Hi,
I am a teacher in a large k-8 school. I will be recieving a cochlear implant at the end of march and will hopefully be activiated at the end of April. My concern and question is "what should I have in place in order to keep myself safe (fire alarm, safety codes on the loudspeaker that let us know if there is an intruder...). To whom do I speak with in order for this to occur? any advice would be helpful. Thank you!
As you first got your CI turned on, Your hearing through CI will sound 'tinny' for a while until several remappings. Usually averaging 6 months, you'll get full range of sound. It doesn't means that you would just jump back to normal. CI is different than Hearing aid. CI have great advantage that can help you discriminate difference on individual sounds. Some sound that you haven't heard for long time or never heard before...
As for fire alarm, you would probably hear it noticeably. CI can pick up from low to high pitch sound clearly than hearing aid.
My experience on CI..... Before CI, I can't hear fire alarm at all. After CI, I can hear them very clearly and it's annoying to me now when it chirps when fire alarm battery went low
Remember.. It varies to individual on CI... My suggestion is that Once you get your CI turned on, Take one step at a time. Try crinkle the Lifesaver candy plastic wrapper and listen to it's rustling from distance as a practice. Then hear the pop fizz from standing distance. Then eventually different sound something that you recognized before. Try observe leaves blowing across the sidewalk or on street and listen it rustle or listen and watch individual leave make a gently bouncing "bong-bong or "scraping" sound.. This would help develop your CI ability to hear different sounds. As for Human sound, do one step at a time listening even it may be 'tinny' for a while like I mention above. The key for successful CI transitions is Patience...
So don't push yourself trying to hear what is being said on intercom. Eventually, you'll pick things up when you get used to it. It's your ear "re-wiring" to new electrode and get used to it. It takes time.
Use "Buddy System" that works very well. Discuss with your boss and your fellow teachers to be part of team to alert you of danger, intruder ect on Intercom until your CI become full range and able to reconize understandable voice from Intercom.
Patience.... is the key...
Catty
