Sarasera

NPR interview about CIs

By Sara on February 1, 2010

Sometimes I forget that the things I post to the CI mailing lists I’m on might be good to put here too:

The transcript of this NPR show looks interesting. I haven’t gotten to listen to this yet (forgot to bring headphones to work, forgot to bring spare battery for CI #1 too! 3 weeks away sure messed with my morning routine).

Here’s a snippet:

Mr. JOSH STOHL (Doctoral Student): So we’re going to listen to the “Talk of the Nation” theme in its original form, as you and I would hear it.

(Soundbite of “Talk of the Nation” theme)

Mr. STOHL: Now we’re going to hear it as a cochlear implant patient would hear it.

(Soundbite of altered “Talk of the Nation” theme)

Mr. STOHL: And here is one of the algorithms that we’re currently working on, so you’ll notice an obvious improvement.

(Soundbite of altered “Talk of the Nation” theme)

The whole transcript and sound clip are here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4961269

One friend has already said that their clip representations don’t sound like music with his CI at all… so I’m curious what others
think of the examples.

I know for me, music started out sounding very beepy and monotone with only a few different pitches, but over 8 months the rest of the pitches have filled in and it sounds close tow what I remember music sounding like. It’s still a bit thin, and short notes don’t have much of a pitch to them, but it’s much much better than it was at initial turn-on.

Posted in Hearing, Music | Tagged cochlear, cochlear implant, Music, NPR, simulation | 1 Response

More deaf with CIs

By Sara on February 1, 2010

One thing I’ve noticed since getting CIs is that I’ve never been as deaf in my life as when I don’t have them on. It isn’t so much the change in my hearing but more the fact that I was never without my hearing aids and never without spare batteries. I even slept with my hearing aids on.

Part of my issue comes from having to develop new habits. I’ve gotten pretty good at changing the rechargeable batteries in the morning and after work. I usually have a spare with me too. But when I travel I switch to the disposables, and somehow 3 days is a hard number to keep track of.

I’d like to have my two CIs on opposite battery schedules so that if one died the other wouldn’t die at the same time. But how would I ever keep track of that??

Sadly my lipreading skills have already started vanishing on me. Luckily I don’t get too worried about being deaf. I can always have someone write things down. Or they can tell me later.

This post was prompted by spending half a day skiing without either CI working because I forgot to put batteries in my pocket and wasn’t about to waste time going back to the room to get them. It was a gorgeous day and being deaf didn’t detract from that at all.

(PS how does one sign with mittens?)

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Responses

Dinner party

By Sara on January 10, 2010

We were invited to dinner at a friend’s house last night. There were seven of us all together and I had met all but one of them at least once before. Last time we played a game called Loaded Questions. I remember having to make people repeat things again and again when it was my turn to guess who said which answer.

Last night we warmed up with a quick round of Apples to Apples, which I won, even though I was trying NOT to win after I got to 3 of the 5 cards needed. Someone actually gave me the point for throwing ‘Cabbage’ in as a match for ‘Casual’. What?? I really like Apples 2 Apples though because you don’t need to hear much at all.

After that we played Trivial Pursuit for hours and hours and finally around 12:45am Don and I won. If I focused on lipreading the person who asked the question I could usually understand most of it. Easier than it used to be for sure. Some of the questions were of course easy and those usually blew by me, asked and answered, before I figured out what had been asked. The questions that were impossible and got repeated a few times I heard.

I’d like to get together with a group of 6 or so people sometime to see how I do with more random conversation. Games have always provided more enjoyable gatherings than just sitting around talking, but I’m curious to see how I’ll do.

Posted in About Me, Activities, Hearing | Tagged dinner, groups, Hearing | 3 Responses

The phone, video phones, multi-tasking and “the future”

By Sara on January 10, 2010

Ever since I started ‘chatting’ on the internet back in 1995 or 96 I’ve been a multi-tasker. My mom and I chatted, my friends at college and I chatted, I even IMed with my roommates when we were in the same room. The reason this works so well is that it allows us to have a conversation (or feel like we’re having a conversation) without giving it our undivided attention. It allows us to continue to do whatever we’re doing. The in the same room thing might seem weird, but you need to keep in mind that someone who reads lips can’t easily hear a random comment from someone sitting ont he other side of the room. We have to stop what we’re doing and make eye contact, or at least eye-to-lips/face contact in order to understand.

I thought this article in Time summed up how I’ve always felt about the phone versus email or chatting. It focuses on video phones or the video features of Skype and why few (hearing) people actually use them. It comes back to multi-tasking. With the phone they can pretend to listen while pacing or cleaning or zoning out. With a video phone the person on the other end would be aware of that and feel like you weren’t listening. It’s a good article: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1952314,00.html

This reminds me of a very different aspect of the Deaf Culture. With sign language, you can’t really lie, you always make eye contact. If you’re zoning out it’s pretty obvious, and I’m not sure how much multi-tasking can be done, but that’s the culture. Video phones are obviously a god send for those who want to chat using ASL. And for those fluent in ASL the video relay services are much preferred to slow text relay.

From a business world perspective, I’m happy that the use of the phone seems to be dwindling as older people retire and younger people join the work force. Email and chat are becoming standards and that’s the best leveling device for deaf people imaginable.

Getting back to the article, video phones were the future and they’re here but people don’t really like them… what’s the next great thing we can only dream about?

Posted in Hearing, Work | Tagged asl, Deaf culture, video phones | Leave a response

Second (lett) Activation – December 29, 2009

By Sara on December 30, 2009

Last night one of the local news weather people was asking on Twitter for favorite memories of 2009. I didn’t write in, but my favorite memory of 2009 was only a few hours old.

My new CI was activated yesterday afternoon and after going through and setting the comfortable volume level on 11 electrodes three or four times (louder each time) it was finally turned on. The robot sing-song monotone voice was back but this time it was speech and not beeping. Don and Carrie sounded exactly the same but after five minutes that had already changed. With just the new ear I feel like I am about two or three weeks ahead of last time. With both sides together I’ve kept my eight months of progress with one CI and added to it. Already.

Posted in About Me, Hearing | Tagged activation, bilateral, cochlear implant | 1 Response

A really useless transcription

By Sara on December 28, 2009

Barely enough to get the gist of what he’s saying…. could have done better just focusing on trying to hear.
I prefer using text relay versus captel. The relay operator is a better advocate than I am for myself.

Outcome: no CI activation until the 4th even though I had an appt scheduled for tomorrow with the audiologists. Surgeon is on vacation and residents are booked.

(Dialing your telephone number: )
(OUTBOUND:Dialing: )
(WebCapTel CA# C6658)Ringing 1 (F)ent clinic when he can help you ? < wendy > OK hold on 1 2nd Ringing 1
good morning an t
uh called on police (Tones) and < please >

Karl ent May I help you ?
ent crawl may help you < this is carl > Mm hmm hmm um lets see your are scheduled for the 4th that too Oh OK um the president can ask our are pretty overbooked at the present time there is 1 tomorrow and 1 the following day they usually have 15 patients and they have 20 to 22 um seconds you with that President clinic < resident > um we can leave the the that would be a post (speaker unclear) card < correct > right and
if you contract to keep (Speaker too quiet) that productive of major everything is going well
Oh OK alright
um there just isn’t isn’t uh uh opportunity to do that other than the scheduled time on the 4th (Speaker too quiet) of
what Marcia
OK OK bye bye is (Hung Up) Thk U Bye

CA#C6658 (Hung Up) Thk U Bye CA#C6658

The conversation has ended.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged captel | 5 Responses

So far, so good

By Sara on December 23, 2009

Had my second CI surgery today and am now bilateral.

I missed my pre-op appointment due to being snowed in from the storm Friday and Saturday with no plows in sight on my street. I was pretty worried but when I called to tell them they said just come for surgery, they could do everything then if I could get there. And by Tuesday morning my street had been cleared (72 hours later!). This actually worked out nice because I’d have had to stay down there from Monday to now for what clearly was an unessential visit.

Anyway, things went fine, about 3 hours, very minimal pain after and no percocet at all. I made a somewhat conscious effort to look awake and the nurse asked if I wanted to go home and if I wanted my clothes. After that I stayed awake. It seemes like they were much less cautious with me post-op than last time. Probably because last time was my first surgery ever and first experience with anesthesia. This time they had my CI on me as I woke up but the magnet wasn’t aligned until I adjusted it. No writing on paper like last time. They didn’t make me try to keep anything down and I had to ask for ginger-ale after.

We had a room to stay in if we needed it but since it was only 3:30 we decided to drive home. I slept most of the way but felt a lot better than last time just because I could hear Don without lipreading. Trying to lipread definitely made me nauseaus last time.

I did have gas bubbles and the bite of banana bread didn’t feel very good. When we go out of the car and started walking to the drug store I threw up all the water and gingerale and felt much better. Glad I hadn’t done that in the car, it had a lot of force. As Don said, the parking lot of the “sketchy” Food Lion was as good a place as any.

Then we had to wait for prescriptions. I talked with a man who looked like Santa and is into steel drum music. I need to look up his group, called the pan masters I think…

Now I had some ice cream and am heading to bed. I feel fine, tiny bit sore, bit annoyed by the bandage, it’s warm. Neck is a bit stiff and there’s goo&etc in my hair and I can’t wash it until whoknowswhen. But all minor issues. My biggest complaint is that there’s all this snow and I can’t go skiing.

Posted in About Me, Hearing | Tagged bilateral, CI, surgery | 6 Responses

Waiting and snow storms

By Sara on December 23, 2009

Today is the day. I’m not first this time so have to wait more I think. Not terribly hungry due to stomach butterflies.

I had to reschedule/cancel my pre-op appointment that was supposed to be two days ago because Charlottesville got over two feet of snow. The snow stopped Saturday night but my street didn’t see a single plow until about 3 am Tuesday morning.

I called the surgeon’s nurse Monday morning and she said they could just do any workup before surgery today. Makes sense since I’ve been through this before 8 months ago.

I had a bit of a travel adventure last Friday night. I was in San Antonio all last week for work and my flight home didn’t land in Richmond, VA until after 10pm. The snow storm was predicted to start between 6 and 9pm and go until as late as Sunday morning.

My connection was through Houston, so no problems with the first leg. Surprisingly we left for Richmond on time too.

As we were landing I had my nose pressed against the window. I couldn’t see any snow!! I’d been anxious because people were saying I shouldn’t drive home that night. It didn’t hit me until I heard the captain announce something longer than usual that we weren’t in Richmond.

I panicked for a second and then remembered my phone has a lovely GPS map program. Sure enough – Norfolk Airport. A good hour and a half further from home.

We got to get off the plane while they figured our the plan. We were told if we left we were on our own and TSA was already gone so we couldn’t get back in. We were told that Richmond was trying to keep their short runway plowed so we could land there but it was snowing so heavily that their single plow couldn’t keep up. By the time they plowed one half the other half was covered again. We were told that they had tried to get us there by bus but the roads were so bad the bus company refused to do it. So we waited. Somehow I found an outlet with power and was able to use the free wifi. They brought us pizza and canned soda which both vanished fast. Finally around 1:30am they told us they had found two busses to take us to Richmond but it might take four hours due to the roads.

We got all our bags and the busses came at 2am. We were in Richmond at 4:30. I decided to try to drive home.

I’m from NY where we often get snow but where it always gets plowed quickly. Luckily VDOT was hard at work on the Interstate. It was slippery and snowy but with minimal traffic and decent visibility I made it home. Almost.

My neighborhood was built in the early 1990s. Half of it is in the city and half is in the county. I was aware that the county doesn’t have it’s own plows – there’s a “Begin State Maintenance” sign at the city/county line. Just past that line my car hit foot and a half deep snow and stopped. Right in the middle of the road. I left it and walked the quarter mile home and crawled into bed.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged bilateral, CI, snow, surgery | Leave a response

Hearing a lot: videos, the phone, movies

By Sara on November 17, 2009

Another short update just to say that I’m now able to hear the following things a whole lot better than I could without the implant:

High-quality recorded voices. I’m not understanding movies at the theater, but I am understanding movies at ted.com (without the amazing subtitles that site has!) and many other videos that have professional, high-quality audio tracks.

My family on the phone. I called my dad for his birthday and used webcaptel to fill in the holes. I hardly had to use the captel at all, and generally if I did need it the captionist hadn’t heard him either (i.e. when the phone was breaking up because he moved too far away from it’s base). I made the phone call using an iPhone and my bilateral (bimodal currently) direct input cables for a headset. The iPhone makes it easy to use any headset you need to because plugging one in does not disable the phone’s microphone.

Mistakes in closed captioning. I’ve been watching a lot of movies on my computer and adding subtitles from SRT files. These are grassroots, volunteer created transcript files and sometimes they’re created by non-english or non-American natives. Many times the subtitles have a phrase that doesn’t quite make sense (”surviving on just toffee is unsatisfying” when it should have been “surviving on tofu” (if you know what movie that is from then you can’t exactly judge me for watching it, can you? ). These jump out at me visually, but I can easily confirm by hearing what the phrase should have been.

Strangers on the airplane? I’m not sure if this is easier for me or not because most people on airplanes don’t seem to want to talk. But regardless, I talked to two different people on two of my last flights for pretty much the whole flight. One was very easy to hear and the other was tricky as his voice blended into the engine noise. I may also be understanding more of the loud speaker announcements on the plane, but this varies a lot depending on how bad the sound system is. It also could be due to the fact that I’ve taken off and landed 18 times in the past 3 months… nothing like repetition to improve comprehension.

I was even hearing some of the french in the foreign film we went to see in the theater. It had english subtitles, but I could still, on occasion, hear the french (numbers and short phrases).

Time to find another book on tape and see how much I can get just from listening and how tiring it ends up being. I’ll report back

Posted in Hearing | 7 Responses

6 Months

By Sara on November 17, 2009

My six month appointment at the CI center was a good one. I drove down to Chapel Hill the day before and spent the evening with my cousin and his wife. I hadn’t seen them since before my CI surgery, so it was nice to catch up.

The audiologists had moved to a satellite location away from UNC hospital. I found that ok, only had to make one U-Turn. They were ready to see me as I walked in the door.

I had emailed ahead of my appointment saying that I’d like to be evaluated for a second implant but I hadn’t really heard back from them confirming that. We talked about it at my previous (3 or 4 month) visit but my appointment with the surgeon had gotten lost in all the times that they had changed my appointment time and I had changed and rescheduled due to travel conflicts.

So as I sat down in the sound booth they said I was scheduled with them for the evaluation now, then with the surgeon, and then I could come back and see them again to do a new mapping afterward. As it turned out, we got through everything rather quickly and had time to do new maps before I left them. The ENT office is chronically behind schedule anyway, so I wasn’t worried about showing up 10 minutes late.

The interesting part of this visit was that we tested everything. Residual hearing in both ears, hearing aid in just the left ear, implant in the right ear. I’m really starting to learn the HNT test sentences which was making it hard to get an accurate score with my unimplanted ear. I was getting all or nothing on those sentences which obviously shows I wasn’t really hearing, just remembering.

Like I said in a previous post, I knew I still had some residual hearing in my implanted (right) ear. I notice it when I listen to music in the car – the bass comes through even without the implant on. Still, they hadn’t tested that ear since 2 weeks after surgery and I still had some fluid in that ear.

They checked out my hearing aid and turned it up just a little before doing the CI evaluation to make sure that I had a properly fit aid as is required.

Then came sentences, sentences in noise and CNC words. I actually enjoyed the CNC test with my CI. I see that one improving quite a bit more from the 64% it’s at now.

audi-11-09

So I saw the surgeon and he didn’t see any reason not to go bilateral if I wanted. I’ve had 2+ months to think seriously about it and it’s really a very easy choice. I hear so much more with the implant than with just a hearing aid. My brain is interpreting most sounds as normal, and even music sounds good.

We’re using the same MedEl Medium-electrode and aiming to preserve hearing again. He warned me that I have more to lose in that ear, but functionally, it’s about the same. The date is December 23rd which might sound crazy to some people, but it means I won’t have to take much time off of work. My company shuts down for the rest of the year at Christmas and I’m required to save vacation days or go without pay. The last two years we have traveled, but this year it will be nice to just relax.

Posted in Hearing | 3 Responses

Sarasera

The Era of Sara...