Sunday, September 23, 2007

Such a dilemma.

As I start this post off, I am sitting in a reclined position because I just had the most delicious culinary experience with turkey mignon wrapped in bacon that was ever so moist partnered with asparagus with a little olive oil (EVOO) and parmesan cheese. It was simply scrumptious. My intention is not to make you salivate and drool as I commit to memory the marriage of flavors that I had tonight, but it is to tell you that I heard the crunch of the asparagus! Who knew they were noisy little botanical vegetables?

This weekend was the first weekend that I was truly bionic. I cannot say I did much because I was trying to acclimate myself to this nonsense noise. When I least expected it I heard things. I discovered places like Costco and Kohl's are noisy. Restaurants with football games on are rowdy. I was a good 50 feet away when I heard this guy yell something footballish.

I went to Pathmark to pick up a few things and I was debating on what kind of frozen corn I should purchase, white or yellow. All of the sudden I heard a man talking which I felt like it was RIGHT next to me. I looked to my left and there was no one there of the male gender. I looked to my right and sure enough, there was a man, a nice looking one at that, talking to his son with the freezer door open about 25 feet away from me. Mind you, I didn’t make out a word he said, just the fact that I heard him was enough for Harmony to get a nice little pat on the magnet.

A similar occurrence happened again when I went to the Halloween store. I was talking to my sick as a dog friend who was helping me brainstorm on what godforsaken costume I should be for Halloween. After trying on six costumes and I was happy with not a one, we decided to roam around. Mind you changing through that many costumes tends to knock a magnet off. We are roaming around looking at all the different decorations, and this man comes around the corner and he is about ten feet away. I heard him as if he was standing right next to me. In all the excitement, I proclaimed to my friend that I heard him and she coughed back, “I can’t”, and she is hearing. I seem to be picking up men, well their voices at least.

At let me see, what else? Ah yes, the desert episode! My mother and I were each having a single serving each of fat free chocolate pudding. My mother was practically digging a hole to china at the bottom of the plastic cup trying to get every bit of it that I heard clear as a bell. It was almost normal.

When the faucet unleashes the fury of water down the drain, I can hear it. It has gotten much louder and pronounced since my activation.

I have started to listen to Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. I can follow along as long as I have the book, otherwise I would be lost.

I have asked my mom to cover up her mouth and say something to me. Let me just say I was way off base. I have my second mapping tomorrow, and I have to turn in my homework to my audiologist. I have to tell her which program I like the best. How do I make a decision like this?

  • The first program I have maxed out the volume. My voice seem like it is at a normal volume. When people talk, or when I am typing on the keyboard with the volume up, it produces this tinkling sound.
  • The second program I can max the volume, but at the same time it comes with a lot of static and no comprehension. Yet, everything that I hear is a comfortable loudness. When I turn it back down that is when I can comprehend something. When people talk, or when I am typing on the keyboard with the volume up, it produces this tinkling sound.
  • The third program I can max the volume but certain sounds appear louder then others. Some sounds come in clearer then others. I feel like I talking extremely loud but apparently, I am not. The tinkling sound likes this program too.
I don’t know what to pick!!!

6 comments:

Jennifer said...

Wow!! It sounds like you're doing great!! I don't think I maxed out my volume until about six months after my activation...I would go back every month and tell her to turn it down some more! I love hearing about all the sounds you're hearing (I can hear most of them now, so it's all good!) While noises might not sound like you remember them, isn't it incredible just to be able to hear them???
This morning in church I had one of those clicky retractable erasers (yes, I'm a geek, and have to have it because I don't have spell check with my automatic pencils ;) ) and was listening to it clicking during church. The preacher was preaching and I was trying to click it as quietly as possible...but still heard it every single time. And Claire was folding paper on my left...I finally had to tell her to cut the racket out because it was making me crazy...WAY loud!
Ain't this journey interesting??
Good luck choosing your favorite program. If you like them all, she can just up the volume on them all, and let you listen to them for another few days! :)

Anonymous said...

Abbie,

My operation for a CI is scheduled for dec 31, as long as I pass the testing phases in November. I have a question. Are you able to carry on a conversation with a person yet? When your Implant was activated were you able to make out what a person was saying to you right away or did it take time? just curious as to what to expect. I know ti may be different with me but I was wondering how soon it will be to understand what a person is saying to me.
thanks for replying and it's great reading your progress.

deafcone

Anonymous said...

I go for my 6th mapping next week and I still go back between programs. I like one in conversations and the other in group setting. It takes time. I have not maxed the volume but I needed more sound. This next mapping I get one of the strategies in stereo(?). Some high resolution programing.
Valerie

Anonymous said...

May I asked why you picked the Harmony? I am curious. I just found out I was a candidate on Friday and I wanted to know all the positive and negatives of each implant.

Also, my favorite part of this post is "a pat on the magnet". That made me smile.

Anonymous said...

Lisa, I picked Advanced bionics Harmony because of the rechargable batteries. I also researched the compnay and felt they would be able to meet my needed. I did not like the med-el design and the other company did not have rechargable batteries. You have to ask what implant your doctor perfers. It is okay to ask.

Lisa said...

I agree. Med-el CIs are pretty ugly looking. I like that the Harmony comes in so many different colors. My doctor/audiologist prefers the Freedom. I think the Freedom comes with both rechargeable and disposable batteries. I need to double check!