I get a phone call, right?

Happy Father’s Day

Yesterday was Father’s day for many countries. Here in Brazil, Father’s day is in mid August. My wife, Loaise, help me set up our notebook computer with some borrowed headphones and I used Skype to call my dad on Father’s day.

Surround Sound!

I set both my CI processor and my hearing aid on telecoil. For me, hearing with the implant is much louder, but with the hearing aid it is a little clearer. Both are changing each week, each one getting better. I am back to the point of experiencing bi-lateral hearing! This is new for me, as I had always been dependent on one ear to hear.

Yes, I can hear you.

My mother answered the phone and my cochlear implant hearing was dominating. I understood her, but did not know who it was until she said it was mom. After a moment, I took off my processor and used just the hearing aid. I was able to understand her without too much repeating.

This is the first phone call I have made since January. Major milestone. I know it was headphones and Skype, and not a traditional phone, but what an experience to talk to someone over the phone again.

My dad got on the phone and I had trouble understanding him with my hearing aid, so I switched my CI processor on again. It was too loud. I asked him to count to 10 while I adjusted the volume on the headphone. Once I got it to a good level, I realized I could understand him better with the CI than the HA.

Alas, the battery on my cochlear implant went dead, so I had to make do with the hearing aid again. My sister was over for a Father’s day visit, so I was able to talk to her for a moment as well, also just with the hearing aid.

Observations

• I understood my mother and my sister better with the hearing aid, but I understood my father better with the implant.
• Because of the perceived volume difference, my cochlear implant dominates when I use both my CI and HA.
• As my hearing gets stronger in my aided ear, and as I progress in the rehab with my implant, I think these levels will get closer together and my ears will work together a bit more.
• I wish I had some headphones with independent volume adjustment for each side.
• I almost gave up before I tried to call. I did not know if I would be able to hear enough and I was scared to try. My wife insisted and I am glad she did.

Progress

In the past two weeks, even with my hearing impairment, I have been able to:

1. Participate in three small-group Bible studies
2. Lead a workshop on Bible storying.
3. Perform a wedding.
4. Moderate a church business meeting.
5. Preach in pulpit supply for a local pastor (four times).
6. Watch a movie at the movie theater and understand it.
7. Take my son and his friend out to eat for my wife to get some down time.
8. Identify several of the songs playing on the car radio.
9. Listen to 5 chapters of the book of John dramatized and understand all of it.
10. Attend the Med-El cochlear implant conference and participate fully.