Hearing in Dolby Surround Sound, Version Two

Well after hearing with my new mappings for four days, I definitely hit the Mother Lode of all mappings. 

It took a very talented audiologist and reading about other CI recipient's dislikes, likes and suggestions. It reinforced the fact that hearing with cochlear implants is totally unlike hearing with hearing aids.

Mistake Number One:  Thinking that increasing VOLUME was going to give me the Dolby Surround Sound effect.  Didn't happen.  Fact was, it made things worse.

Mistake Number Two:  Not asking for 100% T-mic sooner.

The realization that my "hearing memory," consisted of what I remember "hearing" with my hearing aids on or off and not "normal hearing."  I haven't heard "normally," since I was about two years old. 

The realization that I WAS born hearing after reading over medical reports from childhood.

Here's one that was telling.  I was two years old. "Imitates dog barking.  Responds to loud clapping.  Presses ear to television to hear it." If I had been born deaf, I wouldn't have had a hearing memory at all, because you have nothing to draw FROM.

Your brain never forgets to hear.  Hearing Memory is something else all together, and hard to explain. If you are a music lover and buy a luxury car, you are going to have quality stereo sound in that car.  Listening to classical music in your Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, or BMW is going to sound like listening to classical music in a concert hall. I will have to win the lottery before going into a dealership to buy a new Mercedes-Benz, Lexus or BMW.

I was in the kitchen earlier.  I heard a blue jay calling. This time, I not only heard the blue jay calling, I heard the rhythm in the bird song.

I never did like digital hearing aids.  To tell you the truth, I preferred the analog hearing aids.

Many CI users prefer to use mapping programs that are quieter when driving in traffic.

Not me.  When you are driving through eight lanes of asphalt going 55-65 mph, you better believe I want mapping programs that allow me to hear in Dolby Surround Sound.  Absolutely.  I want to hear that 18 wheeler truck 3/4ths of an inch next to my car shifting gears and getting ready to pass lanes BEFORE I see it in my line of vision, especially at 5:30 in the morning.

Last night when I was driving home, I could hear two emergency vehicles a mile away before I saw the sirens.  I knew they were coming in my direction and I wanted to respond appropriately.

If I had been wearing my ancient ten year old digital behind the ear hearing aids, those two emergency vehicles would have had to have been riding my car bumper before I heard it.

Lessons Learned.  Hearing bilaterally with cochlear implants is indeed a process.

It still amazes me at how deaf I am without my cochlear implant processors on.  The fact that I managed to even SUCCEED when I did is phenomenal.

Just Amazing.

An Early Valentine's Present

Today I returned to the Cochlear Center for my one year mapping of my right ear cochlear implant. It is hard to believe I have two cochlear implants.  I have been hearing out of both ears for a year now.

As I am hearing out of both ears, I was in a better position to communicate to my audiologist my likes and dislikes and what I hoped to achieve through "tweaking" the cochlear implant programs.

I wore digital behind the ear hearing aids in both ears for ten years prior to being implanted with cochlear implants.  In spite of the latest digital technology, one of the things I always hated about digital hearing aids vs. analog hearing aids, was that sounds always sounded quieter or "tampered down."  A perfect example is hearing a fire engine or police car siren.  With digital aids, the computer technology would automatically lessen the loudness of the siren.  That always sounded weird.

My particular cochlear implant has a t-mic, a technology patented by the manufacturer.  I had tried several mixes 50/50, 50/70, and so forth and felt that voices and sound quality needed more.  I didn't necessarily need more loudness of sound (a very common mistake of  ex-hearing aid users), but I wanted to hear more SOUND.  

I told my audiologist, I wanted to increase the t-mic to 100%.  After testing my hearing and going through tones, words, sentences, my audiologist had a better idea of what was needed.

She had the doctoral audiology student do the tweaking.  We switched out headpieces, t-mics, to test that the CI processor was working properly.  Then she switched the t-mic to 100%.

I was definitely hearing more sound.  It wasn't loud or sharp.  My audiologist did clapping to see if I had any facial twitches or reacted uncomfortably to sound.  I was fine.

I also had the audiologist remove the t-coil program as I wasn't using it at all and have no need for it.

As I drove home on the interstate, I heard more sound.  What I realized what I was hearing, I was nearly in tears. I could hear the 18-wheeler trucks idling, shifting gears.  I could hear my tires going ta-click over the asphalt. I could hear the rumble of motorcycles.  I could hear wind.  All this through rolled up windows and a "quiet" car.

I recognized a hearing memory.  With the t-mic at 100%, I am hearing what I remember hearing with analog hearing aids, but more sound, not volume.  I am hearing at all frequencies. I am hearing more middle frequencies, and higher frequencies.

Ever watch a movie in Dolby Surround Sound, or watch a movie on a Home Theater System?  THAT is what I am hearing with cochlear implant processors with a 100% t-mic setting.  Sounds are ENHANCED.

I think I hit the Mother Lode with this mapping.  I was so hungry for more SOUND.

Voices are not scratchy anymore.  AMEN to that!  I go back in six months.  I have a feeling I am going to progress by leaps and bounds.

What a precious early Valentine's Day present!

So here's to hearing more sound in Dolby Surround Sound, Stereo, and High Definition!