How is the new ear going?

Well ............ I've had so many conflicting thoughts on how it's going that I've not been able to articulate my progress until now. The second implant is a TOTALLY different experience than the first. This is to be expected I suppose as I was only deaf in my first cochlear ear for three months before the implant. This implant on the other hand is 37 years after going deaf.

So what do I hear? It's very difficult to describe, it's almost like a gong sound, you know, a gong, a big gold metal thing that you hit and it makes that unique sound. So every time I hear a sound in the right ear I get a "gong". Not just the sound either, the vibrations that come with my auditory nerves being stimulated.

So, that's why I don't wear it all the time, it takes a toll on the brain having a gong go off every second so the most I can wear it is a few hours a day. But here is the interesting part, it gets a bit better every day which is really exciting.

I'm also starting to understand what stereo hearing is like - whoa people - it's like sound coming at you from all directions and loud!!! How can you live like that? It's sensory overload!!

This is another reason I can only handle a few hours per day of wearing it, my poor brain is overwhelmed (my brain and I have a unique relationship after going through two cochlear implants together, it's rather miffed at me for putting it through all the stress but always puts in a good effort regardless).

I'm really starting to understand the experience of people who have cochlear implants after many years of being deaf and can understand why some would give up. As my mother (and Uncle Greg as it turns out) says "patience my child".

Scoop Magazine Feature

Check out the magazine feature on the Ear Science Institute Australia in Scoop (a Perth publication).

Ear Science Institute article on single-sided deafness

The Ear Science Institute Australia has written an interesting article on single sided deafness. Worth a read if this is either you, or a friend or family member. This was me years ago.

http://www.esiaimplants.com.au/implantcentre/Hearing-Loss/Single-Sided-Deafness.aspx

You Tube link to switch-on video

For those who can't view my switch on video in the last post, here is the link to You Tube:

Click here to view Jane's video on You Tube.

If that doesn't work, go to You Tube and type in "Jane's Cochlear Implant" and it will take you through to my video.

Thanks for sharing this wonderful experience with me :)

Pictured with Ronel and Carl, my amazing audiologists from the Ear Science Institute Australia .

Switch On!!!!!

Today I had my second implant activated. I couldn't believe that after 37 years of not hearing a single sound I could make out speech within seconds of activation. Watch the video below and I'm sure you'll be able to identify when I hear for the first time in my right ear.

11 Days After My Cochlear Operation

Eleven days after the operation and I'm just starting to feel normal again. Most of the dizziness has gone, the light-headedness has nearly gone, and the pain isn't bad enough to require any medication. I'm still a little tired but it's not too bad. I think I might be on the mend! In three days I will have the external processor attached and switched-on. I'm very nervous about this - nobody, even the experts, really knows what's going to happen. To hear or not to hear, that is the question!!!!

Recovery, recovery, recovery

This is a very slow recovery from the implant surgery for me. My head is finally starting to clear but I've still got sharp pains in the ear and I feel soooooooo tired. I regret going into the surgery stressed and tired (I was so tired I was looking forward to the actual surgery so I could sleep for three hours while they operated!). I've also found it difficult resting at home with the two kids and all the demands that come with them, especially at Christmas time.

Yesterday I had a dentist appointment followed by a Christmas lunch with work. I got home at 3.00pm in the afternoon, went to bed, and couldn't get up until later that evening. I just couldn't move. So for the next few days I'm going to have to stay home and rest as much as possible (as much as possible over a weekend with sport for the kids and a birthday party for my husband!!!).

My staples are out though which is good (see photo below), and the swelling has gone down a bit. I'm healing, just slowly.

DON'T SNEEZE!

I just sneezed. It was followed by the most excruciating pain I have ever experienced and I've had two babies. Don't sneeze if you have just had surgery on your cochlear. Trust me on this.

Is deafness a disability?

Today is International Day of People with Disability!

International Day of People with Disability Website

Is deafness a disability? Depends who you ask. In a room full of deaf signers, does a hearing person have the disbility? I suppose technically, and by definition, deafness is a disability but I'm sure if you asked a group of deaf people what they thought they would each have a different view depending on their own experience and level of deafness.

I met a girl the other day who called herself hard of hearing. She had experienced many negative responses from people over the years and this made her deafness a disability for her. My own experience has been different. I'm able to work so I don't need any financial support like a pension, I speak and listen so I don't need any special compensation like captions, I don't need any special care or any special consideration really, so essentially, I'm not really disabled am I? I do however, wear a device so I can be enabled. Does wearing a cochlear implant make me less disabled then? When I take the cochlear implant off am I more disabled?

 If deafness is a disability then, it's a complicated one! What other disability has it's own language?!

Five Days Post Op

Five days after my operation and I'm only just starting to feel normal again. Here is my medical update:

• I have mild pain, like an ear-ache but it's not too bad today and easy to manage with a few over-the-counter pain killers. Sometimes I get a stabbing pain in the ear.
• I'm tired but not in a sleepy kind of way, more like my body is tired and for that matter so is my brain. 
• I'm not driving because I still feel a bit dizzy and light headed. Really light headed actually.
• My ear is still swollen and provides my kids with endless amusement because the swelling causes my ear to stick out. My other ear is close to my head so the contrast is obvious and no, I'm not providing photos.
• Sleeping at night is a bit of a pain, literally, as I can't roll onto my right side so it's either my left side or on my back. OK, this isn't that bad, just mildly annoying, but in the interests of putting it all out there, my sleep is slightly disturbed.
• I keep forgetting I can't blow my nose until I try and do it and then have to jump around with the pain. I've got wadding stuffed down my ear canal and as you can imagine it is not pleasant sneezing or blowing my nose!
• I got to wash my hair today! Yay! And wash the dried blood off the back of my ear! Yay! 

That's the medical stuff but here's the psychological stuff:

• People keep saying that the second cochlear operation is easier because I know what to expect but I haven't found that to be the case for me. The first time I was totally deaf and didn't hear or notice alot of what was going on around me. This time, I have a cochlear on the other side so I can hear. For some reason this has been more stressful. I think maybe people expect more of me because I can hear already. They forget how much effort is needed to "hear" with a cochlear and this has made the operation and recovery more difficult. Of course it could also be because I'm getting old .........

I did it!! I have a second cochlear implant!

Yes, it's true, I have a second cochlear implanted in my right ear. While I did experience a bit of pain after this operation (unlike the first one), 24 hours after the surgery I was fine. The bandage around my head was very tight and this meant I couldn't wear my first cochlear so I had to spend my time in the hospital deaf. The skill of lipreading never goes out of style! The bandage came off the morning after sugery and the relief was instant, it was so tight it caused me to have a headache. The wound site is a bit itchy and I'm a little light headed but otherwise I'm doing well. The important thing is to rest at this point (something I'm not good at) and let the wound heal and my body recover from the surgery.

An hour before surgery, standing outside ESIA.

About to walk into surgery.

Four hours after surgery, feeling OK.

Bandage has come off my head, wound behind my ear.

The night before my second cochlear surgery

Tomorrow I have my second cochlear implanted in the right ear. I'm half excited and half nervous as I don't know if I will have any success with the second implant. The right ear hasn't heard a single thing for 37 years. I don't know what stereo sound is like, I don't know what it's like to know what direction sound is coming from, I don't know what it's like to have two hearing ears. I really can't imagine what having sound from both sides of my head is like!

Wish me luck, I shall report back in after the surgery :)

What can I do with a cochlear implant?

Credits to the Cochlear Facebook Community

Deaf Identity

I'm thinking about identity at the moment. Some of my cochlear friends see themselves as hearing, I see myself as deaf, but I'm not part of the Deaf community.

Some friends who were born hearing and have suddenly lost it, and now have a cochlear implant, see themselves as hearing depite the fact that they are technically deaf. I've always been singled-sided deaf so that deaf identity has always been there in a small way. Having lost my hearing in the other ear just made that deaf identity stronger.

Having a cochlear implant doesn't make me hearing. It's a tool that I use to hear I agree, but I can't hear without it. The same as a blind person isn't suddenly seeing when they put glasses on, they are still blind, they just use an assistive tool.

The following article is a beautifully written account of a deaf woman's decision to have a cochlear implant and shows the importance of identity, either way.


Familyshare.com: Deaf identity crisis

A little bit of inspiration via a party

I know how hard parties are for deaf people, cochlear or not. But sometimes you just have to dress up and go out. This is my minion costume for a 50th birthday party I attended last night. And these are my strategies for surviving a party:

- Distract yourself with the food. Take small portions so you can go back many times. This gives you    an excuse to leave a conversation if you can't hear it. 
- Do the same with the drinks, only fill your cup up half way so you can go back for a refill often.
- Offer to get other people drinks as well, this has the added bonus of making you look considerate.
- Try to talk about topics you know well so you can follow the conversation on guess work. I use movies and travel.
- Obvious but don't stand next to the music speakers!
- Smile, laugh and be really friendly, move around a lot, dance. This makes you look like the life of the party even if you have no idea what's going on.

If I can do it, you can too, good luck!


Minion image copyright Universal Studios

Another article about a new type of cochlear - Cochlear Baha Attract

World-first hearing aid is music to Alex's ears

News for Those with Single-sided Deafness

Previously, those with single-sided deafness could not access a cochlear implant in Australia but now they can! My late Grandfather always wanted me to have a cochlear implant in my right ear (the ear that went deaf when I was three years old), but this wasn't an option for people with only one deaf ear. Ironic that after all these years I will be getting a cochlear implant in the right ear next month.

Click on the link below to read about the new research in singled-sided deafness and cochlear implants:

Lucas Wired for Stereo Sound

A wonderful article about my friend Drisana

Hearing is going great!

I'm at my local newsagent buying a magazine and the guy behind the counter says something that I don't catch. "Pardon", I say, "how's the hearing going", he repeats. Um, great?

Auslan Course Complete

Look out Deaf people,
Jane is now a qualified basic signer!

Today was my last sign language course and I have to say I LOVED IT! The best part of the course was sitting around the table at morning tea chatting to the staff who work at the WA Deaf Society. They were all Deaf so I couldn't cheat but I did manage to have a few conversations. I'm chatting away to one lady and I mention that my cousin (hi Steve) is Deaf and she asks what his name is and to my surprise this lady knows not only my cousin but also his wife! In fact they went to school together! It's a very small Deaf World indeed.

Drisana Inspires!

Drisana and Jane after the presentation.

Drisana in action - look at the crowd!

A few posts back I mentioned a gorgeous Deaf woman whom I found inspirational, so I invited her to give a presentation to my students at West Coast Institute (TAFE) where I work. Today she came out and presented to over 70 staff and students about her family, her travels and her work in the area of Deaf advocacy and leadership. The audience were delighted with her presentation and are now keen to attend further workshops on Deaf Awareness and sign language. Thank you Drisana, for your time, your inspiration and your gorgeous smile!

How embarrassing!

I'm sitting in my sign language class today, having just eaten my chocolate chip muffin for morning tea, and I look down to see that one of my choc chips has fallen between my jean legs and melted. There is chocolate everywhere, it looks like I've pooed myself. So I run to the toilet and attempt to wipe it off but need to wet a paper towel to get it all off. Then it looks like I've wet myself! Best option is to keep everyone's eyes on the signing!!

A Deaf Inspiration

Today I met an amazing Deaf girl who lives in Perth. It was the first opportunity I had to practise my signing and I was able to ask her how she was and say it was nice to meet her. She also asked me about my job and I knew enough signing to explain that I was a teacher at TAFE, sort of.
Anyway, this is her website and I think you'll agree that she is inspiring!

http://www.drisanalg.com/?page_id=8

My 2nd Deaf Birthday!

Today is my second deaf birthday and while the kids don't think it's fair that I get two birthdays each year, my husband thinks he'll get a free celebration dinner so he's going along with it. I don't get gifts, sadly, but something profound happened to me two years ago that should be acknowledged and to some extent celebrated. Why celebrate? Well it could have been something much, much worse couldn't it? Plus, deafness has provided so many more opportunities for me. So, happy birthday to me!!!!!

What do you do with a deaf dog?

Teach it sign language of course! My neighbour has a doberman who is deaf. She's not an old dog, just a deaf one, he tells us she can't hear a thing. So he taught her sign language so that she sits, stays, comes etc when he gives her the sign. It's not the sign language I know, he has made up his own signs to command the dog and she does exactly what he signs. A dog reads an owner's body language anyway so he has just extended on the idea. Very clever really.

More on the Sign Language Course

Well the sign language course is going well. Today my fellow students and I sat through a 2.5 hour class only signing, no speech. In the break we all talked like crazy and then when the class started again, back to signing only. I started having personality confusion problems, I'm deaf, I'm hearing, I'm deaf, I'm hearing ........... what I am? Can I be both? Is having a cochlear implant technically "hearing"?  I think I might be hearing aided or maybe deaf/hearing or maybe having an identity crisis. Anyway, for those who would like a basic introduction to Australian sign, here is a video. I'm speaking so you know what I'm signing. Have a go!

Soundwaves Newsletter from the Ear Science Institute

http://www.earscience.org.au/communications/soundwaves/soundwaves-14.aspx

A new language .........

Today I started my sign language course and it was awesome! Our teacher is deaf and only signed. She didn't speak or lipread. We had an interpreter for today but as of next week we are not to talk during class, only sign, should be interesting. The class is made up of a number of different people, a few hard of hearing and the rest hearing. All females, and most of them working with children with either disabilities or deafness. The class is held at the WA Deaf Society which is great because they know exactly how to cater for my deafness!! They had microphones for when people spoke to ask questions and the interpreter also wore a microphone so I had no trouble hearing what was going on. While it was a little exhausting watching the signing, and listening (and lipreading) the interpreter, and reading the presentation notes, I feel like I understood everything that was going on.

The first class was all about the grammar, syntax and the structure of Australian Sign Language which is nothing like English. I imagine this to be true of other sign languages (American, French etc). In English for example we would say "two mice" but in Auslan it is said as "2 mouse". English we would say "that car is black", Auslan we sign "black car". Auslan is a visual language and cannot be written or read.

So my homework this week is to read all about the background to Auslan and start to use some signs. I can't wait for the next class!

Auslan (Australian Sign Language)

Next week I start my Auslan course to learn how to sign. I'm actually really excited. While I use a small number of individual signs at home and teach Key Word Signing to my TAFE students, I don't know sign language as a language. I'm almost embarrassed to be a deaf person who doesn't "speak" the officially language of my own kind but all that is about to change ............. I hope .......................

A little mention in the Western Australian Legislative Council May 2013

I was mentioned in Parliament recently regarding the speech I did for the Ear Science Institute. This is a direct quote from the Legislative Council Statement by Hon Liz Behjat, Tuesday 14 May 2013:

"A number of speakers spoke about their experiences. One of the most amazing people was Jane Goodfellow, a 39-year-old woman who was born with single-sided deafness. Three and a half years ago, very suddenly, in the course of one day, Jane went completely deaf. She said it was the scariest thing that had ever happened to her. She woke one morning feeling a bit strange and by the end of the day could actually hear nothing at all and was obviously very scared.

She then became a patient of Professor Marcus Atlas. She said to him that her two biggest fears in life were being eaten by a shark and going completely deaf.  His advice was, "Well, don't go swimming because your hearing is not coming back". She then received a cochlear implant from ESIA, and her hearing has now returned".

Another semester comes to an end .......

......... and my lovely students surprised me with a bunch of flowers and a box of chocolates to say thanks.

Exercise

I like to keep fit but being deaf restricts what I can do somewhat. Group exercise is a very difficult activity because even with the implant I can't really hear the instructor's directions, even worse if they have loud music playing as well. I've discovered the perfect deaf persons exercise though, yoga. It's slow enough that I can watch the person in front of me and copy what they are doing without looking like a fool. Yoga also tends to repeat poses so now that I know most of them I can predict what's coming next. This is me enjoying the relaxing aspect of yoga, I'm in the striped top fourth from the left.

Cochlear Awareness Network (CAN)

I've just become part of the Cochlear Awareness Network. You can view the website HERE.

If I ever had any doubts about the second implant, this lady has convinced me otherwise

Jennie Brand-Miller - click here

Modern Music

Do you know that I've not heard a current song for nearly two years? I have no idea what songs my teenaged son listens to, no idea what popular songs are being played on the radio and no idea what people are listening to these days. I haven't downloaded a song from iTunes in two years either. I think what I miss most, more than music itself, is not knowing what music is out there at the moment. I'm out of touch with popular culture!!!

The Root Canal in Silence

I had a root canal today for an infected tooth. I take my CI off so that the dentist equipment doesn't scramble my settings and sit through most of the appointment deaf. Today my dentist saw me making a few signs with my youngest son and to my delight he (dentist) started using the signs with me!

He mostly used the sign for good, which is the sign you want to see when your mouth is being drilled and your tooth nerves are being removed!! It's such a simple gesture but it actually means a lot to me that he made the effort to learn a few signs, and he made up a few of his own while he was there, that was funny.

The other bonus of course is that I couldn't hear the drill and various other unpleasant dentist equipment noises. In fact I think I feel less pain when I can't actually hear the sound of the drilling! All in all, a rather pleasant root canal .................

The Speech Photo

In the middle of my speech at the Ear Science Institute Charity Night 2013

In the newspaper again!!!!

Here is my newspaper appearance in the West Australian newspaper 15/5/13. It was a full page spread so I had to include it sideways!!!

Dangerous to Know and Love written by Jane Harvey-Berrick

A little while ago I was asked to review a manuscript for a book in the mature adult genre. Why me? Well, I am a mature adult (although many would argue the mature part) but the book is about a character who is so appealing how could I not read it? It was one of those "can't put it down" story lines and it is about to be published.
Guess what? I'm being acknowledged in the book for my review so my name is finally being published! My dream of being an author is getting closer and closer. OK, not that close, but, you should read the book anyway. It has a great twist that you won't see coming .....

Blurb: Nineteen year old Daniel Colton is the guy all the girls want to date, and the man all the guys want to be. Moody, with an explosive temper, closed off and sullen, he’s also beautiful, tatted in delicious ways, with a pierced eyebrow and spiky black hair. It’s rumoured he has piercings in other places, too. Is he really mad, bad and dangerous to know?
Daniel lives with his older brother, Zef, and their home is party central. You want drugs, a good time, liquor, no questions asked? Colton’s is the place to go.
When Daniel and good girl Lisanne Maclaine have to work together on an assignment, Lisanne finds there’s a lot more to the college’s bad boy than his reputation. He’s intelligent and funny and good company. And then she discovers his secret, why he’s so closed off to everyone, and determined to keep people at arms’ length. But being his secret-keeper is harder than she ever dreamed.

Ear Science Institute of Australia Charity Night Speech

What an awesome night! Last night I attended and gave a speech for the Ear Science Institute of Australia in Western Australia who raised over half a million dollars (AUS) - amazing! I was one of the guest speakers and told my story of going deaf and getting a cochlear implant. Both my parents were there, as was Steve, and I managed to get through my speech without too many stumbles.

Attending the event (not just to hear me speak but let's go with that anyway......), was the Chief Scientist of WA Professor Lyn Beazley, the Governor of WA Malcolm McCusker and his gorgeous wife Tonya, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition (Australian Parliament) Julie Bishop and of course the lovely Professor Marcus Atlas who "created" the Ear Science Institute. I sat next to the very entertaining Shaun Hand who is the General Manager of Cochlear Limited Australia/New Zealand who donated $100,000 (AUS) to the charity night  :)

The beautiful setting just before everyone was seated

Walking the Red Carpet

Awards Night at West Coast Institute - my workplace.

Guess who is using a normal home phone???????

Notes to a doctor

I went to see my local doctor this morning for a referral to see my implant surgeon. When I told him I already had one cochlear implant and wanted another he smiled, leaned back in his chair and asked if he could question me a bit first. I thought he wanted to ask medical related questions about the second surgery but he actually asked loads of questions about how the CI works, what it sounds like, where were the microphones, how does the magnet work etc etc.  I even found myself drawing him a little picture showing how the whole implant fits together and connects to the brain. He then wanted to see how it attached to my head and feel the bump where the magnet is. He was in awe of the technology and the fact that he would never have guessed I was deaf and hearing through a single CI if I hadn't have told him. He was so interested in the whole CI thing. It isn't often in life when you get the chance to teach a doctor something!!!

Decisions, decisions ...

I'm still thinking about getting a second cochlear implant ............. or not. I'm getting really tired of listening lately. I've kept up the "everything is fine" thing for nearly two years now but really, every day is dominated by my hearing status. I'm just exhausted and I'm wondering if it would all be easier, and less effort if I had another implant to balance it all out.
I've had a look at the pros and cons and honestly, there doesn't seem to be many cons. If it doesn't work then I haven't lost anything have I? My "other" ear has 0% hearing so even if the second implant only gives me 5% more hearing on that side I've gained something.
Medically speaking, I only need a month off work to recover etc and then of course I have to see my audi on a regular basis for tune-ups, but that's fine. I'm a fit healthy person so there are limited risks on the operating table, I have an excellent surgeon who is well respected in his field, I have a great family who will make sure I have everything I need to recover quickly and a wonderful audi with years of experience.
I'm thinking about it as a second baby. The first time was hard but I know what to expect the second time around!

Another social outing

Last night was an awards night for staff and students at West Coast Institute where I teach. I was there supporting an amazing student of mine, Penny, and my gorgeous colleague, Carolyn who won her category award (pictured).

The night was lovely especially as I was sitting next to a lady who had a plastic ear drum. We spent the night saying "what?" and "huh?" and "pardon?" to each other. Only the type of conversation that deaf people have (those who don't sign), the hearing people got bored quickly. No matter, we knew what we were talking about!!!

A second cochlear?!!

My audi has asked me if I would consider a second implant. I currently have one on the left side but now the experts think I should think about having the right side implanted. I have been profoundly deaf in my right ear since I was about three years old, or for as long as I can remember anyway so this is a big issue. It was a no-brainer getting the implant in the left ear that suddenly went deaf 18 months ago but getting a second ear done is an entirely different thing. I don't know why exactly, maybe because my brain doesn't acknowledge that the right ear even exists!
I don't know what I will do.

The Funeral

I thought I'd had all my "first" experiences as a deaf/hearing person but yesterday I attended my first funeral since going deaf. Two things stood out for me. First, I couldn't hear a thing, not a single word, second, I wasn't sad mostly because I couldn't hear anything! I couldn't hear the lovely things that were said about the deceased person, I couldn't hear it when the speaker choked back their tears (usually the thing that sets me off crying at a funeral), I couldn't hear people sobbing, and I couldn't hear the hushed discussions at the end of the funeral. It just wasn't the same. I hope that people don't think that I'm unfeeling, without the sensory input of sound my emotions are not as aroused as they once were, hmm.

Bored Room Meetings

I attended a four hour boardroom meeting yesterday on audit compliance. I know, you're feeling sorry for me, four hours on audit compliance is enough to bore anyone! That wasn't the issue though, think from the perspective of a deaf person on this one. The board table was full, that's 18 people, all talking at rapid speed about complex concepts and then, get this, someone brings in a fan and plugs it in right behind me! I think they did this, not to cool everyone down, but to make the situation just that littlest bit harder for me. Honestly, four hours of listening effort left me totally exhausted. My tinnitus hit the roof, I had a headache and I couldn't wait to get out of there, remove my CI and take a deep breath. OK, then I followed it up with chocolate, that always works :)

Sensory loss all over the house!

My youngest son needs glasses. He was tested yesterday and has a sight impairment. That means that four out of five of my family members have a sensory impairment. It's the deaf leading the blind all over again!

Flat at the Post Office

So there I am standing in line at the post office and I finally make it to front of the line. Standing there waiting to be called and ................ I go flat, literally. Mad rush to change my battery so I can hear when I'm called for my turn.......... too late. The person behind me taps me on the shoulder, oops, I've been called, ah well.

A day in the life of .......

This is my day:

6.30am: still asleep, dreaming of hundreds of paparazzi taking my photograph.

6.31am: wake up and realise that the paparazzi dream is actually my iPhone flashing to wake me up. Press snooze on phone and go back to sleep.

6.45am: wake up again, disappointed that I'm not a celebrity. Check who is in bed with me. I don't hear people coming or going so it could be any one of my family members, or none, or the dog.

6.46am: reach over and grab iPhone from bedside table and check emails and messages. Have silent (from my end anyway) conversations with family members wandering in and out of my bedroom.

6.47am: annoyed family members grab my cochlear implant, hook up the battery and hold it out for me to put on. Sound kicks in and I have to officially start my day.

6.50am: take CI off again and have shower. CI stays off for half an hour while I have wet hair which means family members generally leave me alone to get ready for work (yay!).

7.45am: sit down to eat breakfast and read paper. Turn off CI so I can read newspaper in silence (bliss!).

8.10am: turn CI back on and leave the house for work.

8.30am - 4.30pm: work, with the ability to turn off CI when the office gets too noisy to concentrate. I hang it over my computer screen so everyone knows "Jane's switched off".

5.00pm - 8.30pm: general evening activities, dinner, cleaning, ironing, homework, read a story to the kids and put them to bed.

8.30pm - 9.30pm: studying or internet time with CI switched off so I can concentrate. Charge flat CI batteries in charger.

10.00pm: take battery off CI, put CI in drying machine (to suck moisture out of it) and go to sleep. Generally sleep through EVERYTHING, including storms, street parties, noisy neighbours, dogs barking, rain, loud cars, snoring ....................... dream I am a celebrity surrounded by paparazzi .........

I can read your mind .......

I tell my (adult) students that the cochlear implant allows me to read their minds. I've been teaching at TAFE for so many years that most of the time I know what questions the students will ask before they ask them. The other day a student put up her hand during a lecture to ask a question and I pretended to adjust my CI to read her mind and told her what the question was that she was about to ask. I was correct and she gasped in shocked disbelief. Now I've got the rest of the class wondering if I really can read minds, a very handy skill to have as a teacher.

Quote for the day

Regular readers will know how much I love my iPhone and iPad so when I saw this quote I had to share it as it's exactly how I feel: “iOS devices are a lifeline. They’re a bionic enhancement — a pocket full of superpowers. They’re tools of independence, and of participation.”
Matt Gemmell (developer, technology speaker and writer)

Awww, this is a nice story

http://www.3news.co.nz/Christchurch-school-raises-40000-for-deaf-teacher/tabid/423/articleID/287321/Default.aspx

Mapping - otherwise known as a cochlear tune-up

This week I had my 12 month mapping. That means that I spent a few hours with my audi doing a number of hearing tests and getting a final tune-up. This was important as I was able to see what I was hearing without the cochlear (see audiogram in post below), and the progress I'd made from when I first had the cochlear turned on to now, 12 months later. Take a look.

First mapping, shows a limited range of sound

12 month mapping shows a wider range of sounds, the further apart the red and green, the better!

Now I only go back to my audi every 12 months to get a tune-up and that's about it. It's now just me and my cochlear to face the world alone. I think we'll do OK :)

Fame and fortune again!

Ok, maybe not so much fame, or fortune, but I can only dream. I wrote a letter to the Editor of the Western Australian newspaper last week in response to an article about mothers wishing for a bit of silence. They published it this week! Woo Hoo!

My audiogram

This is my most recent audiogram. It shows what I hear from my left ear (remember the right ear hears nothing at all) down the bottom in blue, and what I hear with the cochlear in the middle in red. A huge difference! A person with normal hearing would usually test between 0 and 20 right up the top. As you can see without the cochlear I have severe hearing loss in my left ear, with the cochlear I'm way ahead :)

Feeling Deaf

I'm feeling very deaf this week. The new academic teaching year has started and it's full on at work. I'm either in class, meetings, or setting up the online learning environment. The kids are back to school as well so I have to make time for homework help and organising all the sporting activities that my kids go to. Then there is my study as well. Oh, and I have a cold virus ........ and renovating the front yard.............. The tinnitus is going crazy and I'm suffering deaf fatigue!

That's the problem with the cochlear, a bit like a prosthetic leg I suppose, it lets you join the world of the walking, but you have to work twice as hard to do what everyone else does naturally. I imagine most people with a disability experience this fatigue at some stage, and the frustration that comes with it.

Whaleshark Dive

I had to share this with you all as I just got given the photos that were taken on our last camping holiday when we had a chance to swim with a whaleshark. They are just amazing creatures and it was an unreal experience. Everyone is deaf underwater!

Inspiration from others!

This gorgeous lady is Michele who has not one, but two cochlear implants. She has had hers for years now and is an expert cochlear user. Like me, Michele lost her hearing suddenly but she didn't let it slow her down. She still works full time as a business coach, plays tennis, is a mum and wife, and a very busy socialite! Michele supported me when I first went deaf and took the time to talk to me about being implanted. It really made a difference talking to someone who had already been there and done that even though I had to lip-read her. Turns out she has an accent, didn't pick that up lip-reading!!!

Get your hearing checked

I was at an Australian Day BBQ with friends this afternoon and I was having a bit of trouble following the conversation. My husband turns to me after I've said pardon and says "I think your hearing is getting worse". Um, I would need to have hearing in the first place for it to get worse honey. I've been deaf nearly eighteen months but I still don't think my husband understands what profound deafness means. The cochlear implant gives the impression that my hearing is "fixed". Not quite.

Watching TV

While on holidays I like to watch a few movies. I don't watch TV but I will watch a movie every now and then, plugged in with my audio cord. This means I watch movies on my own which annoys the kids as they like to watch them with me. Last night I suggested that my eight year old and I watch The Lorax together. He had already seen it but I hadn't so we set it up, turned on the subtitles and got comfy. Eight year old then proceeded to interpret the whole movie for me including the noises. It was really funny. "Mum, he made a sad noise like this, sigh", "Mum, music is playing, that's why they are dancing", Mum, he is making a snoring sound"........... and on and on it went. I actually thought eight year old was rather considerate not wanting me to miss out on the subtle bits and pieces of a movie that help make meaning. Of course I couldn't hear the main dialogue over his interpretations!

A new year!!!

Happy New Year! I've just come back from another holiday in Bali (yes, I know but I do love Bali) and I'm all full of myself. I used my aqua ear and went for a swim in the pool ........... hearing! It was a bit strange at first, I kept thinking I'd left my watch on or something. Hearing and water just don't belong together in my world, but now they do! It is certainly not a glamorous affair with a big plastic bag hanging on the side of my head, covered by a black swim cap, covered by a hat, but the freedom of swimming with sound, oh the freedom, it was lovely.

Now it's back to reality at home. I'm trying to finish an assignment for uni before going back to work next week. I'm actually very lucky as I can just switch off (and I mean literally) and concentrate on my work. I really don't think I could research and write without being deaf, talk about a blessing. Only three more units to go and I'll have my Masters. After that I'm going to have a year off and start my PhD. I can just imagine myself happily writing away on my thesis as chaos surrounds me, I might move to Bali to do it ...................................