My youngest son has discovered a new game to play with mum. Take mum's CI (cochlear implant) off, put mum's CI back on, take mum's CI off, put mum's CI back on, take mum's CI off .......... Finding the magnet in my head and watching the coil attach itself to it provides hours of amusement.
It's not only my youngest son that has found my CI a new form of fun. My eldest has experimented with sticking fridge magnets to my head, again, hours of amusement.
It's a new way of bonding with my children but I'm happy that they are comfortable with the CI and able to laugh and have a bit of fun with it. As long as I don't walk out the door with a "Kevin's Lawmowing" magnet stuck to my head!
Thursday, 17 November 2011
Monday, 14 November 2011
It's all about you....
Now that I can hear again I'm starting to think about the changes other people have had to make for my hearing impairment. Apart from the obvious ones like writing or typing a conversation or learning to speak slowly and clearly; friends and family changed their communicative behaviour when around me.
They became so good at it that they still do it, even though I can hear them now. My husband and youngest son are still signing, pointing and tapping me on my arm to get my attention. This morning my husband tapped me on my arm and then waited for me to turn around and face him before he spoke. I didn't face him so he tapped again. I eventually had to remind him that he could just speak and I would listen. My youngest son still 'mouths' words so I can lip read him. I have to remind him to speak! My eldest son hasn't stopped talking. We haven't really spoken in three months and he has a lot of talking to make up.
My work friends are still using their hands to enhance meaning and writing things down. Some are still asking "can you hear me?" like they just can't believe I can go from profoundly deaf one day to hearing the next.
So far, in the last five days I've listen to the radio and recognised songs, I've used the phone (my beloved iphone) with an audio cable, I've listened to music through a speaker while exercising, I've socialised happily and easily participated in conversations, I've watched TV and understood about half the spoken words (still have text on to help), I've heard a knock on the door, and I've heard people in other rooms of the house. This cochlear implant is truly a little miracle. Imagine, deaf one day, hearing the next!
x
They became so good at it that they still do it, even though I can hear them now. My husband and youngest son are still signing, pointing and tapping me on my arm to get my attention. This morning my husband tapped me on my arm and then waited for me to turn around and face him before he spoke. I didn't face him so he tapped again. I eventually had to remind him that he could just speak and I would listen. My youngest son still 'mouths' words so I can lip read him. I have to remind him to speak! My eldest son hasn't stopped talking. We haven't really spoken in three months and he has a lot of talking to make up.
My work friends are still using their hands to enhance meaning and writing things down. Some are still asking "can you hear me?" like they just can't believe I can go from profoundly deaf one day to hearing the next.
So far, in the last five days I've listen to the radio and recognised songs, I've used the phone (my beloved iphone) with an audio cable, I've listened to music through a speaker while exercising, I've socialised happily and easily participated in conversations, I've watched TV and understood about half the spoken words (still have text on to help), I've heard a knock on the door, and I've heard people in other rooms of the house. This cochlear implant is truly a little miracle. Imagine, deaf one day, hearing the next!
x
Friday, 11 November 2011
Three Days On
It's now three days since I got switched on. I've been wearing the processor as often as I can to expose my brain to sound. I take it off last thing at night and put it on first thing in the morning.
Voices are sounding more clearer now but they are still robotic and high pitched. My husband sounds cute with his little squeaky voice.
I can hear things like the kettle boiling, the toilet flush and people talking in the next room. I don't know what they are saying but I know they are talking.
I made a phone call to my mum last night. I used my mobile and the audio cable that comes with the CI. I could hear what my mum was saying as long as she spoke slowly and clearly.
I can listen to the radio now too. I can recognise songs and can hear the words clearly. I really missed music so this is very exciting.
Voices are sounding more clearer now but they are still robotic and high pitched. My husband sounds cute with his little squeaky voice.
I can hear things like the kettle boiling, the toilet flush and people talking in the next room. I don't know what they are saying but I know they are talking.
I made a phone call to my mum last night. I used my mobile and the audio cable that comes with the CI. I could hear what my mum was saying as long as she spoke slowly and clearly.
I can listen to the radio now too. I can recognise songs and can hear the words clearly. I really missed music so this is very exciting.
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Switch On
Today was switch on where the audiologist turned my computer on. As soon as she turned it on and everyone started talking at me I burst out laughing. I couldn't help myself. Everyone sounded like chipmunks with their little high pitched squeeky voices. I was expecting Darth Vader, not the chipmunks! As expected, I could hear what my family were saying. The first thing I heard was my husband asking "do you want sushi for dinner?". To which I replied "yes!".
It's a very robotic sound but not so unpleasant that I want to take the processor off. I can only hear people when they stand in front of me and talk slowly and clearly. I can't hear anything or anyone more than a metre away but that's enough to have a conversation.
I have been given a suitcase full of accessories including batteries, cables, a travel case, a dry-store case, charging station, covers for the processor, spare wires and various little spare accessories for the processor.
The back of my ear (the surgery scar) is a bit sore after wearing the processor for the last two hours so I'm letting it just dangle at the back of my ear for the moment.
My youngest son has spent the last three months signing and speaking so I can lip-read him, so I've had to remind him several times to talk to me.
So far, I'd have to say, so good.
It's a very robotic sound but not so unpleasant that I want to take the processor off. I can only hear people when they stand in front of me and talk slowly and clearly. I can't hear anything or anyone more than a metre away but that's enough to have a conversation.
I have been given a suitcase full of accessories including batteries, cables, a travel case, a dry-store case, charging station, covers for the processor, spare wires and various little spare accessories for the processor.
The back of my ear (the surgery scar) is a bit sore after wearing the processor for the last two hours so I'm letting it just dangle at the back of my ear for the moment.
My youngest son has spent the last three months signing and speaking so I can lip-read him, so I've had to remind him several times to talk to me.
So far, I'd have to say, so good.
........and it's on!
Monday, 7 November 2011
Funny for Some
I was busy doing housework last weekend and I decided to give the whole house a good vacuum. I was in the bedroom, giving the floor a going over when my husband walked in and started laughing. "What are you laughing about?" I said, he looked at me and said "you know that vacuum isn't turned on?". Damn!
Friday, 4 November 2011
The Effort
I mentioned a few posts back that my social life has doubled since going deaf, while others, who lose their hearing suddenly, report a loss of social life and self confidence. I've been deaf for three months now and I'm only just beginning to understand why this happens. It is simply exhausting to communicate with hearing people. Especially when you haven't built up the skills (lip-reading) needed to aid that communication. While my lip-reading is good, it's not great and there is no way I can follow a conversation easily. I also can't lip-read everyone. Young children, people with thin lips, people who mumble and people who talk too fast are impossible to read. Lip-reading also requires you to watch people's mouths all the time and sometimes this feels creepy, especially when I've always looked people in the eye.
So rather than face the stress and trauma of trying to communicate in the outside world, sometimes it's easier to remain in the inside world.
So rather than face the stress and trauma of trying to communicate in the outside world, sometimes it's easier to remain in the inside world.
The Final Countdown
Less than a week before I get switched on. Today has been a frustrating deaf day. I've boiled the kettle dry several times, I've not been able to understand what my youngest was wanting (turns out he wanted me to make a paper plane out of a perfect square - how could I possible get that!!!), I've wanted to make several phone calls but can't and I left the dryer on for a lot longer than intended. Needlesss to say, I'm looking forward to being switched on and joining the world of the hearing.
I'm now 16 days post-op. The wound behind my ear has healed nicely but the wound on my head is still a bit tender and sore. The feeling in my ear has come back but I still get jaw pain now and again. I'm also very very tired despite sleeping well at night.
Here's the weird bit. When I had my surgery I lost all my residual hearing. Well, today, I got some back. Yesterday I couldn't hear myself clap, today I can. Not sure what's happening.
I'm now 16 days post-op. The wound behind my ear has healed nicely but the wound on my head is still a bit tender and sore. The feeling in my ear has come back but I still get jaw pain now and again. I'm also very very tired despite sleeping well at night.
Here's the weird bit. When I had my surgery I lost all my residual hearing. Well, today, I got some back. Yesterday I couldn't hear myself clap, today I can. Not sure what's happening.
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