. I may have forgotten something.
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You can send back the batteries and they will replace them, even opened, since it was a mistake. Personally, I don't like the big batteries and use the smallest ones. They give me a day of use and they are much more comfortable.

The Compilot is a great way to do rehab, especially if you have hearing in your other ear. She has to activate that on your programs though. I don't know why she thinks you should wait to use it, especially if you are understanding speech already. The backpack is great. I use mine all the time!!
 
Hey Amber, how is day two going for you? I hope things are getting better and better. I've worn my new CI all day. Noises are really loud, voices I still can't figure out. It's amazing how much we depend on lip reading.

My new CI is picking up all the fan noises and ac unit in my house. If I walk into the bathroom it's super quiet. Hoping after my second mapping next Wednesday I will hear a little better before our trip to Chicago.
 
Great!!!! I had an awesome day at work. I still have to face people but I had no problems understanding speech. Lots of things are sounding normal. Like when I typed out my SOAP notes on the computer, my tapping the keys sounds 100% normal. When I got in my car and shifted from park to drive I could hear the little noises it made through each gear til I got to D. But some things still sound weird. There's back ground music all over at the spa and I think a lot of the weirdness was that. It felt like I was on a submarine all day. That pinging noise with a slight echo...I was hearing that all day. But I'm still at my first volume setting, I can understand speech, granted it sounds like Alvin, but I can understand!!

I was cracking myself up driving home. I was singing Janis Joplin tunes and laughing at what my voice sounds like. Actually I laughed a lot in my activation video too :D
 
HOH-ME said:
You can send back the batteries and they will replace them, even opened, since it was a mistake. Personally, I don't like the big batteries and use the smallest ones. They give me a day of use and they are much more comfortable.

The Compilot is a great way to do rehab, especially if you have hearing in your other ear. She has to activate that on your programs though. I don't know why she thinks you should wait to use it, especially if you are understanding speech already. The backpack is great. I use mine all the time!!
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I know, I still might. I opened one just to try it, but I didn't use it today. My ear is still pretty tender and right after putting it on this morning I could tell it was heavier than the one with disposables and I just knew it'd be killing me by the end of the day. So I still might, but maybe trade them for the smalls, we'll see. The mediums are almost as big as the large, but they have the fm plugs BuT I have the compilot so won't need that. The longer time does seem nice. I'm not overly worried about, I'll figure it out over the next few weeks. I have the small that I'll def keep because it's for the aqua pack. I'll figure out which I like better. And keeping the big one that lasts a full day might prove to be convenient occasionally.
 
ambrosia said:
Great!!!! I had an awesome day at work. I still have to face people but I had no problems understanding speech. Lots of things are sounding normal. Like when I typed out my SOAP notes on the computer, my tapping the keys sounds 100% normal. When I got in my car and shifted from park to drive I could hear the little noises it made through each gear til I got to D. But some things still sound weird. There's back ground music all over at the spa and I think a lot of the weirdness was that. It felt like I was on a submarine all day. That pinging noise with a slight echo...I was hearing that all day. But I'm still at my first volume setting, I can understand speech, granted it sounds like Alvin, but I can understand!!

I was cracking myself up driving home. I was singing Janis Joplin tunes and laughing at what my voice sounds like. Actually I laughed a lot in my activation video too :D
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The pinging noise with an echo will go away completely over time and you're still on day one. But if your doing this good with it already it'll just keep getting better for months. Just an example, I don't remember the exact db level but my speech recognition pre CI with hearing aids maxed out was 5%. At the one year mapping just using my CI only it was 96%. I don't know anything about AB but my original cochlear rechargeable battery still lasts over 16 hours on a full charge so if AB has something similar to that size you can guesstimate how long it will last. But, but but but, if AB does the same it will beep a few minutes before it dies (5 or 10 minutes I think) if it does that turn it off or change your battery before it does. Anytime mine dies while I'm wearing it I get a freaking horrible headache.
 
August 12th was my 24th anniversary of cochlear implant surgery.
 
I can understand speech, granted it sounds like Alvin, but I can understand!!
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LOL, sorry but I had to laugh at that...:)

ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLVIIIIIIIIIIN!

I have heard some people describe the voices as sounding like Mickey Mouse too.
 
That is great Amber, you are catching on super quick. I wore my new CI most of the day but my scar is hurting pretty bad. I can hear a ton of noises but still no voices. It's really difficult when one CI can hear normal and the new one is just making noise. My brain got over used today for sure. Kind of thinking I might wear my new CI for a couple hours a day than get really serious when we get back from our trip. One step at a time.......
 
That's great that everything went well! I havent been on AD for a while either and just came back.

I may be behind but good luck Angel with your new CI!
 
I'm late I'm late!!! I had my second mapping on Monday. Everything sounds soooooo much better. Most people's voice are recognizable now and sound more natural. Well, except mine, I still sound weird. Music sounds a little better, but only if I know the song. I'm wicked happy it!!! I have another mapping Sept 28th.

I'm 3 weeks late on pic stuff from when I got my stuff, and my activation video. I put the AD app back on my phone so now I don't have to fiddle with downloading and uploading stuff with my comp. I'll see if it will let me post my vid.
 
ImageUploadedByAllDeaf1441509559.359513.jpg
My back back they gave me for all my schtuff
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The stuff
ImageUploadedByAllDeaf1441509659.660149.jpg
Got a skinit for it, sacred wheel
ImageUploadedByAllDeaf1441509697.162471.jpg
When I went on Monday I picked up my teal processor (they'd messed up my order)
ImageUploadedByAllDeaf1441509775.248425.jpg
Now I'm mixing and matching
ImageUploadedByAllDeaf1441509801.027675.jpg

Oh!!! And the best part!! My first hearing test. This 2.5 weeks post activation

ImageUploadedByAllDeaf1441509869.078055.jpg
 
Oh yes, I took this picture this evening. My son is sitting in the hot tub at my folks way across from me. I had a short conversation with him from sitting right there, that far apart. My mind is completely blown.boomImageUploadedByAllDeaf1441510689.057206.jpg
 
Styling and profiling that pimped out CI eh? :naughty: Bet you wish you'd have gotten it sooner.

When you need more of the dry briks the cheapest I've found them is on Amazon.
 
Not yet. I got a stapedectomy done for my left ear in May, but it didn't get it out of profound range, so it will likely sound like **** for speech. Got the CI for my right ear. I don't want to confuse my brain by giving it two different sources of weirdness at once so I'll wait to try to wear my hearing aid until I'm more used to the CI.

It won't help for speech, but Doc and Audi think it might make things sound more natural, and maybe I'll get some sound direction :)

My surgeon stopped in to see me during my mapping on Monday, I didn't have an appointment with him he just wanted to say hey. He said in 6-9 months we could talk about maybe going bilateral if the aid isn't helping.
 
ncff07 said:
Styling and profiling that pimped out CI eh? :naughty: Bet you wish you'd have gotten it sooner.



When you need more of the dry briks the cheapest I've found them is on Amazon.
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I couldn't get it sooner. If I could have I would have.
 
ambrosia said:
View attachment 22511
My back back they gave me for all my stuff
View attachment 22512
The stuff
View attachment 22513
Got a skinit for it, sacred wheel
View attachment 22514
When I went on Monday I picked up my teal processor (they'd messed up my order)
View attachment 22515
Now I'm mixing and matching
View attachment 22516

Oh!!! And the best part!! My first hearing test. This 2.5 weeks post activation

View attachment 22517
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I love your choice of processor color and skinit color and design!
 
Jane B. said:
I love your choice of processor color and skinit color and design!
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Agreed, I almost went white, but all the gearhead stuff I do I figured it would get permanently stained too easy so went black with orange covers instead
 
Great photos! Glad you are happy with your results. I hope it continues to get even better! I forget, how old were you when you started losing your hearing? Your 20's?
 
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