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.