I can't believe how fast time has flown since I've been switched on.
It's just hectic and always is still.. I feel really dreadful in not
being able to keep up to date with my own blog and when I read other
people's CI blogs - they are so good at keeping at it.
I have two little boys that keeps me on my toes all the time and by the
time I've got them to bed, all I want to do is chill out. As well as my
little ones I have a big boy too look after - my eldest son who is
nearly 12 does stress me out a lot especially with his moods and
unwilling to do these. He's rather lazy and winds the little ones up
alot that there are lot of screaming sessions - there are times when I
would love silence. Now to say that is strange because I've wanted to
hear again after so long but when you have screaming kids - who wants to
hear that kind of sound when learning to hear with the cochlear implants.
Anyway, as I say it's been hectic and so I'm going to put down as much
as I can remember since the switch on and then try and keep it up to date.
My switch on day. I was very nervous and thought I was going to cry and
everything but I didn't for some strange reason. I think it is because
I know what to expect at a switch on as I've done it before. My left
ear was dealt with first and then my right ear. At first they did some
programming to condition the implant and to stimulate it then I had some
beeps going on. Then it was ready for the switch on. The sounds I
heard was very much like I heard before - high pitch voices and Nigel's
voice was deeper. A few twigs here and there adjusted by the
audiologist was sounding a lot better. I was put on Hi-Res S Fidelity
120 for my left ear. It did take a while to sort my left ear out.
Now my right ear was a different story because it was being switched on
for the first time and never heard out of that ear since I was a baby, I
think. I can't remember ever hearing out of that ear and heard some
beeps but not in the same way as my left ear. When they switched my
right on, I just got "thump thump" etc. Each thump was representing
each syllable, so if I heard a word like brother, it would be sounding
like "thump thump" - two syllable. It was so weird but heard
something. I was just really pleased to just get something than
nothing. I was impressed! I, too had Hi-Res S Fidelity 120 for my
right ear as well. A long time for my right ear to be sorted out too.
When I had both on together it sounded better. I don't know why but it
sounded alot better. Strange! I think that is why I didn't cry cos I
was so overwhelmed with the strange experience. It's like a dream - it
is still a dream. It hasn't quite sunk in yet.
I've been using the loop by using a RF TV Listener, which I attach a
microphone to the TV and pick up the sounds from the TV although I
prefer to hear sounds directly plugged into the TV, however it isn't
possible at present due to some electrical fault of the device attaching
to the TV. However, I do hear it directly linked to the Hi-Fi and that
is nice especially a bit of Jazz!
Mon (5th Nov) I had another mapping for both processors and aided
threshold hearing tests and the results are amazing! Here is what my
audiologist said.....
Cuny sentences with lip reading both implants: 97%
Cuny sentences with lip reading right implant only: 43%
BKB sentences in quiet without lipreading, both implants: 89%
BKB sentences in noise (noise 10dB less than speech) without
lipreading, both implants: 75%
AB words in quiet without lip reading, both implants: 61% phonemes, 36%
words
Your aided results with the left implant were 15-35dB across the speech
frequency range.
Your aided results with the right implant were 40-60dB across the
speech frequency range.
The aided results for the right ear are likely to improve with time and
were good for this stage post implant for a newly implanted ear. Also
you mentioned that the tinnitus was making it more difficult for you to
do this test on the right ear which could also have affected the
results.
Overall these results are brilliant so well done.
I was tickled pink that I was doing so well so early on...one week!! I
think it is fantastic results. Anyway to explain about the above Cuny
sentences means a man on the video with a straight face and no facial
expressions. He just speak in a plain flat voice!
BKB sentences are sentences sent through the speakers - no man and no
lipreading involved. AB words are words that are spoken through the
speakers with just one word at a time, eg, cat. This is a harder test
because with the sentences spoken you have an idea of what the sentence
is about. With just single words without lipreading or seeing a man on
the screen can be a real challenge!
Today (26th Nov) I had a mapping for my right ear only with my left
right ear processor untouched. I was puzzled why they didn't do both
processors to balance. I realise it is because they want to bring my
right ear processor to balance alot more as the past few weeks since 5th
Nov my left ear processor had been more dominant and the right ear
processor had been fading into the background. They even said that my
left ear processor might prefer to have the volume decreased at some
point as the right ear processor might find it too loud with the left
ear processor. It's interesting that when I had my right ear processor
only on it was louder than having both on! Weird, I thought! Anyway, I
had my right ear aided threshold hearing test and amazing it has shifted
from 40 - 60dB to 30 - 40dB across the speech frequency range, it still
has a dip in the middle of the speech frequency range but I reckon it is
because I've got number 5 electrode turned off and not able to pick the
middle sounds up as well without this electrode. I could be wrong.
However, I'm not worried about that electrode any more cos I've been
doing so well lately and I hope to continue on this fantastic CI
journey. It is so nice to hear again, to hear with nothing and just the
tinnitus is a really life quality reduced life, e.g depressing,
isolating and stressful. It is because I once had something beautiful
with my CI before and it was snatched away from me, hence the reduced
quality of life. Now my quality of life is so much more relaxing,
inspiring, exciting, not isolating. I don't want to go all religious
but I thank God for listening to my prayers.
I shall try and keep more up to date in future! ;-)
