Well, it was another trip to Tampa yesterday and I must say it was a great day! My audie (God bless her!) explained a lot of things to me which really helped me understand. I won't bore you with all the details that you probably don't care to read anyway but trust me, it was a great day. I went in the dreaded booth for the first time since my activation. I have always hated that dang booth because I always fail so miserably. The last time I was in there was right before surgery and I got a whopping 0%. I was expecting simple sentences which is what I usually got but not this time. It was quite a mixture. Both male and female voices, talking fast, saying long sentences! The first one shocked me and I only caught the last word then I was paying more attention. LOL I ended up with 69% and I am thrilled with what I have achieved so far. Things are only going to get better!
When I got done with the audie, I had to wait to see the surgeon for the last time.... maybe? No, everything is great with my implant, I have no problems there. He is ready to do my other ear! My insurance goes into effect on April 1st. He says I need NO testing, all I need to do is set up a pre-op appointment and set a surgery date! I am going bilateral!! He actually wanted me to do that yesterday but I decided to wait. I want to see what my out of pocket expense is going to be first and be ready for that. What was so neat is I heard my surgeon's voice for the first time and I understood everything he said! I can't begin to tell you how much that means.
It's almost been 2 months since my activation. It feels so good to think about how far I have come in that short time. At work is where I can tell the most changes. I work in a noisy factory. Lots of machinery etc. I really thought all that noise would bother me but I am happy that I like hearing everything, noise and all. When I was first activated, there were lots of things I could not hear at work. It was amazing to me that I could hear quieter things like a foot peddle but the loud alarms I did not hear at all. I could not hear the PA system or the break bells that ring. Little by little things are added everyday. I can now hear the break bells and the PA system. First I just could tell someone was saying something on the PA system, then I was understanding words here and there. I find myself understanding more and more everyday. It is incredible how this works!
Being able to communicate with people again.... there are no words to describe this. A lady that wrote a book about her experience with hearing loss said it was like being in solitary confinement, the worse punishment for criminals. That is SO true! I have really been given my life back...
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
My Brain Kicking In?
It will take me some time to figure all of this out. This is so complex it boggles my mind!
I am beginning to think I was over doing it a bit. Maybe? Not really sure but I am going to slow down on the rehab a bit because I "think" my brain is getting it now! LOL My brain and I are learning together I guess. :)
Here is what has been happening the last week or so..
I went back to my audie on the first. I was frantic by the time I got there because I could no longer understand anything anyone said. Everything was very distorted. She worked her magic and it was better. Not as good as I thought it should be (what do I know?) but I was able to understand what was said. I can work with this. She set me up with 3 programs. Program 1 for everyday. Program 2 for noisy situations and program 3 for trying the phone with direct connect. Program 2 is for work since it is so noisy there and the rest of the time I would use program 1.
I left her office and stayed on program 1 for the remainder of the night. The next morning I put it on program 2 for work and all was good. Once I got home is when things got weird. I tried to go back to program 1 but it was painfully LOUD! I settled for staying on program 2. The next day, program 2 was loud so now I am worried. I do have a volume control and had to use it to lower the volume. I spoke with my audie via email and she said to use that and she will see me in a couple of weeks, my next appointment. Last night I noticed a change! This time the change was good and voices became clearer. I am really getting excited about this! I have not done any rehab for several days. There was not much sense in trying music when I was not doing so great anyway. Today at work I didn't use program 2, I stayed on the regular program and it was fine at regular volume.
So here's the plan for the next couple of weeks..
I am going to slow down. I think I have been trying too hard, too much and have been straining my poor little brain! I have been told many times by many people that your brain has to adapt/learn to hear with the implant. I think I am getting it now. I am so thankful for the hearing I now have even though it is not perfect, it is a miracle I have been blessed with. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!
I am beginning to think I was over doing it a bit. Maybe? Not really sure but I am going to slow down on the rehab a bit because I "think" my brain is getting it now! LOL My brain and I are learning together I guess. :)
Here is what has been happening the last week or so..
I went back to my audie on the first. I was frantic by the time I got there because I could no longer understand anything anyone said. Everything was very distorted. She worked her magic and it was better. Not as good as I thought it should be (what do I know?) but I was able to understand what was said. I can work with this. She set me up with 3 programs. Program 1 for everyday. Program 2 for noisy situations and program 3 for trying the phone with direct connect. Program 2 is for work since it is so noisy there and the rest of the time I would use program 1.
I left her office and stayed on program 1 for the remainder of the night. The next morning I put it on program 2 for work and all was good. Once I got home is when things got weird. I tried to go back to program 1 but it was painfully LOUD! I settled for staying on program 2. The next day, program 2 was loud so now I am worried. I do have a volume control and had to use it to lower the volume. I spoke with my audie via email and she said to use that and she will see me in a couple of weeks, my next appointment. Last night I noticed a change! This time the change was good and voices became clearer. I am really getting excited about this! I have not done any rehab for several days. There was not much sense in trying music when I was not doing so great anyway. Today at work I didn't use program 2, I stayed on the regular program and it was fine at regular volume.
So here's the plan for the next couple of weeks..
I am going to slow down. I think I have been trying too hard, too much and have been straining my poor little brain! I have been told many times by many people that your brain has to adapt/learn to hear with the implant. I think I am getting it now. I am so thankful for the hearing I now have even though it is not perfect, it is a miracle I have been blessed with. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!
Saturday, March 3, 2012
I'm Learning!
I now know more than ever why everyone says you need the 3-4 P's. Patience, practice, persistence and prayers. Some say 3, I say 4. When I was activated and voices/speech was so good, I thought "I've got this". I am one of the lucky ones that hit the jackpot right away. Which is true but not so true too.
The first couple of visits to my audie after activation were only for volume increases. As my brain got use to hearing again, the volume would drop so it had to be boosted up some more. Once the volume settles down, that's when the journey really begins. My first mapping (adjustment) I was not happy with at all! I felt kind of rushed at the audie's office because she was also setting up my new processor so there wasn't much time for the mapping. She set up 3 maps for me. Program 1 was for everyday use. Program 2 was to use in noisy situations and Program 3 was for direct connect to use for my cell phone/iPod.
I have read many times that it sometimes takes time to get use to a new map so I struggled with this map for 2 weeks before I emailed my audie asking for help. I was back in her office within a couple of days. At that point I could not understand speech at all unless I was lipreading, everything was so distorted. She worked her magic and I was "good" again. Here is what I have figured out so far..
If I have not adjusted to a map within a week, contact my audie!
My brain has to adjust to the changes so as this happens things should become better. As that settles in, the brain wants more so that is why I have to go for more mappings. It does not stay the same.
Patience, patience, patience! I am learning! This is definitely a journey with lots of bumps in the road. I am so blessed to have the people of HJ to explain things to me. Without them, I'm not sure I would make it. Don't get me wrong, I am beyond thrilled to be able to hear again but understanding the process/progress helps more than I can put into words.
Now for what I am hearing...
Everyday is a new adventure wondering what I will hear today that I did not hear yesterday. New things are added all the time. It is so amazing to me how this works. Voices/speech is good again. I can hear without looking which is wonderful! I am hearing the television but still need closed captions. I can hear some words but not all but it is getting better all the time. I look forward to the day I can watch without closed captions and I know that day will come just not sure when. I have been working on music which still sounds bad for the most part. Some songs I can recognize but lots of the instruments are missing. Some vocals are there and others not, this will take lots of time but I will keep practicing listening and get there eventually. Listening to the same song over and over, I do notice it gets better. I can hear the birds now and last night I heard those noisy crickets for the first time in many many years! I think it is the first time they made me smile. LOL
I have so many gadgets now that I am trying to figure out. Technology has advanced and left me behind while I was in my deaf world. I bought an iPod to work on music. It sat here for over a week before I was able to figure out how to get it to work. I still have a lot to learn about that little jewel. I upgraded my cell phone so I could use direct connect to try to use the phone again. The direct connect will send the call directly to my implant. I tried it only to discover I could hear the caller but they could not hear me. Now how ironic is that? Through asking lots of questions I found out I needed to purchase a bluetooth. The direct connect has no mic is why they could not hear me. I have not figured out that new toy yet but am going to give it a try this weekend. I purchased one that was recommended. It is about the size of a AAA battery and also has a FM radio so once I figure out how it works I will be able to listen to music with it too. I am really straining my poor little brain!
The past few weeks have not been good for me. I wanted to post updates but also did not want to be negative. That is why there was only short posts along with the lack of time/energy. I never want anyone reading my blog to feel that I am not happy with my decision to get this implant. It is absolutely the BEST thing I have ever done for myself. It will take lots of work but I am willing to do whatever in necessary to get to where I want to be... a hearing person again.
The first couple of visits to my audie after activation were only for volume increases. As my brain got use to hearing again, the volume would drop so it had to be boosted up some more. Once the volume settles down, that's when the journey really begins. My first mapping (adjustment) I was not happy with at all! I felt kind of rushed at the audie's office because she was also setting up my new processor so there wasn't much time for the mapping. She set up 3 maps for me. Program 1 was for everyday use. Program 2 was to use in noisy situations and Program 3 was for direct connect to use for my cell phone/iPod.
I have read many times that it sometimes takes time to get use to a new map so I struggled with this map for 2 weeks before I emailed my audie asking for help. I was back in her office within a couple of days. At that point I could not understand speech at all unless I was lipreading, everything was so distorted. She worked her magic and I was "good" again. Here is what I have figured out so far..
If I have not adjusted to a map within a week, contact my audie!
My brain has to adjust to the changes so as this happens things should become better. As that settles in, the brain wants more so that is why I have to go for more mappings. It does not stay the same.
Patience, patience, patience! I am learning! This is definitely a journey with lots of bumps in the road. I am so blessed to have the people of HJ to explain things to me. Without them, I'm not sure I would make it. Don't get me wrong, I am beyond thrilled to be able to hear again but understanding the process/progress helps more than I can put into words.
Now for what I am hearing...
Everyday is a new adventure wondering what I will hear today that I did not hear yesterday. New things are added all the time. It is so amazing to me how this works. Voices/speech is good again. I can hear without looking which is wonderful! I am hearing the television but still need closed captions. I can hear some words but not all but it is getting better all the time. I look forward to the day I can watch without closed captions and I know that day will come just not sure when. I have been working on music which still sounds bad for the most part. Some songs I can recognize but lots of the instruments are missing. Some vocals are there and others not, this will take lots of time but I will keep practicing listening and get there eventually. Listening to the same song over and over, I do notice it gets better. I can hear the birds now and last night I heard those noisy crickets for the first time in many many years! I think it is the first time they made me smile. LOL
I have so many gadgets now that I am trying to figure out. Technology has advanced and left me behind while I was in my deaf world. I bought an iPod to work on music. It sat here for over a week before I was able to figure out how to get it to work. I still have a lot to learn about that little jewel. I upgraded my cell phone so I could use direct connect to try to use the phone again. The direct connect will send the call directly to my implant. I tried it only to discover I could hear the caller but they could not hear me. Now how ironic is that? Through asking lots of questions I found out I needed to purchase a bluetooth. The direct connect has no mic is why they could not hear me. I have not figured out that new toy yet but am going to give it a try this weekend. I purchased one that was recommended. It is about the size of a AAA battery and also has a FM radio so once I figure out how it works I will be able to listen to music with it too. I am really straining my poor little brain!
The past few weeks have not been good for me. I wanted to post updates but also did not want to be negative. That is why there was only short posts along with the lack of time/energy. I never want anyone reading my blog to feel that I am not happy with my decision to get this implant. It is absolutely the BEST thing I have ever done for myself. It will take lots of work but I am willing to do whatever in necessary to get to where I want to be... a hearing person again.
Friday, February 24, 2012
I guess it's time for an update. I went back to my audie on the 13th for my first real mapping. The last time was just to give me more volume. Funny how these things work. When she first turned it on, everything was so loud but soon settled down. As your brain get use to the "noise" you suddenly need more volume. My first week I had 3 programs, all the same except for more volume on each. I quickly went through those and on my next appointment it was more of the same. This time I only made it to program 2 and had to turn it down just a bit. So now the volume is settled, it's time for the fun to begin.
I thought I had really done my homework and was going to help my audie to figure out what settings were best for me. I was disappointed with that. She basically said it was all normal and would come in time. I think my mapping could be better but I'm not real sure either. She spent most of the time putting together my new processor and getting it programmed. I have been told to be patient that it takes time to get use to a new mapping but I really have not noticed much change.
Voices now have an echo sound to them. I remember when I was first activated voices were clear and crisp but now I am wondering if that was the case or if hearing voices for the first time in 2 years was so exciting maybe I just thought it was better. I wish I knew for sure...
I am thrilled to be back among the hearing world in spite of not having it all yet. I am hearing more and more at work. Things don't sound "normal" but I am able to hear them for which I am grateful. It will take time but eventually things will start sounding more normal. Road noise has been bad in the car. I noticed this week that it is starting to settle down a bit. I am picking up more and more from the television and radio when it is talk. Music sounds horrible but I am working on that. I have listened to all kinds of music seeing what sounded best. Some I can identify and some not. I went with what I could and have listened over and over. It is improving but it will be a long time I'm afraid before music sounds like music.
I thought I had really done my homework and was going to help my audie to figure out what settings were best for me. I was disappointed with that. She basically said it was all normal and would come in time. I think my mapping could be better but I'm not real sure either. She spent most of the time putting together my new processor and getting it programmed. I have been told to be patient that it takes time to get use to a new mapping but I really have not noticed much change.
Voices now have an echo sound to them. I remember when I was first activated voices were clear and crisp but now I am wondering if that was the case or if hearing voices for the first time in 2 years was so exciting maybe I just thought it was better. I wish I knew for sure...
I am thrilled to be back among the hearing world in spite of not having it all yet. I am hearing more and more at work. Things don't sound "normal" but I am able to hear them for which I am grateful. It will take time but eventually things will start sounding more normal. Road noise has been bad in the car. I noticed this week that it is starting to settle down a bit. I am picking up more and more from the television and radio when it is talk. Music sounds horrible but I am working on that. I have listened to all kinds of music seeing what sounded best. Some I can identify and some not. I went with what I could and have listened over and over. It is improving but it will be a long time I'm afraid before music sounds like music.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Getting Better Everyday :)
This implant is incredible! I can't wait til the day I have 2.
It is so hard to describe but I will give it a shot. Voices and speech are perfect. Clear and crisp, nothing like what I got from a hearing aid. I could not ask for better with that but there are things I can and can not hear. I wish I could give you all the technical stuff but I will just have to go with the basics. My natural hearing has all been bypassed so what I am getting is digital hearing. It takes time for my brain to comprehend what it is hearing. It's not a struggle like it was with hearing aids, it's more like it's not there.... then it is! This is true for environmental sounds but music is a whole other story which I will get to in a minute. Work is a great example of this. I work in a very noisy plant. Lots of machinery, warning alarms, PA system and banging going on. I thought work would be a real problem for me but I am finding that is not the case! The first day of work with my implant, there were lots of things I could not hear. I did not hear the PA system at all or the warning alarms. I am now hearing them! More and more the hearing world is coming into view for me. :)
The television is getting better. I am getting to where I can understand a lot of it but I have to really pay attention. The radio is getting better as well as long as it is talk. Music is the tough one but with lots of practice I will be hearing that too. It sounds horrible right now. It is so bad I have to force myself to listen. Since it has been so long since I have been able to hear music, I have no idea what radio stations are even out there. LOL So in my car I hit the scan button until it lands on something and I listen. I have not been able to tell if I am listening to country, rock 'n' roll or that hip hop stuff I don't like! Now that is frustrating. Can you imagine me sitting there listening to hip hop trying to understand something I really don't want to? LOL I did get a surprise the other day when I was sitting there listening and finally recognized the beat. It was an old Elton John song. Wow! It still sounded horrible but at least I could tell what it was. The more I listen the better it gets. I will soon be investing in a music listening device. The day will come that I can enjoy music again, I just have lots of work to do to get there.
It is so hard to describe but I will give it a shot. Voices and speech are perfect. Clear and crisp, nothing like what I got from a hearing aid. I could not ask for better with that but there are things I can and can not hear. I wish I could give you all the technical stuff but I will just have to go with the basics. My natural hearing has all been bypassed so what I am getting is digital hearing. It takes time for my brain to comprehend what it is hearing. It's not a struggle like it was with hearing aids, it's more like it's not there.... then it is! This is true for environmental sounds but music is a whole other story which I will get to in a minute. Work is a great example of this. I work in a very noisy plant. Lots of machinery, warning alarms, PA system and banging going on. I thought work would be a real problem for me but I am finding that is not the case! The first day of work with my implant, there were lots of things I could not hear. I did not hear the PA system at all or the warning alarms. I am now hearing them! More and more the hearing world is coming into view for me. :)
The television is getting better. I am getting to where I can understand a lot of it but I have to really pay attention. The radio is getting better as well as long as it is talk. Music is the tough one but with lots of practice I will be hearing that too. It sounds horrible right now. It is so bad I have to force myself to listen. Since it has been so long since I have been able to hear music, I have no idea what radio stations are even out there. LOL So in my car I hit the scan button until it lands on something and I listen. I have not been able to tell if I am listening to country, rock 'n' roll or that hip hop stuff I don't like! Now that is frustrating. Can you imagine me sitting there listening to hip hop trying to understand something I really don't want to? LOL I did get a surprise the other day when I was sitting there listening and finally recognized the beat. It was an old Elton John song. Wow! It still sounded horrible but at least I could tell what it was. The more I listen the better it gets. I will soon be investing in a music listening device. The day will come that I can enjoy music again, I just have lots of work to do to get there.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Hearing For A Week Now...
I have wanted to update this almost daily but with the crazy hours I have been working I just have not had the energy to do so. Lots has happened...
Initial activation was so much more than I ever expected! Voices were clear and crisp. Perfect in fact so it was easy to think "this was an instant fix" but not really. I went to work Friday after activation on Thursday and it was so neat! I could hear all voices! One voice at a time was perfect but get more talking and it was difficult but I could hear them. Some people at work I could not lip read at all so for 2 years I simply could not talk to them without someone else telling me what they said. This in itself was heaven! Then I started discovering the things I can not hear yet. Warning sounds on the machines are too high pitched so when they go off, my processor shuts down for a few seconds. My audie tells me this is a safety feature and will get better as my brain learns to hear again. My brain really has its work cut out for it. LOL
The things I hear is so amazing to me. I can hear the slightest of things. I have discovered the dog across the street is a real nuisance! I hear his barking inside my house. My cat is really wondering what is going on as well. LOL Before he could do whatever he wanted and I was oblivious to any of it but now, I hear him! He is very loud when eating, something I will have to get use to. Only having a CI in one ear makes it hard to localize where the sound is coming from. So when I hear him pounching from one place to another, I am looking all over to find him to see what he is up to this time. LOL
I often go through the drive thru on my way to work to get a drink. I have never been able to tell if anyone is there or not so I'd pull up, wait a few seconds and tell them what I wanted. Drive up to the window not knowing if they got my order or not. Now, I can hear when they ask for my order!! So neat. I don't understand what all they are saying but at least I know someone is there! I always preferred the drive thru even though I didn't know if they got my order or not. It was easier than going inside not knowing if I would understand the person. I always hated going in and facing someone to discover I had no idea what they were saying. I feel so liberated! I have a choice now, I can go in and talk to them or I can drive thru.
I am listening to the television a lot. I don't understand most of it but I am getting words here and there. I am still a work in progress. Music sounds horrible but I will soon start working on that. My brain has lots of work ahead. I have not heard music in so long that I don't even know what stations are on the radio. I have been listening to talk radio in the car which I am getting words here and there too. I try to get enough to at least figure out what they are talking about. There are exercises online I have been doing. The first time I tried, it was very difficult. I was hearing speech so well it surprised me. Basically they say a 4 word sentence and I click on the words they used. It has gotten easier so I know my brain is catching on. I have found the female voices are easier than male. Also one week later, the voices are not as sharp and crisp as they were at initial activation.
I have also had a few equipment problems. The equipment itself is fine but not practical for me. The BTE is definitely not for me! I have discovered I have small ears. LOL There is not enough room for the BTE and my glasses. Along with an incision that is still tender, it has not been a good week as far as this is concerned. I tried all the remedies to help with this but nothing worked. I have been so looking forward to my appointment yesterday to get the Neptune so I could get this processor off my ear. I was disappointed to find out my Neptune was not there. :( My audie did come up with another option! Bless her heart! She loaned me a kinderclip which I can put the BTE in and clip it elsewhere. She only had one cord which is short so it limits where I can clip it. As I told her "I will make it work". I happily have my Harmony clipped in my hair! My ear is happy, I can hear.... enough said!
To say I am happy with my implant would be a HUGE understatement! I have been given my life back. The is without a doubt the BEST thing that has ever been given to me excluding my family of course. I will continue to update my progress and look forward to the day I can report I am hearing everything and I will! :)
Initial activation was so much more than I ever expected! Voices were clear and crisp. Perfect in fact so it was easy to think "this was an instant fix" but not really. I went to work Friday after activation on Thursday and it was so neat! I could hear all voices! One voice at a time was perfect but get more talking and it was difficult but I could hear them. Some people at work I could not lip read at all so for 2 years I simply could not talk to them without someone else telling me what they said. This in itself was heaven! Then I started discovering the things I can not hear yet. Warning sounds on the machines are too high pitched so when they go off, my processor shuts down for a few seconds. My audie tells me this is a safety feature and will get better as my brain learns to hear again. My brain really has its work cut out for it. LOL
The things I hear is so amazing to me. I can hear the slightest of things. I have discovered the dog across the street is a real nuisance! I hear his barking inside my house. My cat is really wondering what is going on as well. LOL Before he could do whatever he wanted and I was oblivious to any of it but now, I hear him! He is very loud when eating, something I will have to get use to. Only having a CI in one ear makes it hard to localize where the sound is coming from. So when I hear him pounching from one place to another, I am looking all over to find him to see what he is up to this time. LOL
I often go through the drive thru on my way to work to get a drink. I have never been able to tell if anyone is there or not so I'd pull up, wait a few seconds and tell them what I wanted. Drive up to the window not knowing if they got my order or not. Now, I can hear when they ask for my order!! So neat. I don't understand what all they are saying but at least I know someone is there! I always preferred the drive thru even though I didn't know if they got my order or not. It was easier than going inside not knowing if I would understand the person. I always hated going in and facing someone to discover I had no idea what they were saying. I feel so liberated! I have a choice now, I can go in and talk to them or I can drive thru.
I am listening to the television a lot. I don't understand most of it but I am getting words here and there. I am still a work in progress. Music sounds horrible but I will soon start working on that. My brain has lots of work ahead. I have not heard music in so long that I don't even know what stations are on the radio. I have been listening to talk radio in the car which I am getting words here and there too. I try to get enough to at least figure out what they are talking about. There are exercises online I have been doing. The first time I tried, it was very difficult. I was hearing speech so well it surprised me. Basically they say a 4 word sentence and I click on the words they used. It has gotten easier so I know my brain is catching on. I have found the female voices are easier than male. Also one week later, the voices are not as sharp and crisp as they were at initial activation.
I have also had a few equipment problems. The equipment itself is fine but not practical for me. The BTE is definitely not for me! I have discovered I have small ears. LOL There is not enough room for the BTE and my glasses. Along with an incision that is still tender, it has not been a good week as far as this is concerned. I tried all the remedies to help with this but nothing worked. I have been so looking forward to my appointment yesterday to get the Neptune so I could get this processor off my ear. I was disappointed to find out my Neptune was not there. :( My audie did come up with another option! Bless her heart! She loaned me a kinderclip which I can put the BTE in and clip it elsewhere. She only had one cord which is short so it limits where I can clip it. As I told her "I will make it work". I happily have my Harmony clipped in my hair! My ear is happy, I can hear.... enough said!
To say I am happy with my implant would be a HUGE understatement! I have been given my life back. The is without a doubt the BEST thing that has ever been given to me excluding my family of course. I will continue to update my progress and look forward to the day I can report I am hearing everything and I will! :)
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Activation Update..
That was a brief activation post but honestly I was exhausted. I was put on nights at work (which I don't mind at all) so my early morning appointments no longer work as well. I only got a couple of hours sleep before going to activation and then needed to stay up all day to go back to mornings at work for Friday and Saturday.
So much has happen in the past 2 days it is hard to get it all together. Voices are wonderful if I am paying attention. If you speak a distance from me then it is harder if I don't know you are speaking to me. I have so much to learn yet. This experience is both thrilling and challenging. A good example of this is what happened to me yesterday afternoon once I got home from work. I have turned on sound again to the television, computer etc. so all these sounds are new. I can hear the television and pick up a word here and there but not good yet. It will get better. After work I was sitting here at the computer and I kept hearing "tones" but I couldn't figure out what it was. It was like 3 or 4 tones in a row almost like a warning beep. I thought at first it was coming from my processor and it was trying to warn me about something but I had no clue what. I thought at one point it might be the computer making tones as I was doing things but that wasn't it either. It turned out to be my cell phone! I had a text message. :-) I have never heard that before! How neat!
I am amazed at the things I can hear already. We have these large birds in our neighborhood that make a very loud noise. I was inside and could hear them about 50 feet from my house! There are some pitches I am not hearing at all but that will all change once my brain figures this all out. I had a friend come over last evening and it was so neat to be able to sit outside (not much light) and be able to have a conversation with her.
When first activated the audie will set it up and in the 3 program slots have the same program with an increase in volume as you progress. As the brain get use to this, the volume lowers. More and more is added until things start to "settle down". I asked her how long she thought I'd be on program 1 before I needed to switch to 2. Everyone is different so she had no idea but told me it could be in as little as an hour from then but she wanted me on 3 by next Friday when I go back for a "tune up". By Saturday morning I was still on program one and a little concerned not really knowing what to expect. I did notice my voice was calming down a bit so I thought my brain is getting use to hearing my voice! Not what was happening at all. LOL I needed more volume and didn't even know it. I guess my voice is suppose to be loud to me and I will get use to it. A couple of hours after I got to work, someone told me I was talking louder again. I changed to program 2 and that did the trick. My voice was normal again and things did actually sound better. Not having any sound at all for 2 years has made this difficult to judge. A few hours later she told me I was doing it again so I went to program 3. I also had to get my friend to come in and set my television to a comfortable level because I had no idea if it was loud or too soft. I want to practice with the right volume but had no way to know where that is.
Along with still being tired from surgery and work, rehab can be very tiring too. I am trying to take it slow and not over do it. Sometimes harder said than done. I have had my new Kindle "read to me" while following along with the text. I know it doesn't sound that difficult but it proved harder than I thought it would be. I have my car radio on a talk radio station so anytime I go somewhere I am listening. Most of that sounds like mush but I am hearing certain words here and there. I try to put enough together to at least figure out what the discussion is about. LOL I also went to an online site set up for rehab that was nice. Again much harder than I thought but on the easiest settings I scored 88% my first time. :) Granted, some of it was guessing but I will take that for my first try.
Today is only day 3 and I see improvements everyday. Hearing my cell phone, a knock at the door. I don't think speech can get any better. It sounds normal to me but then again, I'm not a good judge of things right now and could be wrong. Road noise sounds like static and that is annoying but I know it will get better in time.
The new theme in my life.... "What's that noise?" :-)
So much has happen in the past 2 days it is hard to get it all together. Voices are wonderful if I am paying attention. If you speak a distance from me then it is harder if I don't know you are speaking to me. I have so much to learn yet. This experience is both thrilling and challenging. A good example of this is what happened to me yesterday afternoon once I got home from work. I have turned on sound again to the television, computer etc. so all these sounds are new. I can hear the television and pick up a word here and there but not good yet. It will get better. After work I was sitting here at the computer and I kept hearing "tones" but I couldn't figure out what it was. It was like 3 or 4 tones in a row almost like a warning beep. I thought at first it was coming from my processor and it was trying to warn me about something but I had no clue what. I thought at one point it might be the computer making tones as I was doing things but that wasn't it either. It turned out to be my cell phone! I had a text message. :-) I have never heard that before! How neat!
I am amazed at the things I can hear already. We have these large birds in our neighborhood that make a very loud noise. I was inside and could hear them about 50 feet from my house! There are some pitches I am not hearing at all but that will all change once my brain figures this all out. I had a friend come over last evening and it was so neat to be able to sit outside (not much light) and be able to have a conversation with her.
When first activated the audie will set it up and in the 3 program slots have the same program with an increase in volume as you progress. As the brain get use to this, the volume lowers. More and more is added until things start to "settle down". I asked her how long she thought I'd be on program 1 before I needed to switch to 2. Everyone is different so she had no idea but told me it could be in as little as an hour from then but she wanted me on 3 by next Friday when I go back for a "tune up". By Saturday morning I was still on program one and a little concerned not really knowing what to expect. I did notice my voice was calming down a bit so I thought my brain is getting use to hearing my voice! Not what was happening at all. LOL I needed more volume and didn't even know it. I guess my voice is suppose to be loud to me and I will get use to it. A couple of hours after I got to work, someone told me I was talking louder again. I changed to program 2 and that did the trick. My voice was normal again and things did actually sound better. Not having any sound at all for 2 years has made this difficult to judge. A few hours later she told me I was doing it again so I went to program 3. I also had to get my friend to come in and set my television to a comfortable level because I had no idea if it was loud or too soft. I want to practice with the right volume but had no way to know where that is.
Along with still being tired from surgery and work, rehab can be very tiring too. I am trying to take it slow and not over do it. Sometimes harder said than done. I have had my new Kindle "read to me" while following along with the text. I know it doesn't sound that difficult but it proved harder than I thought it would be. I have my car radio on a talk radio station so anytime I go somewhere I am listening. Most of that sounds like mush but I am hearing certain words here and there. I try to put enough together to at least figure out what the discussion is about. LOL I also went to an online site set up for rehab that was nice. Again much harder than I thought but on the easiest settings I scored 88% my first time. :) Granted, some of it was guessing but I will take that for my first try.
Today is only day 3 and I see improvements everyday. Hearing my cell phone, a knock at the door. I don't think speech can get any better. It sounds normal to me but then again, I'm not a good judge of things right now and could be wrong. Road noise sounds like static and that is annoying but I know it will get better in time.
The new theme in my life.... "What's that noise?" :-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)