Activation!!

vallee said:
I am going home to visit my family, mom, dad, sisters in a week. It is the first time they will see me since surgery. I hope they can see a difference. I'm a little nervous. Mostly about driving 6 hours with hearing. So any advise?
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Wow, good luck with that! I'm used to long distance driving here in Australia and you'll find with bilateral hearing that it's easier to talk in the car when you are driving without having to turn around so much to face the passenger. Just make sure you have plenty of stops for rests and you'll be fine :)
 
It's been good - almost a bit too good. The new ear is dominating the old ear so I already feel like I need a new map in the old ear again to balance it up. My audie told me to take off the earlier CI speech processor off for two hours a day but I almost feel I should take the new one off for two hours a day to help my poor older ear! That has surprised me.

Otherwise the hearing is going well in the new ear. Voices sound less munchkin like. How are you going and have you have your remap yet?
 
Bumpity bump! How are you going Contradica? I should go over to your website and have a read :)
 
sorry for going off topic but I just realised how much Contradica reminds me of that actress who played Ellen's best friend on "Ellen"- does anybody remeber her name? it's driving me crazy...

Fuzzy
 
Audiofuzzy said:
sorry for going off topic but I just realised how much Contradica reminds me of that actress who played Ellen's best friend on "Ellen"- does anybody remeber her name? it's driving me crazy...

Fuzzy
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If it is the one that played Paige, it might be Joely Fisher that you are thinking of. If that is the one then thank you so much!! :) I take that as a huge compliment.... :ty:
 
Paige!! that's the one thanks Contradica and yes you are so pretty! :)

Fuzzy
 
R2D2 said:
Bumpity bump! How are you going Contradica? I should go over to your website and have a read :)
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Golly R2D2, this past two weeks have been one hell of a whirl wind. I can't even remember what I had for breakfast! UGH! Nuff of my whining though..

You are due for a mapping soon I believe. From your progress, it sounds like your ear is doing wonderfully. How do things sound comparing the two? Has voices normalized yet?

I feel like I'm doing wonderfully with this magnificent piece of technology in my ear. Originally, my audi wanted me to keep my hearing aid out for two months. Well, my last map was last Monday and she did some rehab with me, reading off some sentences or words and I pick which one was it. I got one wrong out of thirty I believe. She stuck me in the booth and did a warble pure tone test and I was floored. I'll attach an audiogram to this post. She changed her mind and decided that I can wear my hearing aid with my CI now. I feel so much better with the both at the moment. I am starting to talk on the cell phone with my mom. She is talking to me a slower then normal, she might have to repeat somethings a couple times before my brain goes AH HAH, i know what your saying. People sounds have normalized and the tinkling and dinkling have gone away, whew :)

Overall, my volume is a little higher then average. I might want her to bring it down because I developed a twitch when it is a little too loud. I'm trying to get at least an hour of reading with an audio book or doing a minimal pair website at work with just my CI. Compared to a month ago, I can't believe the difference I really can't.

My audiogram!!

Green represent normal hearing.
Red represents my left ear prior to being implanted.
Pink represents the tone test I just had done 3 weeks post activation.
Blue represents my right ear unaided.

3WeeksPostAct.jpg
 
I love that "tell me in plain English please" audiogram! Your improvement between the before and after, is very interesting.

I'm a bit puzzled though that the birds and the rustling leaves are placed so high up in the chart because I can hear them but my audiogram is similar to yours. Can you hear them? Maybe they have to be a certain distance away?

I think they should put the barking dog right up at the top out of our reach - especially ones that yap :giggle:

You really sound relaxed and happy in your update. I did go to your website and read the last entry about how you had become more introverted after you lost your hearing. I went though a similar thing. I would avoid eye contact with strangers in case they decided to speak to me and would feel anxious about going out and dealing with the hearing world. The CI has changed all of that for me and gave back my self confidence and for you too I can see.

With the twitch, you might not need to get the volume turned down. Your audie can locate which electrode is causing it and shut it down. Apparently, it won't make any difference because the other electrodes interplay to compensate for the sound pitch that has been lost. Last mapping, one of the electrodes in my first CI was causing a flash of pain and my audie turned it off and the pain stopped. She thinks I had a sensitive spot on my hearing nerve perhaps.

My map is tomorrow and the funny thing is that the first CI needs a map more than the new one does! The new one is dominating so I need more balance by increasing the volume of the first one. I'm pleased with the sounds - the funny tinkling sound has gone and voices sound more natural, although still a bit nasal.
 
contradica said:
Thank you so much!! That just made my day :) How are you feeling with your ci evaluation coming up soon?
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Sweetie :)
I am still so very unsure if I want that at all. So I din't even started doing anything yet. Dunno if I ever..
Just last night I had my friends over and talked about that (the CI) with them. My girflriend is a "all organic, natural, tree hugging type" so of course she is scared of putting "something in there", lol. She is willing to learn sign language for me, but we all know the reality. It's nice of her to be willing, though (sniff sniff). besides, I value the ability to hear and I still want to hear, if possible...

And your audiogram! looking just great! gosh I don't know why but I have tears in my eyes, silly old me!!


btw I think I could be starting at 80db or even lower right now...haven't got any audiograms done for over a year now, perhaps when I will be getting a new earmolds..?

Fuzzy
 
It is interesting hearing from all of you. I do wish I could put into words how the sounds sound. It does seem that I go for mapping more than ya'll(in the south). I think I am on my 7th mapping, program 15. My audiogram looks similiar to yours, too.

My audie is fantastic. She uses words to describe the sounds. Like crisp, clear, and of course painful or hollow. I told her I never had a choice before, so I not use to this.

R2D2, how do you feel in stereo?
With magnets on both sides, I don't sleep well. Any tricks on sleeping and not waking up sore? I'm using a curved pillow, that helps some.
Anyone using an Ipod?

Valerie
 
Audiofuzzy said:
Sweetie :)
I am still so very unsure if I want that at all. So I din't even started doing anything yet. Dunno if I ever..
Just last night I had my friends over and talked about that (the CI) with them. My girflriend is a "all organic, natural, tree hugging type" so of course she is scared of putting "something in there", lol. She is willing to learn sign language for me, but we all know the reality. It's nice of her to be willing, though (sniff sniff). besides, I value the ability to hear and I still want to hear, if possible...

And your audiogram! looking just great! gosh I don't know why but I have tears in my eyes, silly old me!!


btw I think I could be starting at 80db or even lower right now...haven't got any audiograms done for over a year now, perhaps when I will be getting a new earmolds..?

Fuzzy
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Fuzzy,

I was under the assumption that you were checking it out. I look back when I was 21 when I was told that a cochlear implant would be a better alternative for me because I would start to have episodes of tinnitus so loud I couldn't hear, I flat out refused to consider a CI because I was happy with what I was hearing. I could talk on the phone when I wasn't having an episode. I never thought I would have lost my hearing the way I did. Once I lost my so called telephone privileges, thats is when I started looking into the possibility.

I have a good friend of mine that is one of those bohemian chicks too. She was researching taking an ASL course (i don't know how to sign) but she was trying to have fun with it and convince me to learn. It was a sweet gesture, but like you said, reality will set in. She has noticed a big difference in me in how I was before and how I am now. Thank god for lip reading though!

I remember those days of 80dB's. This is something I never knew though. If you lose weight, you lose weight in your ears as well and then you need new ear molds. I guess my ears are the first thing to lose weight...sigh. Getting new ear molds every six months for a lack of a better term sucked.

I am glad you found my audiogram touching. It is very sentimental to me too. It is my cheery cup of coffee in the morning! I'm interested in seeing what your loss is.
 
R2D2 said:
I love that "tell me in plain English please" audiogram! Your improvement between the before and after, is very interesting.

I'm a bit puzzled though that the birds and the rustling leaves are placed so high up in the chart because I can hear them but my audiogram is similar to yours. Can you hear them? Maybe they have to be a certain distance away?

I think they should put the barking dog right up at the top out of our reach - especially ones that yap :giggle:

You really sound relaxed and happy in your update. I did go to your website and read the last entry about how you had become more introverted after you lost your hearing. I went though a similar thing. I would avoid eye contact with strangers in case they decided to speak to me and would feel anxious about going out and dealing with the hearing world. The CI has changed all of that for me and gave back my self confidence and for you too I can see.

With the twitch, you might not need to get the volume turned down. Your audie can locate which electrode is causing it and shut it down. Apparently, it won't make any difference because the other electrodes interplay to compensate for the sound pitch that has been lost. Last mapping, one of the electrodes in my first CI was causing a flash of pain and my audie turned it off and the pain stopped. She thinks I had a sensitive spot on my hearing nerve perhaps.

My map is tomorrow and the funny thing is that the first CI needs a map more than the new one does! The new one is dominating so I need more balance by increasing the volume of the first one. I'm pleased with the sounds - the funny tinkling sound has gone and voices sound more natural, although still a bit nasal.
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It is interesting where the sounds fall on the audiogram. Like water for me, I can hear through walls LOL! I haven't taken notice at the leaves yet but I am sure I will be soon. They are starting to fall here. I haven't heard any birds yet, I'm not much of a morning person that slaps the magnet on to hear the birds yet lol.

The dogs barking OI! My dog is loud, very loud in the car. My friend italian mastiff makes my eye twitch LOL. He is only 129 pounds with a bark to match.

I would do the same thing, avoiding eye contact. It was difficult to adjust to walking with my head down as oppose to up to avoid anyone asking me anything but that didn't always work. I hated it.

My audi went through the steps with each electrode to see if that was causing the twitch by raising the volume to recreate the twitch. She thought it might have been a group of them. I will ask her if she could turn off each electrode to see if that helps it any. Great idea R2D2!

I take it that you hear everything that you can hear out of your old ear with your new ear and much more. Have you maxed out your volume on your other ear yet or no? I want details!! :) Does your little girl sound nasally still or is she back to the little girl voice?

I'm patiently waiting for an mapping update. :)
 
Hi Contradica,

Mind you I have to say that the birds that live around here are super noisy - some Cockatoos that go "AARK! ARRRK! ARRRK!" and when they have a mid air fight you have to come out of the house and see.

I notice the leaves when it's windy and they are rustling - we have very tall eucylptus trees around the house so it's not surprising that I could hear them. This morning I could hear the army practicing at the nearby base and could hear gunshots in the distance with my new ear alone. That was something I couldn't hear with aids - the base is about 3km away. Interesting neighbourhood!

My mapping was a bit of a non event as we were trying it hard to get a lock but the computer kept saying "error!" So we've gone and ordered the number 6 magnet from Cochlear as I do find that I have to tuck the number 5 magnet into my hair anyway to make it hold. This is almost like medical strength! Have rebooked appointment for next week.

The audie did tell me that Cochlear is coming out with some new software programs including a music appreciation program. My friend already has them (she goes to a different clinic) and she really loves them. So that is something to look forward to.
 
I am majorly undecided at this point about CI, I want it and yet I am scared of it. Right now I know what I have, and migraine plays a big role as well. Although I know Vallee's migs improved after implanting I am worried it may not work for me so well because sound is a big trigger to me.
I think I will put it (CI) away for a while, still.
But I love to read about people's successes with CI.

I have a question, too, if I may... Since probably all of you can say the hearing is much better with CI, aren't you sorry you didn't get the CI years before?

Fuzzy
 
Audiofuzzy said:
I am majorly undecided at this point about CI, I want it and yet I am scared of it. Right now I know what I have, and migraine plays a big role as well. Although I know Vallee's migs improved after implanting I am worried it may not work for me so well because sound is a big trigger to me.
I think I will put it (CI) away for a while, still.
But I love to read about people's successes with CI.

I have a question, too, if I may... Since probably all of you can say the hearing is much better with CI, aren't you sorry you didn't get the CI years before?

Fuzzy
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Sound tolerance can be slowly built up with a CI. My brain was very leary of sound with my first CI due to my experience with recruitment but we slowly built it up. It's not like a hearing aid where you turn it to volume level four because that's the level that you can only hear at with your hearing loss.
Sound with a CI is not natural or real - it's set at levels that the brain can cope with and it you have plasticity obviously then the scope for improvement is greater.

I'm quite happy with the timing of my CI. Before my sudden loss, I did okay with hearing aids even though I'm doing better now. And realistically, I know that I've benefited from the later generation of CIs too.
 
Audiofuzzy said:
I am majorly undecided at this point about CI, I want it and yet I am scared of it. Right now I know what I have, and migraine plays a big role as well. Although I know Vallee's migs improved after implanting I am worried it may not work for me so well because sound is a big trigger to me.
I think I will put it (CI) away for a while, still.
But I love to read about people's successes with CI.

I have a question, too, if I may... Since probably all of you can say the hearing is much better with CI, aren't you sorry you didn't get the CI years before?

Fuzzy
Click to expand...

I go to the doctor on the 31st about my migraines. I did take myself off all my meds. So far no migraines for the first time in oh about 10-14 years.

I have looked for research, but I'm unable to find it. I hope my CI doctor will try and conduct research. Who knows.

Fuzzy,

It took around 5 years for me to make my choice for CIs. I kept changing my mind. It's okay. Take it slow and make your best choice, don't look at age. That is not even a concern.
 
R2D2,
I heard birds yesterday! From the sounds of the, I heard three different ones. I was waiting outside and playing with my dog and I heard squawks, I stopped and I was like I'll be damned, birds. We don't get many cockatoos around here. The only cockatoos I see are in cages. We have blue jays, cardinals, robins, pigeons and seagulls. I have no idea which one of those I heard though, I can only pick out seagulls.

I haven't paid any particular attention to leaves yet but I will be soon when I start bagging the 40+ bags. Oi! You can see I am in no particular rush here to hear them :)

I live close to a naval and air force base and I am able to feel the rumbling of when they practiced. I was scared out of my wits the first time I felt that, I thought it was an earthquake. I will be looking forward to that. Did you hear it with the one CI or with both?

You must have a thick head of hair!! I can't imagine what 5 must feel like, let alone six. I wish I had at least half the amount of hair that you have. I'm stuck on 2 :)

Thats great news that you will be getting that a music program! Do you have any idea of a time frame that they will upgrade you to the latest software? :)

R2D2 said:
Hi Contradica,

Mind you I have to say that the birds that live around here are super noisy - some Cockatoos that go "AARK! ARRRK! ARRRK!" and when they have a mid air fight you have to come out of the house and see.

I notice the leaves when it's windy and they are rustling - we have very tall eucylptus trees around the house so it's not surprising that I could hear them. This morning I could hear the army practicing at the nearby base and could hear gunshots in the distance with my new ear alone. That was something I couldn't hear with aids - the base is about 3km away. Interesting neighbourhood!

My mapping was a bit of a non event as we were trying it hard to get a lock but the computer kept saying "error!" So we've gone and ordered the number 6 magnet from Cochlear as I do find that I have to tuck the number 5 magnet into my hair anyway to make it hold. This is almost like medical strength! Have rebooked appointment for next week.

The audie did tell me that Cochlear is coming out with some new software programs including a music appreciation program. My friend already has them (she goes to a different clinic) and she really loves them. So that is something to look forward to.
Click to expand...
 
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