I made the four-hour trek to my younger sister's house for Christmas. I did well with the drive post-implant. I am with my younger sister, my brother in law and several of my nieces and nephews.
One of my nieces sang and played,"I'm Yours," by Jason Mraz for me on her guitar for me. It sounded like music to me for the first time post-implant. We all went to church Christmas Eve. I met the family of two little girls who had been implanted with cochlear implants. They were visiting family in the area. I also met the 18 year old niece of a pastor at the church where I was visiting. She had been implanted since age 7. She is in college now and was visiting her aunt and uncle over the holidays. All three girls do well with their implants.
Listening to the singing at church, I was able to recognize lyrics here and there. I would recognize the familiar Christmas hymns first before recognizing lyrics. Music with several instruments playing at once still doesn't quite sound like music, but I can pick out the keyboards, guitar. Church was noisy. I had a bit of trouble following conversations, but I am not straining to listen. The cochlear implant and sound processor are doing their job.
It started snowing last night. We are experiencing blizzard conditions, and I may not be able to get home tomorrow. We will see what the roads are like.
I have had quality conversation with three of my nieces, and can converse with the entire family without too much trouble. As the ages of my nieces and nephews vary from age 13 to age 6, the conversations vary. I can understand my six year old nephew a lot better than I did when I was wearing two behind the ear hearing aids.
I think I am progressing post-implant quite nicely. My younger sister's house with five of my nieces and nephews, is indeed noisy. They all have techie toys, Wii games, remote controlled cars, so I hear all kinds of beeps, clicks, whirring noises, and even bickering among the kids. Merry Christmas!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
More Sounds, Bone Chilling Cold and some Christmas Enchantment
I can now hear feedback from the subway train operator's public announcement system, shrill braking from buses, trains and trucks. A very high "EEEEEEEE" sound. It has been bitterly cold and windy. I definitely hear the wind. I hear snatches of words and sentences without visual cues. A tiny victory: actually hearing the message to press "five" from the phone menu for renewing prescriptions when dialing my internist's office. It has been one month and three days since the cochlear implant was turned on.
Voices are sounding more "human." A package from a beloved aunt and uncle arrived recently. I opened it, and it was a beautiful glass snow globe which plays "Have yourself a Little Merry Christmas," and I recognized the tune.
My world is still noisy. I can now hear the hinges of my office door squeak as it opens. I can hear someone talking over the speaker phone in the next office, although I cannot understand any of the conversation. I can hear a co-worker pop gum in her mouth while she chews gum. I hear environmental noises outside, and hear people walk up and down the corridor with my door closed. I can hear a person's radio playing Christmas music in the main office when I go upstairs.
I think the reason I am sleeping so soundly at night is because my brain is tired from processing all the new sounds and noise. My brain is finally matching up sound with what it hears. Speech is sounding less disconnected and more connected.
Still, when I think back of my Activation Day, November 11th, when people's voices sounded underwater, my wild and crazy first week of sound, and now, sounds are starting to make sense to me. I am tired, but I am not wiped out or exhausted. What a huge difference from "hearing " with a cochlear implant and "hearing" with hearing aids. The implant and the sound processor continue to do its job.
Technology is so amazing, and hearing with a cochlear implant is such a gift.
Voices are sounding more "human." A package from a beloved aunt and uncle arrived recently. I opened it, and it was a beautiful glass snow globe which plays "Have yourself a Little Merry Christmas," and I recognized the tune.
My world is still noisy. I can now hear the hinges of my office door squeak as it opens. I can hear someone talking over the speaker phone in the next office, although I cannot understand any of the conversation. I can hear a co-worker pop gum in her mouth while she chews gum. I hear environmental noises outside, and hear people walk up and down the corridor with my door closed. I can hear a person's radio playing Christmas music in the main office when I go upstairs.
I think the reason I am sleeping so soundly at night is because my brain is tired from processing all the new sounds and noise. My brain is finally matching up sound with what it hears. Speech is sounding less disconnected and more connected.
Still, when I think back of my Activation Day, November 11th, when people's voices sounded underwater, my wild and crazy first week of sound, and now, sounds are starting to make sense to me. I am tired, but I am not wiped out or exhausted. What a huge difference from "hearing " with a cochlear implant and "hearing" with hearing aids. The implant and the sound processor continue to do its job.
Technology is so amazing, and hearing with a cochlear implant is such a gift.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
A Crowd, Some Conversation, a Hanukkah Celebration
Yesterday evening I participated in a Messianic Hanukkah Celebration. This was my first such invitation to a Hanukkah Celebration. It was also my first time in a social gathering with several people, post-activation. I still am doing some "deaf" behaviors, such as using my vision, lipreading, observing and maybe being a little on the quiet side. Conversations are not always coherent to me, so yes, I lipread. Speech is sounding more "human" to me. I am listening with my cochlear implant, or trying to.
I thought back to my younger sister's analogy of how my brain is "pinging" for sound. It is kind of like this. Words which initially sounded "underwater," "echoey," are starting to connect with my visual picture of lipreading a conversation. The sound is starting to connect with lips moving, if that makes sense.
I found most of my Christmas CD's, with the exception of the N'Sync Christmas CD. I will look some more for that one. I put on Amy Grant's "A Christmas to Remember," and recognized the tune but not the lyrics. I can pick out the instrumentation, whether it is piano, drums, horn, whatever. I hear snatches of song, such as ,"Nat King Cole," but it sounds like Amy Grant with a scratchy voice. I do not know if that is me, or if the CD is dirty or the CD player in the car is dirty or what. People's voices will sound human but "scratchy."
I also think there is some vibrating in the singing - the voice, that is, while listening to various CD's. If one has ever heard opera, you know what I am talking about, whether a voice is soprano, alto, etc. The hearing of vibrating voices in singing is different. It is at a different frequency than I have heard. I also think that I am hearing at "normal" frequencies vs. "amplified" frequencies, like you would with a hearing aid.
I had a good time with friends and liked my first Hanukkah Celebration. I also liked the food and took second helpings, much to my friends' delight. They are a young married couple, and have been married three months. It was a bit disconcerting to see Hebrew/English being recited reading from a smartphone, but I had to remind myself that these people grew up with technology!
I was able to carry on conversations without too much difficulty. If I goofed and didn't understand a word or missed a sentence, that was okay. I was with friends who knew for the most part that I had received a cochlear implant and am getting used to it over time.
I have two more holiday gatherings to go to this month, as well as a retirement party for a coworker who is retiring at the end of this month. I will see how I do in socializing post-activation.
I do have some "off" days with my cochlear implant. I will sometimes have trouble localizing where sound/noise is coming from. My office building has been undergoing extensive renovation, so things can get noisy. I kept hearing this "bam" noise, and kept opening my office door out into the corridor to locate the noise. Nothing. Then I turned and looked out the window, and realized the noise was coming from the construction outside. I felt a little foolish.
Sometimes I will just have to stop, observe, listen, be quiet, in order to figure out where the sound/noise is coming from.
Well, tomorrow is another day post-activation.
I thought back to my younger sister's analogy of how my brain is "pinging" for sound. It is kind of like this. Words which initially sounded "underwater," "echoey," are starting to connect with my visual picture of lipreading a conversation. The sound is starting to connect with lips moving, if that makes sense.
I found most of my Christmas CD's, with the exception of the N'Sync Christmas CD. I will look some more for that one. I put on Amy Grant's "A Christmas to Remember," and recognized the tune but not the lyrics. I can pick out the instrumentation, whether it is piano, drums, horn, whatever. I hear snatches of song, such as ,"Nat King Cole," but it sounds like Amy Grant with a scratchy voice. I do not know if that is me, or if the CD is dirty or the CD player in the car is dirty or what. People's voices will sound human but "scratchy."
I also think there is some vibrating in the singing - the voice, that is, while listening to various CD's. If one has ever heard opera, you know what I am talking about, whether a voice is soprano, alto, etc. The hearing of vibrating voices in singing is different. It is at a different frequency than I have heard. I also think that I am hearing at "normal" frequencies vs. "amplified" frequencies, like you would with a hearing aid.
I had a good time with friends and liked my first Hanukkah Celebration. I also liked the food and took second helpings, much to my friends' delight. They are a young married couple, and have been married three months. It was a bit disconcerting to see Hebrew/English being recited reading from a smartphone, but I had to remind myself that these people grew up with technology!
I was able to carry on conversations without too much difficulty. If I goofed and didn't understand a word or missed a sentence, that was okay. I was with friends who knew for the most part that I had received a cochlear implant and am getting used to it over time.
I have two more holiday gatherings to go to this month, as well as a retirement party for a coworker who is retiring at the end of this month. I will see how I do in socializing post-activation.
I do have some "off" days with my cochlear implant. I will sometimes have trouble localizing where sound/noise is coming from. My office building has been undergoing extensive renovation, so things can get noisy. I kept hearing this "bam" noise, and kept opening my office door out into the corridor to locate the noise. Nothing. Then I turned and looked out the window, and realized the noise was coming from the construction outside. I felt a little foolish.
Sometimes I will just have to stop, observe, listen, be quiet, in order to figure out where the sound/noise is coming from.
Well, tomorrow is another day post-activation.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
A Tune, Snatches Of Words, and Bells
It has been 24 days since I had my cochlear implant "activated." Today I went shopping for some Christmas decorations and small gifts. I went to a Pier One Imports store. When I went inside, Christmas music was playing, and I recognized the tune before the lyrics - the tune was " Jingle Bells," and I distinctly heard the words, "Jingle Bells," and ..."all the way," and for the first time since activation, it sounded somewhat like music. How about that?
Next, I went into a Barnes and Noble bookstore to buy some books. I had a little trouble understanding the cashier when she asked if I wanted to donate a Christmas book for a promotion they were doing. She was talking a bit too fast for me to lipread, although I heard her talking. I asked her to repeat what she said. That tells me while I am listening with my cochlear implant, understanding speech is still challenging. It really is a day to day experience. Speech is sounding more "normal," to me, again, depending on who I talk to, and less echoey. People's voices are sounding more human, and less like hearing someone talk underwater.
I bought a silver wreath made of bells that jingle from Williams-Sonoma, and hung the wreath on the door leading to my basement. Since the TV is down there, as well as my laundry room, the door wreath will "jingle" every time that door is opened. Years ago, I bought a door ornament with bells that you hang on your door. I will hang that on the inside of my front door.
I misplaced my Christmas CD's. I am looking for the CD's. I especially want to listen to a Christmas CD that was recorded by N'Sync when they were a popular group. I loved listening to the harmony of their songs. I also want to play a Christmas CD or two by Amy Grant. I have been an Amy Grant fan since she first started singing. I'm curious to hear what the CD's sound like now. I also like Michael W. Smith. There are other Christian rock groups I listen to as well.
I even picked up Jackie Evancho's new CD. I know she sings really high notes, but I want to see if I can hear high frequencies at all. I think I am hearing some things at high frequencies, but I have to have someone identify that particular sound "flavor," because I won't always recognize the sound.
Still, when I think back to my last encounter with a cashier in a Barnes and Noble bookstore, before my cochlear implant surgery, to where I am now, post-cochlear implant and post-activation, this is progress!
Next, I went into a Barnes and Noble bookstore to buy some books. I had a little trouble understanding the cashier when she asked if I wanted to donate a Christmas book for a promotion they were doing. She was talking a bit too fast for me to lipread, although I heard her talking. I asked her to repeat what she said. That tells me while I am listening with my cochlear implant, understanding speech is still challenging. It really is a day to day experience. Speech is sounding more "normal," to me, again, depending on who I talk to, and less echoey. People's voices are sounding more human, and less like hearing someone talk underwater.
I bought a silver wreath made of bells that jingle from Williams-Sonoma, and hung the wreath on the door leading to my basement. Since the TV is down there, as well as my laundry room, the door wreath will "jingle" every time that door is opened. Years ago, I bought a door ornament with bells that you hang on your door. I will hang that on the inside of my front door.
I misplaced my Christmas CD's. I am looking for the CD's. I especially want to listen to a Christmas CD that was recorded by N'Sync when they were a popular group. I loved listening to the harmony of their songs. I also want to play a Christmas CD or two by Amy Grant. I have been an Amy Grant fan since she first started singing. I'm curious to hear what the CD's sound like now. I also like Michael W. Smith. There are other Christian rock groups I listen to as well.
I even picked up Jackie Evancho's new CD. I know she sings really high notes, but I want to see if I can hear high frequencies at all. I think I am hearing some things at high frequencies, but I have to have someone identify that particular sound "flavor," because I won't always recognize the sound.
Still, when I think back to my last encounter with a cashier in a Barnes and Noble bookstore, before my cochlear implant surgery, to where I am now, post-cochlear implant and post-activation, this is progress!
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