My Remote froze on Saturday evening, for the second time. When I reached Cochlear America customer service today, the technician walked me through the process of restarting it. So it is functioning again at this point. He said that if this happens a third time, they will send me a new remote.
I did not panic this time because I realized that my CI was still able to work, although I did not know how to switch its programs without the remote. That did not seem to be a major problem. I believe my CI stayed in the Noise Program from Saturday evening until this afternoon, but I heard well and was not bothered by the difference.
I finally figured out how to us my Kindle the way I had originally intended to: listening to the book while having the pages open in front of me so that I can look if I need to. I need to buy regular books (with words and pages), not Audible books (without words or pages). Then I need to use the Text to Voice mechanism on the Kindle to have the book read to me. I'll try that out as soon as I finish listening to The Help and understanding as much as I can without seeing any of the words. I am nowhere near 100% in that endeavor. In fact, I am struggling to follow the story.
I still find the telephone a challenge. I can hear, and I have had successful conversations on my cell phone, but when I am seated at my desk I still tend to look at the captions. I think they have become a kind of crutch for me and I need to wean myself off of them and try to focus on what I am hearing, not what I am seeing. I'm working on that.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
On to a new stage
Today I met with my audiologist again. She tested my comprehension (soundfield testing). Her comment to me when it was all over was that I am doing amazingly well. To have my scores at this stage (2 months after implant) is terrific. For those who will know what the percentage scores mean, I reached 91% in quiet, 59% in some noise, and 34% in lots of noise. For the monosyllables, I was at 72% for words, and 85% for phonemes. The bottom line is that I am supposed to continue doing what I have been doing, practicing everything I've been practicing, and not see her again until May, unless a problem arises. She believes I will continue to have improvement.
So I think I will do much less frequent posting to my blog. I don't think there will be that much to say.
To bring you a bit more up to date, though, I have been listening to music with my music program and with my regular program, and I have come to the conclusion that I do better with my regular program. My audiologist said that makes sense to her. To add more particulars, I have listened to Tom Paxton, Gordon Lightfoot, Joan Baez, and Judy Collins (from the sixties folk music scene) and enjoyed all their songs. I was familiar with all those I listened to. I also listened to Hadda Brooks and to the songs Jodie Picoult wrote to go with her new book, Sing You Home. I was somewhat familiar with those. I also listened to the sound track from The English Patient. For all those I must say I was very successful. The music sounded very much like it did when I had normal hearing. However, when I tried Chris Botti, I found the trumpet sounds very tinny and weird. Furthermore, when I listened to a classical CD featuring Midori (the violinist), I did not succeed. I could not find the high notes and so it was sort of like a mishmosh. When I was watching my hearing disappear earlier in my life, it was a violinist's high notes that made that change clearest to me. During one chamber music concert, for example, when the violinist took the solo part, it was totally like a pantomime to me. I heard nothing, but I could see her gesturing wildly.
I was also able to understand an interview my daughter had had before my CI was activated, that I couldn't understand when it was live. I played the taped version last night and could understand everything that was said: Brian Lehrer speaking directly from the studio, my daughter on the phone from a hotel in Chicago to the studio in NYC, and listeners on a variety of other phones. I was very happy.
In fact, in general I am very happy. I can barely believe how well I can understand at this point and I am extremely thankful for all those who helped me get here.
So I think I will do much less frequent posting to my blog. I don't think there will be that much to say.
To bring you a bit more up to date, though, I have been listening to music with my music program and with my regular program, and I have come to the conclusion that I do better with my regular program. My audiologist said that makes sense to her. To add more particulars, I have listened to Tom Paxton, Gordon Lightfoot, Joan Baez, and Judy Collins (from the sixties folk music scene) and enjoyed all their songs. I was familiar with all those I listened to. I also listened to Hadda Brooks and to the songs Jodie Picoult wrote to go with her new book, Sing You Home. I was somewhat familiar with those. I also listened to the sound track from The English Patient. For all those I must say I was very successful. The music sounded very much like it did when I had normal hearing. However, when I tried Chris Botti, I found the trumpet sounds very tinny and weird. Furthermore, when I listened to a classical CD featuring Midori (the violinist), I did not succeed. I could not find the high notes and so it was sort of like a mishmosh. When I was watching my hearing disappear earlier in my life, it was a violinist's high notes that made that change clearest to me. During one chamber music concert, for example, when the violinist took the solo part, it was totally like a pantomime to me. I heard nothing, but I could see her gesturing wildly.
I was also able to understand an interview my daughter had had before my CI was activated, that I couldn't understand when it was live. I played the taped version last night and could understand everything that was said: Brian Lehrer speaking directly from the studio, my daughter on the phone from a hotel in Chicago to the studio in NYC, and listeners on a variety of other phones. I was very happy.
In fact, in general I am very happy. I can barely believe how well I can understand at this point and I am extremely thankful for all those who helped me get here.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
A shift in gears
Today I shifted gears with my listening practice. I decided that I am wasting my time listening to the ESL stories because I can understand more than 98% of what they say. So I brought back my Kindle with The Help as an audio book and started listening--without any words in front of me. The narrator speaks with a Southern Black dialect and I cannot understand every word but I am able to follow much of what she says. (I did read the book about nine months ago so I know the basic story.) I believe that if I continue to listen to this story without reading any of it I will improve my comprehension. So that's my plan.
Last night I attended a board meeting for an organization I am active in. There are usually between 10 and 15 people at these meetings. For the last year or so I have spent much of my time at these meetings frantically looking around the table to see who is speaking. I have had no chance at understanding much of what was being said and so I have volunteered little on my own. Well, last night I understood almost everything that was said, even from a man whose face was full of beard. That was a major improvement.
I'm working on using my land line with my CI. I find I can hear some of what's said when I hold the receiver slightly above my CI. Doing that and looking at my captions means that I can just carry on a conversation, not very smoothly, but I can just about do it--with a few requests for repeats. I do find that the quality of my conversations on my cell phone vary, too. Sometimes I just need to turn around a bit to make the contact better but sometimes it is just not as easy as at other times and I don't know why. Perhaps I'll figure it out over time. Meanwhile I am practicing using the phone a lot.
Last night I attended a board meeting for an organization I am active in. There are usually between 10 and 15 people at these meetings. For the last year or so I have spent much of my time at these meetings frantically looking around the table to see who is speaking. I have had no chance at understanding much of what was being said and so I have volunteered little on my own. Well, last night I understood almost everything that was said, even from a man whose face was full of beard. That was a major improvement.
I'm working on using my land line with my CI. I find I can hear some of what's said when I hold the receiver slightly above my CI. Doing that and looking at my captions means that I can just carry on a conversation, not very smoothly, but I can just about do it--with a few requests for repeats. I do find that the quality of my conversations on my cell phone vary, too. Sometimes I just need to turn around a bit to make the contact better but sometimes it is just not as easy as at other times and I don't know why. Perhaps I'll figure it out over time. Meanwhile I am practicing using the phone a lot.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Wonder of wonder, miracle of miracles
Last night I tried talking on a regular cell phone. It worked!!! With my CI side, I understood what my fast-talking daughter on the other coast was saying to me! Then I called at least another dozen people and understood them all. Yes, each one sounded like Minnie Mouse, but I could comprehend almost all of what each one said. I could not believe it. I am thrilled beyond belief! I feel a new-found freedom.
I was pressed to try the cell phone because my computer system was down, and with it my captioned phones. So I felt I couldn't talk on the phone and I couldn't get the emails I thought were trying to reach me, several of them very important. I also couldn't practice listening. Then I remembered that my audi had said on Friday that for phone use, cell phones would probably work best. So I used my husband's to call him here in the house and could hear him. Then I went on to the greater world. I had trouble stopping!
I had a couple of other newsworthy events yesterday. I walked to the dentist's and I think I heard birds chirping as I was walking. When I was there my dentist donned his mask, of course, and I was able to understand everything he said anyway. I am making amazing progress.
I was pressed to try the cell phone because my computer system was down, and with it my captioned phones. So I felt I couldn't talk on the phone and I couldn't get the emails I thought were trying to reach me, several of them very important. I also couldn't practice listening. Then I remembered that my audi had said on Friday that for phone use, cell phones would probably work best. So I used my husband's to call him here in the house and could hear him. Then I went on to the greater world. I had trouble stopping!
I had a couple of other newsworthy events yesterday. I walked to the dentist's and I think I heard birds chirping as I was walking. When I was there my dentist donned his mask, of course, and I was able to understand everything he said anyway. I am making amazing progress.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
More progress
Last night we went to the movies. Before my CI, we had almost totally stopped going to any movie theater that did not offer a captioned film. So last night was an experiment. We saw The Iron Lady and both of us were blown away by Meryl Streep's performance. I understood almost everything that was said on screen and a lot of what was said from off the parameters of the screen itself. That was a huge improvement!
Then this morning I initiated a conversation with a stranger in the ladies room at our gym. It didn't occur to me how unusual that was until I was well into the conversation. Then I realized that I had been avoiding conversations like that because I could not understand much of what was said and often didn't want to explain that I had a hearing problem. I felt like I was coming out of my shell. That, too, is progress.
One other observation, on the rong-chang listening practice website, I noticed that some of the stories were being read by the familiar female reader but that they sounded as if she were speaking down a tunnel or through a microphone. They were more difficult for me to understand completely. I needed to listen to some a second time and occasionally even to look at some of the words before I could understand them via hearing.
That's the latest.
Then this morning I initiated a conversation with a stranger in the ladies room at our gym. It didn't occur to me how unusual that was until I was well into the conversation. Then I realized that I had been avoiding conversations like that because I could not understand much of what was said and often didn't want to explain that I had a hearing problem. I felt like I was coming out of my shell. That, too, is progress.
One other observation, on the rong-chang listening practice website, I noticed that some of the stories were being read by the familiar female reader but that they sounded as if she were speaking down a tunnel or through a microphone. They were more difficult for me to understand completely. I needed to listen to some a second time and occasionally even to look at some of the words before I could understand them via hearing.
That's the latest.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Learning more
I found a terrific site for practicing listening. It is a program for people trying to learn English as a second language, and it is perfect for new CI users. It is http://www.rong-chang.com. Scrolling down the main page, you can find stories grouped by level of complexity. I started at low intermediate (I think) and am listening to one story after another. I find that I can understand almost everything without looking at the text, which is there in front of me. There are female and male readers, both of whom enunciate well. It is a great "find." In addition, when I go back in, after a pause of some kind, I can pick up where I left off. The titles change color when I have listened to those stories.
Talk about listening, my audi tested my ability to hear sounds via my CI. She wanted me to score between 40 and 15 db; I scored between 30 and 10, well into the "normal hearing" range. She was happy and I am thrilled!
She also recommended another practice site. It is The Listening Room, a service of Advanced Bionics. It comes up via a Google search. I haven't tried it yet.
I do find that my hearing deteriorates when I am tired, which I still am more than normal. That deterioration is typical, I understand. I am still bugged by a sore spot on the back of my ear, where the processor battery sits and probably rubs. I am going to try to alleviate that soreness with mole skin. I'll let you know if it helps.
I learned today that my remote does not turn itself off. The processor does. So I must remember to shut it down when I don't need it, like overnight or when it is stashed away in my purse or somewhere.
So here I am, two weeks after activation, absolutely amazed at all I can hear and understand. What a gift this CI is!
Talk about listening, my audi tested my ability to hear sounds via my CI. She wanted me to score between 40 and 15 db; I scored between 30 and 10, well into the "normal hearing" range. She was happy and I am thrilled!
She also recommended another practice site. It is The Listening Room, a service of Advanced Bionics. It comes up via a Google search. I haven't tried it yet.
I do find that my hearing deteriorates when I am tired, which I still am more than normal. That deterioration is typical, I understand. I am still bugged by a sore spot on the back of my ear, where the processor battery sits and probably rubs. I am going to try to alleviate that soreness with mole skin. I'll let you know if it helps.
I learned today that my remote does not turn itself off. The processor does. So I must remember to shut it down when I don't need it, like overnight or when it is stashed away in my purse or somewhere.
So here I am, two weeks after activation, absolutely amazed at all I can hear and understand. What a gift this CI is!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Some observations and experiences
Today was beautiful, sunny and in the mid-60s, so we went out walking. I noticed that when the wind blew, the static sound--similar to what you hear when someone blows directly into a microphone--in my CI was much less overbearing than it had been in my hearing aids. I had wondered how that would be. I'm happy with my new knowledge.
I find that so far I can enjoy classical music better with my regular program than with my "music" program and that classical is much better, more normal, than jazz. The jazz seems to be much more distorted and whiney or tinny in the higher notes. With my regular program I am now able to understand most of the banter on our public radio station and to enjoy the classical music. That's a huge improvement!
I did have an adventure yesterday. When trying to switch programs via my remote, it refused to respond. It stayed black. I put it back into the charger, thinking that maybe the overnight charge had not taken, and left it there for a while. It became fully charged quickly and when I unplugged it, it did open up properly but very quickly it died again, turned black, and refused to respond. I emailed my audi in a panic. Responding quickly, she made one brief suggestion and then said that if I still had trouble I should get hold of Cochlear customer support. I did that and the Cochlear employee walked me through a basic restart of my remote. That worked and I have not had any further problems with it...yet.
One thing I learned during this process was that I was not turning the remote off correctly; rather I was waiting for it to turn itself off, as it does after a few seconds of inactivity. I don't know if that was causing a problem. A second thing I learned was the difference between "tapping" and "holding" the Cochlear button.
Next task: listening practice.
I find that so far I can enjoy classical music better with my regular program than with my "music" program and that classical is much better, more normal, than jazz. The jazz seems to be much more distorted and whiney or tinny in the higher notes. With my regular program I am now able to understand most of the banter on our public radio station and to enjoy the classical music. That's a huge improvement!
I did have an adventure yesterday. When trying to switch programs via my remote, it refused to respond. It stayed black. I put it back into the charger, thinking that maybe the overnight charge had not taken, and left it there for a while. It became fully charged quickly and when I unplugged it, it did open up properly but very quickly it died again, turned black, and refused to respond. I emailed my audi in a panic. Responding quickly, she made one brief suggestion and then said that if I still had trouble I should get hold of Cochlear customer support. I did that and the Cochlear employee walked me through a basic restart of my remote. That worked and I have not had any further problems with it...yet.
One thing I learned during this process was that I was not turning the remote off correctly; rather I was waiting for it to turn itself off, as it does after a few seconds of inactivity. I don't know if that was causing a problem. A second thing I learned was the difference between "tapping" and "holding" the Cochlear button.
Next task: listening practice.
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