Saturday, July 28, 2012

A Club and a Heavy Metal Band

Well, all work and no play made me pretty cranky, so a weekend ago a friend and I got in her rental SUV and got out of town. We headed south and about seven hours later arrived at our destination.  We checked into the hotel, freshened up, and headed for the club.  This was my first time hearing any kind of a band "live," bilaterally, with two cochlear implants instead of one.

As in days past, my friend lip-synched the band lyrics for me.  It was loud, but the cochlear implant processors adjusted for that.  I knew the music was loud because the floor and walls were vibrating.  We were near the bar, sitting at a table way in the back away from the band, and I could still hear them.  In between sets I could talk to my friend and heard everything she said in spite of the noise, chatter and people moving about.

I could hear the lyrics, but didn't understand them - but I knew the music and recognized the music first.  I tried an experiment - I took the cochlear processors off and put them on the table to see what I could hear, if anything.
Well, I don't think I am totally deaf, because I could hear the drum set.  That started another conversation - my friend thinks I heard vibrations rather than "sound." 

Still, it was an enjoyable experience, loudness and all. Great bartender and great cranberry and vodka drinks.  I wasn't the designated driver. 

We turned into bed around 2AM and then spent most of the next day driving back home and chatting as my friend drove.

Hearing with two cochlear implants is such a blessing, even with a Heavy Metal Band. 

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Cochlear Implant Brands and the Fine Print

I absolutely LOVE my cochlear implant processors. Every Cochlear Implant Recipient who I have met has been happy with the brand of implant that person chose. 

I am all for freedom of choice and don't believe in what we call "brand bashing."  That said, I am absolutely biased in my opinion that my cochlear implant brand is Number One.  I admit it.

As I am a bilateral cochlear implant recipient, I am blessed to have two sets of cochlear implant processors.  One set is worn behind the ear, much like  traditional behind the ear hearing aids. 

The other processor set, was officially launched with great fanfare in December 2011.  When I had my right ear implanted in February of this year, I was delighted to find out that my health insurance allowed me to order the new processors. These processors are very unconventional and don't look like the traditional cochlear implant processors at all.

The new processors are worn totally off the ear, and are truly waterproof.  The processors are quite popular with adult and children alike.  You can clip the processors to your hair, clothing, bathing suit straps, the waistband of swim trunks. You can wear arm bands and tuck the processors in the arm bands, a swim cap, a headband, or a lanyard.

I love the versatility of the new cochlear implant processors.  As we are having a warm summer, it is nice to remove the behind the ear cochlear implant processors with the rechargeable batteries, plug the batteries into
the charger, put the processors away.

Next, I take out the waterproof processors and insert a disposable AAA battery inside, and clip the processors to my tank top straps. Having cochlear implant processors which operate on disposable batteries come in handy during power outages.

My new processors really and truly ARE waterproof.  At a recent convention, we had a booth promoting the new processors and stuck a processor in a goldfish bowl full of water and left it there.

Talk about a conversation piece!!

Each and every cochlear implant manufacturer licensed to sell cochlear implants and processors in the United States, are going all out to convince people that their particular cochlear implant and processor is the right one.

When a cochlear implant candidate is evaluating cochlear implants, it is imperative that you read the fine print of those glossy brochures.  If you are an adult cochlear implant candidate or a guardian, parent of a cochlear implant candidate, think long and hard about your hearing needs.  If you love the water, love water sports such as water skiing, surfing, swimming, then you want a cochlear implant processor that is TOTALLY waterproof. 

I have lived with deafness for many years.  I was startled to learn of a teenager who is in high school who hated pool parties because he couldn't hear or follow conversation in the pool.  Well, when the totally waterproof cochlear implant processors were launched last December, this teenager was thrilled at the prospect of being able to HEAR in a swimming pool.

Being in a swimming pool and not following a conversation was never an issue for me, as I was always with someone who was used to my deafness and would face me in the pool so I could lipread the conversation.

It makes no sense to me to select a cochlear implant, along with a cochlear implant processor that you cannot totally immerse in water. 

There are trade-offs with each cochlear implant manufacturer.  A big draw for me, when I was evaluating cochlear implants, was the fact that a lot of late-deafened adults were choosing the brand of cochlear implant I eventually chose. That intrigued me. 

I am very happy I chose the cochlear implant brand I have.  It is so important to choose the cochlear implant brand carefully and to talk with cochlear implant recipients.  Read the fine print.  A cochlear implant isn't a device that you can return to the hearing aid dealer or cochlear implant company before the 90 day warranty is up.

A cochlear implant is a lifetime investment.  So choose wisely.

Being a bilateral cochlear implant recipient is such a gift.  I continue to be absolutely stunned at how deaf I am every night when I remove the cochlear implant processors for the night.

Hearing with two cochlear implants is a blessing, noisy world and all.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Listening to Music - Bilaterally

Technology continues to boggle my mind.  After much trial and error, I managed to download songs, albums, favorite songs to my i-pad nano.  I modified my Klipsch earbuds with plastic tubing to accommodate my Behind the Ear Cochlear Implant Processors.

I am plugged in. The scratchiness in lyrics is nearly gone. Music finally sounds like music.

I am hearing music, lyrics in stereo, technicolor, high definition and surround sound!

Cochlear Implants allow me to hear in Dolby Sound.  I finally get it.  Cochlear Implant Processors ARE like a super-sophisticated stereo receiver!

While I have been hearing bilaterally for two months and two weeks, I am not only hearing more in surround sound, I am learning to discriminate sounds more.

You probably think fireworks basically go BOOM!  Fireworks not only go
boom, there are different frequencies of boom! at which the fireworks go off. There are different flavors of firework percussion.  I opted to stay inside on the 4th of July and watch the Macy's Fireworks on TV.

I thought it was really cool to hear Madonna's "Holiday," along with one firework display.  I think I will download that song to my ipod nano.

I also purchased an iphone.  One favoritie notification tune I really like is the rumble of a motorcycle. Everytime I hear my iphone rumble, it is notifying me of a new e-mail or a text. The motorcycle rumble doesn't sound like a rumble of a Harley, but it is good enough!

I haven't tried calling on the iphone just yet.  I plan to do that. I will try it with the Klipsch earbuds in for clarity and see how that test phone call goes.

The other thing that has happened, is that my brain is finally tuning out my co-worker's gum chewing and snapping.  Thank God!

It truly is a brain thing. One of the biggest joys in my life right now is being active in my cochlear implanted community and mentoring to other people who have elected to be implanted with the implants I have.

I still think back to Activation Day, November 11, 2010, and just laugh.
It is a day I will never forget. Hearing with cochlear implants is like hearing with all the colors of the rainbow.  I also think back to the day my surgeon's nurse told me that a cochlear implant would change my life, and laugh again. 

I had no idea and absolutely no clue.  It has turned my life upside down, but in a good way.  With cochlear implants, I am hearing from sun up to sunset. I am still stunned at how deaf I am when I take off my cochlear implant processors at night.

MINDBLOWING!

Hearing bilaterally with Cochlear Implants is such a miracle and a gift for which I thank God for every day.  I may not always faithfully thank Him in prayer each day, but He knows my heart. It is singing.