Program 3, Map 4

Cochlear Implant (Left Ear)

My mappings are progressive. I get one every so often and then I spend a few weeks on each program 1-4 then get a new mapping. Yesterday was the day to switch to program three. I am hearing more, and more far-away things. I am also starting to finally pick up a word or two spoken by a person I am not looking at.

Today when I put gas in the car, I paid with my card. The attendant gave me the little recipt to sign and I was looking down at it when I heard clearly the words "Por favor." (please).

I am sure he was just saying "sign this please." This was the first time I picked up on a word or two that I was not trying to hear. It felt good. It was a little mechanical and donald duck, which made me smile. So, after nearly half a year, I finally made it to donald duck. Hopefully I'll be hearing lots of talking ducks in the coming weeks.

Right Ear (Recently deafened, but returning slowly)

My hearing is faint and even with the hearing aid the cochlear implant hearing overpowers it. This was the case before I went deaf too. When my implant is off, and my hearing aid turned on full. I can understand some words spoken loudly to my ear. There is still some shakiness to the sound. To me my voice sounds just like Barack Obama, deep and full, no matter what I do. My wife said it sounds more like Mike Tyson when I try to hear the difference by speaking higher.

Loud Sounds Now Bearable.

My sensitivity to certain sounds has diminished a bit. Now those loud sounds are still loud, but not quite as loud and not nearly as irritating. For two days I had a terrible headache, probably related to hearing those sounds. My headache is gone and it seems my hearing clarity improved just a little bit. I still struggle to understand more than a word here or there, but I can tell the difference.

I also need to go back to wearing my hearing aid every other day. There is just too much stimulation and change going on for me to adjust daily. My aided hearing is improving as well, but slowly.

Keep me in your prayers. God bless.

Not Quite Right, Loud Sound

In the last couple of days a certain few sounds have become disproportionately loud to me. The clinking sound of dishes hitting together as I wash them is as loud as anything I hear. Dropping a coin on the ground too. Squeaky door creaks sound like trees breaking in half.

My next mapping isnt until late May, so I hope it doesn't get worse. In the mean time, speech recognition continues to improve. Still a ways to go.

Spent the day without CI and HA

Sunday, I took my family to a barbecue with the families of my wife’s company and others with whom she works. I’d put my hearing aid and cochlear implant batteries in my son’s backpack. When when we were just arriving, I heard the warning that the CI battery was out of charge. When I went to get my son’s backpack, I saw that we had taken the other one with us. Oops.

Well, I spent the day not wearing either my hearing aid or implant processor. I just read lips and that was that. I did such a good job of it, that some people didn’t know I was deaf until the end of the day, when I was talking about it. Others, thought my hearing had come back and I didn’t need to use the implant.

It feels good to know that even when I am limited, I don’t have to stay sitting around by my self.

As far as the recovery. Still making slow progress.

Breakthroughs: I think I figured it out.

I call it a breakthrough in my hearing anytime I notice something that I had not noticed before. They happen infrequently, but consistently. I am almost always less enthusiastic the day after a breakthrough. I thought it was just the natural low after a high, or unrealistic expectations, but not any more.

When I have a breakthrough with my cochlear implant hearing, it is because something changed. I always notice the benefits first, and the drawbacks the next day. If a certain sound becomes clearer, another sound becomes annoying to me. It’s a dance.

I’ve had a few breakthroughs recently. I had not written about them, but I need to, so I will now.

• I can listen to an mp3 of someone talking, and depending on the voice, understand 2/3 of it. That is up from a word here or a word there.
• If I am talking face to face with someone, I get it all. As long as I am looking at the person’s face.
• I can identify from the other room, which song from my son’s Thomas & Friends DVD is playing. (The song doesn’t sound right, or even good, but I know which one it is.)
• I can hear from a much greater distance than before. Part of my problem identifying sounds has been not considering things out of sight.
• My non-implanted ear’s hearing is returning to the point that I can understand some sentences when my eyes are closed.
• With some hearing in each ear, I can now identify who is speaking when in a crowded room… sometimes.
• I can understand a good bit of the sermon at church, now, and can follow the train of thought. (I can not look away to read the bible verses, though. I get lost.)

In all, things continue to improve and I am grateful.

Less Repeating Needed.

I had not realized how much I rely on my cochlear implant until I went to get a haircut. I explained to the barber that I am deaf and then answered a few of his questions. I then took off my CI and hearing aid. He said something. I completely missed it. I asked him to repeat. I missed it again. It took four tries.

Though, I still can’t listen to an audio recording and understand it all (at any volume), I am catching lots of words from peoples speech. I’ve found myself looking away briefly and looking back at their lips and not being totally lost.

Speech comprehension is coming! It’s close.

Clearer

Clearer and softer. That is how I would describe the sound of things in the cochlear implant. Making progress. Today I feel much better about it.

Oh, and my young friend who had her activation yesterday went home hearing her family say her name for the first time in her life. She is learning words and repeating what people are saying. Useable hearing from day one after being deaf her whole life. AWESOME!