Comments on: The Good and the Bad – Will you share? http://www.sarasera.com/2009/05/the-good-and-the-bad-will-you-share/ The Era of Sara... Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:47:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Seth http://www.sarasera.com/2009/05/the-good-and-the-bad-will-you-share/comment-page-1/#comment-4100 Seth Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:17:48 +0000 http://www.sarasera.com/?p=299#comment-4100 Hello, I realize this is a bit late to the topic. I was activated just over 2 weeks ago. I feel like I've made a whole lot of progress the first week. The second week seems much the same which is rather fustrating. I'm doing sound exercises daily and seem to do much better with CI only rather than CI + unaided ear or bimodal. Here is my good, bad and ugly thus far: Good: I love hearing little things I didn't before such as my thermostat clicking, my IM peeping, the sound of socks on carpet, the sound of hot air hitting cold air in the freezer (this one took me awhile to figure out and a bunch of facebook comments lol). I like hearing myself whistle. I seem to be able to detect everything that makes sound. Bad: I still can't understand words in bimodal and by itself it sounds rather musical or underwater. I seem to do great on Sound and Way Beyond, scoring 100% on closed word tests, 80%+ on lvl 4 and 5 of vowels and consonent reconition but still speech speech escapes me. Ugly: Fans and other consistent sounds don't sound consistent. They sound more like multiple pure tones trying to sync but not suceeding. Thus I get this high-pitched warbel that just drives me mad. I just started my blog and got it up to date from previous notes I've had elsewhere if you guys want to check it out. sethjdavis.wordpress.com Hello, I realize this is a bit late to the topic.

I was activated just over 2 weeks ago. I feel like I’ve made a whole lot of progress the first week. The second week seems much the same which is rather fustrating. I’m doing sound exercises daily and seem to do much better with CI only rather than CI + unaided ear or bimodal.

Here is my good, bad and ugly thus far:

Good:
I love hearing little things I didn’t before such as my thermostat clicking, my IM peeping, the sound of socks on carpet, the sound of hot air hitting cold air in the freezer (this one took me awhile to figure out and a bunch of facebook comments lol). I like hearing myself whistle. I seem to be able to detect everything that makes sound.

Bad:
I still can’t understand words in bimodal and by itself it sounds rather musical or underwater. I seem to do great on Sound and Way Beyond, scoring 100% on closed word tests, 80%+ on lvl 4 and 5 of vowels and consonent reconition but still speech speech escapes me.

Ugly:
Fans and other consistent sounds don’t sound consistent. They sound more like multiple pure tones trying to sync but not suceeding. Thus I get this high-pitched warbel that just drives me mad.

I just started my blog and got it up to date from previous notes I’ve had elsewhere if you guys want to check it out. sethjdavis.wordpress.com

]]> By: Kate http://www.sarasera.com/2009/05/the-good-and-the-bad-will-you-share/comment-page-1/#comment-1182 Kate Wed, 29 Jul 2009 04:45:48 +0000 http://www.sarasera.com/?p=299#comment-1182 I also wrote up a blog post about the Good the Bad and the Ugly - but this was BEFORE I had read anything about this - I can't believe what a coincidence it is that you guys both wrote about this. Ah, well , check mine out, and its only 1 week after switch on! Lots of bad! HAHA I also wrote up a blog post about the Good the Bad and the Ugly – but this was BEFORE I had read anything about this – I can’t believe what a coincidence it is that you guys both wrote about this.

Ah, well , check mine out, and its only 1 week after switch on! Lots of bad! HAHA

]]> By: Nabeel http://www.sarasera.com/2009/05/the-good-and-the-bad-will-you-share/comment-page-1/#comment-1106 Nabeel Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:10:24 +0000 http://www.sarasera.com/?p=299#comment-1106 Just wrote up a blog entry about the good, bad, and ugly about using CI. Check it out :) <abbr><em>Nabeel’s last blog post: <a href="http://nabeel-ci.blogspot.com/2009/06/good-bad-and-ugly-week-1.html" rel="nofollow">The Good, Bad, and Ugly - Week 1</a></abbr></em> Just wrote up a blog entry about the good, bad, and ugly about using CI. Check it out :)

Nabeel’s last blog post: The Good, Bad, and Ugly – Week 1

]]> By: Robyn Carter http://www.sarasera.com/2009/05/the-good-and-the-bad-will-you-share/comment-page-1/#comment-1100 Robyn Carter Sun, 07 Jun 2009 05:09:04 +0000 http://www.sarasera.com/?p=299#comment-1100 Plenty of frustrations - which you will find on my blog. Smooth sailing for 15 years then failed. Reimplanted - then failed. Now I am switched on again and am doing well, but the sound still sounds a bit 'flat' and I get frustrated with that. I know it will get better over time, but I'm impatient! I want what I had before. You can read my blog on www.robyncarter.blogspot.com Head down to the tags section at bottom right and click on 'cochlear implant' for the list of entries on that. Cheers Robyn <abbr><em>Robyn Carter’s last blog post: <a href="http://robyncarter.blogspot.com/2009/06/vip-for-afternoon.html" rel="nofollow">VIP for an Afternoon</a></abbr></em> Plenty of frustrations – which you will find on my blog. Smooth sailing for 15 years then failed. Reimplanted – then failed.

Now I am switched on again and am doing well, but the sound still sounds a bit ‘flat’ and I get frustrated with that. I know it will get better over time, but I’m impatient! I want what I had before.

You can read my blog on http://www.robyncarter.blogspot.com Head down to the tags section at bottom right and click on ‘cochlear implant’ for the list of entries on that.

Cheers
Robyn

Robyn Carter’s last blog post: VIP for an Afternoon

]]> By: Donna Penman http://www.sarasera.com/2009/05/the-good-and-the-bad-will-you-share/comment-page-1/#comment-1084 Donna Penman Wed, 27 May 2009 18:48:46 +0000 http://www.sarasera.com/?p=299#comment-1084 Hi I am a bilateral cochlear implant wearer. I had my first implant in April of 2000. All was not smooth sailing and they had to turn most of the electrodes off and just very, very gradually add them on. I couldn't tolerate the sound any other way. It took me much longer than was expected but I got there and was able to get back into life. Then last year I had my second side implanted. I have not achieved all that I thought and hoped, at least not yet. I wanted the second side implanted in hopes that I would be able to do better in noise and also more importantly know where sound was coming from. I still am not able to determine where the sound is unless it is right in front of me. I have not given up though. I still don't regret getting the second one as it does help me to hear better than I did with just one. My advice to anyone is 1. find the best audiologist you possibly can. 2. give yourself time and remember those horrible sounds can be changed into better sounds but it doesn't always happen immediately...running water, flushing toilet, newspaper pages being turned, oh how I would cringe....now I don't even think about them, so be patient with yourself. Enjoy. Hi I am a bilateral cochlear implant wearer. I had my first implant in April of 2000.
All was not smooth sailing and they had to turn most of the electrodes off and just very, very gradually add them on. I couldn’t tolerate the sound any other way. It took me much longer than was expected but I got there and was able to get back into life. Then last year I had my second side implanted. I have not achieved all that I thought and hoped, at least not yet. I wanted the second side implanted in hopes that I would be able to do better in noise and also more importantly know where sound was coming from. I still am not able to determine where the sound is unless it is right in front of me. I have not given up though. I still don’t regret getting the second one as it does help me to hear better than I did with just one.
My advice to anyone is 1. find the best audiologist you possibly can. 2. give yourself time and remember those horrible sounds can be changed into better sounds but it doesn’t always happen immediately…running water, flushing toilet, newspaper pages being turned, oh how I would cringe….now I don’t even think about them, so be patient with yourself.
Enjoy.

]]> By: Lauren http://www.sarasera.com/2009/05/the-good-and-the-bad-will-you-share/comment-page-1/#comment-1082 Lauren Wed, 27 May 2009 01:47:48 +0000 http://www.sarasera.com/?p=299#comment-1082 I had hearing aids my whole life....20 years before recieving my first CI. My expectations going into activation of my first CI were extremely high. I thought that because I had so much success with hearing aids, that my CI would be an instant success as well. I was wrong...when my first CI was initially activated, I HATED it. I became very upset and wanted to take it off and throw it out the window. However, having some experience with CIs through being a teacher of the deaf....I knew that it gets better. Intially my first CI sounded like Darth Vader, however within a couple of hours I was starting to make sense of speech. However, I did have this really annoying static type sound for the first three weeks after activation while my brain was figuring out all of the sounds I was hearing. The first CI eventually, with time and therapy was great for listening....so I decided to go for the second CI. When it was activated...I lost it....it was even worse than the first CI activation. Again....patience is a virtue I don't have a lot of when it comes to my hearing. With time and adjustments it got better. Like someone else stated....with both CIs, everything sounds phenomenal....however if I just have one CI on, then they revert to their independent voices (Darth Vader and the chipmunks). I love both of my CIs (as you know) and I am extremely grateful to have them and to be able to hear. I will say that the new ear has been more difficult. Before CI surgery, I relied on my left ear (New) for the telephone. Since the CI...I don't understand what I hear on the phone as well because the pitch is higher. It has been a major adjustment for me trying to depend on the ear that I did not use on the phone for 15+ years and having to use it. Now I am fine, but I still miss using my phone ear (left ear) for the telephone. I had hearing aids my whole life….20 years before recieving my first CI. My expectations going into activation of my first CI were extremely high. I thought that because I had so much success with hearing aids, that my CI would be an instant success as well. I was wrong…when my first CI was initially activated, I HATED it. I became very upset and wanted to take it off and throw it out the window. However, having some experience with CIs through being a teacher of the deaf….I knew that it gets better. Intially my first CI sounded like Darth Vader, however within a couple of hours I was starting to make sense of speech. However, I did have this really annoying static type sound for the first three weeks after activation while my brain was figuring out all of the sounds I was hearing.

The first CI eventually, with time and therapy was great for listening….so I decided to go for the second CI. When it was activated…I lost it….it was even worse than the first CI activation. Again….patience is a virtue I don’t have a lot of when it comes to my hearing. With time and adjustments it got better. Like someone else stated….with both CIs, everything sounds phenomenal….however if I just have one CI on, then they revert to their independent voices (Darth Vader and the chipmunks). I love both of my CIs (as you know) and I am extremely grateful to have them and to be able to hear.

I will say that the new ear has been more difficult. Before CI surgery, I relied on my left ear (New) for the telephone. Since the CI…I don’t understand what I hear on the phone as well because the pitch is higher. It has been a major adjustment for me trying to depend on the ear that I did not use on the phone for 15+ years and having to use it. Now I am fine, but I still miss using my phone ear (left ear) for the telephone.

]]> By: Earplugs http://www.sarasera.com/2009/05/the-good-and-the-bad-will-you-share/comment-page-1/#comment-1081 Earplugs Wed, 27 May 2009 00:55:26 +0000 http://www.sarasera.com/?p=299#comment-1081 I'm cheating here because I'm not a CI user, but I've experienced similar things with hearing aids. One brand of hearing aids I tested out, I could hear crickets chirping, which was amazing because I'd never heard them before. However, I couldn't hear my keyboard clacking or the sound of my feet on the steps, which was odd considering I could hear such things before. My hearing aid vendor told me other people had different responses to the hearing aid. I think because people's brains are wired differently for sound, that ends up in a unique adaptation experience, be it a CI or hearing aid. The unique adaptations your brain undertook to respond to your hearing loss and the hearing aid may result in a one-of-a-kind CI experience. Your brain is now taking the old wiring and re-wiring them to adapt to the new sound. I think it's really cool reading about the pattern your brain is taking -- high-pitched sounds are emerging first. I'd be interested in reading how things progress for your brain's adaptation to the CI. <abbr><em>Earplugs’s last blog post: <a href="http://earplugs.wordpress.com/2009/05/27/whos_on_first/" rel="nofollow">Who’s on First?</a></abbr></em> I’m cheating here because I’m not a CI user, but I’ve experienced similar things with hearing aids. One brand of hearing aids I tested out, I could hear crickets chirping, which was amazing because I’d never heard them before. However, I couldn’t hear my keyboard clacking or the sound of my feet on the steps, which was odd considering I could hear such things before. My hearing aid vendor told me other people had different responses to the hearing aid.

I think because people’s brains are wired differently for sound, that ends up in a unique adaptation experience, be it a CI or hearing aid. The unique adaptations your brain undertook to respond to your hearing loss and the hearing aid may result in a one-of-a-kind CI experience. Your brain is now taking the old wiring and re-wiring them to adapt to the new sound.

I think it’s really cool reading about the pattern your brain is taking — high-pitched sounds are emerging first. I’d be interested in reading how things progress for your brain’s adaptation to the CI.

Earplugs’s last blog post: Who’s on First?

]]> By: Michelle http://www.sarasera.com/2009/05/the-good-and-the-bad-will-you-share/comment-page-1/#comment-1079 Michelle Tue, 26 May 2009 21:32:47 +0000 http://www.sarasera.com/?p=299#comment-1079 I know for the first month I was more focused on getting through a day with a CI than I was on thriving during a day wearing it. By the 4th mapping though I hit a point where I could live with where I was and look forward to what would happen next because I was finally having some success. That wasn't the case in the beginning, and I had so many doubts that first month of activation about whether I'd made a mistake or not. The two hardest things for me now is living up to my own expectations. They are incredibly high and I expect to succeed. I get frustrated if my progress seems to slow down for a few days. I get frustrated within a couple weeks after the previous mapping because I know I want to get the show on the road. I'm also anxious to understand more speech. I've had a couple of phone calls, but they are a struggle and I want to get it NOW. LOL! Also, when I compare myself to adults deafened late in life who can make the adjustment in the hearing world more easily, I get flustered. (Isn't Dan fabulous??? :-D ) The other thing that gets to me right now is that I'm hearing so much static from various electrical sources and it is irritating and a lesson in tolerance. On the whole this has been a great adventure. When else in life are we physically going to get better and better as we age??? Time is our friend... Fabulousness! ;-) I can't wait to see what you are hearing next month at this time! <abbr><em>Michelle’s last blog post: <a href="http://michellescijourney.blogspot.com/2009/05/mapping-5-and-updates-courtesy-of-truly.html" rel="nofollow">Mapping #5 and Updates Courtesy of the Truly Fab Facebook Status</a></abbr></em> I know for the first month I was more focused on getting through a day with a CI than I was on thriving during a day wearing it. By the 4th mapping though I hit a point where I could live with where I was and look forward to what would happen next because I was finally having some success. That wasn’t the case in the beginning, and I had so many doubts that first month of activation about whether I’d made a mistake or not.

The two hardest things for me now is living up to my own expectations. They are incredibly high and I expect to succeed. I get frustrated if my progress seems to slow down for a few days. I get frustrated within a couple weeks after the previous mapping because I know I want to get the show on the road. I’m also anxious to understand more speech. I’ve had a couple of phone calls, but they are a struggle and I want to get it NOW. LOL! Also, when I compare myself to adults deafened late in life who can make the adjustment in the hearing world more easily, I get flustered. (Isn’t Dan fabulous??? :-D )

The other thing that gets to me right now is that I’m hearing so much static from various electrical sources and it is irritating and a lesson in tolerance.

On the whole this has been a great adventure. When else in life are we physically going to get better and better as we age??? Time is our friend… Fabulousness! ;-)

I can’t wait to see what you are hearing next month at this time!

Michelle’s last blog post: Mapping #5 and Updates Courtesy of the Truly Fab Facebook Status

]]> By: Nabeel http://www.sarasera.com/2009/05/the-good-and-the-bad-will-you-share/comment-page-1/#comment-1077 Nabeel Tue, 26 May 2009 17:04:13 +0000 http://www.sarasera.com/?p=299#comment-1077 I'm already dealing with high expectations from other people and I haven't even been turned on yet! For that reason, I agree it's important to be honest when telling about our experiences with the CI and know that it will take time. I've encountered plenty of people who hated their CI at first but kept at it, and now they love it. Even a year later. It seems that we mostly hear about the good stuff and all these success stories, and I had to comb the internet for the bad experiences or failures. I have minimal expectations for myself, but I could not help but hope for the best. My activation looms next Monday... <abbr><em>Nabeel’s last blog post: <a href="http://nabeel-ci.blogspot.com/2009/05/attitude-is-everything.html" rel="nofollow">Attitude is Everything</a></abbr></em> I’m already dealing with high expectations from other people and I haven’t even been turned on yet! For that reason, I agree it’s important to be honest when telling about our experiences with the CI and know that it will take time. I’ve encountered plenty of people who hated their CI at first but kept at it, and now they love it. Even a year later.

It seems that we mostly hear about the good stuff and all these success stories, and I had to comb the internet for the bad experiences or failures. I have minimal expectations for myself, but I could not help but hope for the best. My activation looms next Monday…

Nabeel’s last blog post: Attitude is Everything

]]> By: Joshalyn http://www.sarasera.com/2009/05/the-good-and-the-bad-will-you-share/comment-page-1/#comment-1076 Joshalyn Tue, 26 May 2009 15:53:28 +0000 http://www.sarasera.com/?p=299#comment-1076 Our son is only 2 and hearing for 7 months, so I can't really contribute about what he heard on activation. However, I will tell you that he absolutely LOVES his CI! He wants them on first thing every morning and he lets us know if a magnet falls off and he can't get it back on. Here are the only two real issues we have with CIs: 1) He HATES road noise. As much as he loves to hear, he will jerk them off within 10 minutes in the car and he will NOT let anyone put them back on. It must be very bothersome. 2) Water. Bathtime. Swimming. Sand-and-Water table play. Water parks. Water slides. Sprinklers. Anything that normal 2 year olds like to do with water becomes an issue for William. He loves water. He also loves to hear. Obviously he wants to do both at the same time and can't understand why that can't happen. We're working on some options. I hope we don't ruin his processors! <abbr><em>Joshalyn’s last blog post: <a href="http://causeme2hear.blogspot.com/2009/05/williams-day-at-nature-park.html" rel="nofollow">William's Day at the Nature Park</a></abbr></em> Our son is only 2 and hearing for 7 months, so I can’t really contribute about what he heard on activation. However, I will tell you that he absolutely LOVES his CI! He wants them on first thing every morning and he lets us know if a magnet falls off and he can’t get it back on.
Here are the only two real issues we have with CIs:
1) He HATES road noise. As much as he loves to hear, he will jerk them off within 10 minutes in the car and he will NOT let anyone put them back on. It must be very bothersome.
2) Water. Bathtime. Swimming. Sand-and-Water table play. Water parks. Water slides. Sprinklers. Anything that normal 2 year olds like to do with water becomes an issue for William. He loves water. He also loves to hear. Obviously he wants to do both at the same time and can’t understand why that can’t happen. We’re working on some options. I hope we don’t ruin his processors!

Joshalyn’s last blog post: William’s Day at the Nature Park

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