When I first got my CI implant activated on July 29th and went back two weeks later for a mapping/adjustment, the audiologist, Heather Maessen said that anytime I felt overwhelmed with the CI, I can take it off for a little bit. We are allowed to take a small rest from it.
My work's noise level is very overwhelming so I take off my CI everyday during my 15 minute break. Sometimes just once during the shift, I would take it off just to chill out, but always put it back on like about 5 minutes later, it is never off long. This is only once in a while.
If you don't do this, you will only tire yourself out more and get yourself overwhelmed even more. Rest your ears once in a while. CI is an HUGE adjustment, I shall tell you.
Raymond does this alot too, and I am sure many other CI users do this as well.
Tuesday 23 September 2008
Saturday 20 September 2008
September 20, 2008 - Update - Cheryl
This blog is so far behind, and I am afraid I may not remember everything I have heard to share with you, so I will try my best whilst I write this. This has been quite the month with some high and lows with my CI. My work colleagues can tell you if they could :)
I had my mapping session with Cathy on August 28th, and she balanced out the volume and tones of the 4 groupings. The volume is a bit higher than the mapping session I had before and do now hear more pitches, etc., of voices. There's no soft sounds just yet and I am anxiously waiting for this part. I hope it won't be too far into the future. Right now, everything is still loud to me, but I am hearing alot more things now than before, they are alot more distinct and clearer. Like I can identify the sounds better than before. It is still work in progress.
Cathy got me into the sound booth and was pleased to learn that I am almost where I should be. She gave me sheet of paper where there were 4 words in each section. She would cover her mouth and say a word in that 4 word section. I got 23 out of 25..... only two wrong. I was quite pleased with this because my hearing is different now than it was when I had my hearing aid, so I wasn't too sure before. Now I am sure :)
I don't need to go back to see Cathy again until October - likely the latter part of October, so this gives me nearly two months to work on the CI processor switches she has set up for me. The switch 1 is my old program, switch 2 is the new program, and finally, switch 3 is the same as switch 2 but louder.
Cathy has advised me that she would like for me to stay on switch 2 to get used to it. Up to today, September 20th, I am still on switch 2 and 12 o'clock. I can't seem to get it higher because if i do, it is so loud. I really don't know why. It seems like I have struck a "stand still" time, .......nothing is moving or nothing is happening in order for it to improve....hopefully it will break through one of these days. Cathy says, "have patience, it takes time."
The MOST difficult thing I am going through is the noise level at work. It is so ungodawful! I returned back to work on August 18th on an "ease back into work" transition of working 4 hours a day and up to today, I am still not used to the noise level. I work in a call centre so there are constant noises in the building. There is white noise above supposedly to help you "tune" out noise... ha ha... that ain't helping me at all. There is constant talking in the background, people coughing, sneezing, and laughing. Even worse, across from my pod, there is a private office and the lady who works in there is so loud. She gets alot of visitors so I hear them chatting away in there and her laugh is piercing!! (don't worry, she doesn't know me, so I am safe to say this in here :)
Two weeks ago, I tried two days of 6 hour shifts and I couldn't handle it, so reverted back to the 4 hour shift. Then went on vacation for 9 days. Returned back to work today, and did 6 hours today. I have not heard back from my case manager if I should stay on the 4 hours or not, so hope to hear from him for sure on Monday. If not, then I will ask my TM to call him for me to see what the next plan is.
When I returned back to work on August 18th, I was exhausted by the time I got home and had alot of naps daily. Now I try to avoid the naps, and instead I take off the CI just for a little break.
So in overall, work is still very difficult to get used to. Especially in a noisy group, etc. When I go back to see Cathy in October, I truly do HOPE that she will put in a background block on one of my switches so I can tolerate the work noise level. Keeping my fingers crossed and keep your fingers crossed for me please :)
The following are what I have heard for the last while:
- Beeping of the crosswalk. One day, Raymond and I drove down Main Street - downtown Moncton and stopped at the stop lights. I heard a beeping sound and asked Raymond what that beeping was... he smiled at me and said, "It's the crosswalk!" I NEVER knew it actually made noise. Boy, I was really amazed. I am 42 years old and I am just learning this NOW... geez.... This was about 2 weeks ago, and I am still in awe about this :)
- Cell phone ringing. I was in Chapters on the other night browsing around for a book and I was in deep concentration reading a book.... and all of sudden I heard a cell phone ringing! The person answered it on the second ring. I had this goofy smile on my face when I heard this. It was amazing!
- Bird communication. One day, I was sitting at the kitchen table and our patio door was open. A blue jay came to our bird feeder and started "calling" out to others. Did this twice so I looked over and sure enough it did it again. Two other blue jays came along.... so the first bird was calling out to them telling them, "Fresh food here!!! Come on down!!" ha ha....
- Raymond on phone. I was in the living room reading a book and Raymond was on the phone in the sun room....for those who has never seen my home, the kitchen separates the living room and sun room. When Raymond talks to a family member, he tends to be loud talking to them as they do to him as well....so I listened into his phone conversation and heard, "Yeah" a few times, "Okay" a few times, "Not a problem" and "Okay bye bye" and then heard him walking through the kitchen to see me... could hear his foot steps. Wicked!!!
- Unknown Noise. One evening, I was home alone and I could hear a noise constantly all evening and it was annoying, I shall tell you! I didn't recognize this one so I had to struggle to figure out what it was, I even listened around the house, nearly every room on the main floor, and soon learned it was from outside... but "what"???? Finally Raymond comes home shortly after 9 pm... and told him immediately - "Listen!!!".... so he listens and tells me what it is right off the bat... I felt soooo small! They are building a garage next door, so they were using the hammer all evening. LOL.....
- Cracking.... I hear the cracking of my neck and wrists all the time.
- Newspaper & Kitchen Noise. I still despise the sound of the newspaper, getting better each time though. Raymond is soooo noisy in the kitchen, so while he is in there, I actually take off my CI, I have no choice. He bangs things, does not put things down lightly, bangs the doors, etc... gosh...I cringe everytime he goes in there to make something or make a meal. His meals are lovely, so it is worth it anyways. :)
- Flooring. We have uniclic flooring in our house and they do squeak everytime I walk down the hallway. I never heard this before with my hearing aid. It is annoying but I am getting used to this now.
- My voice. Everybody tells me that my voice has nearly disappeared. I talk really low now, just above a whisper. The T-mic next to my ear is very close to my mouth, so to me, I sound very very loud, but to them it is like a whisper or a very low voice. This can give you a fair idea that sounds are indeed loud to me.
- Keys in truck. I am trying to "train" Raymond just to put the key in the ignition but don't turn it on until he puts the seatbelt on first. The beeping of the seatbelt warning is so ungodawful loud.
Up to now, my very favorite sound is the rain!! How I love this so much! I love the way it hits our screen room roof, the roof of the truck, the roof of the trailer, and even the roof of the house. It is an awesome sound!
As I read through this blog, I realize that I complain that certain things are so loud. It is supposed to be like that for the first while after your CI has been activated. This is the process for your brain to learn the sounds. It will get better within time and patience is virtue. I know it is not easy, and there are some days, I just want to whip off the CI and leave it off, but I love alot of the sounds I hear and have learned to hear. It will get better within the next few months after a period of adjustments and mapping, etc.
Learned today that I go back to see Cathy on October 23rd, so another trip to Halifax again :) Looking forward to this one.
Coming soon, Raymond's update....
Until next time.....
I had my mapping session with Cathy on August 28th, and she balanced out the volume and tones of the 4 groupings. The volume is a bit higher than the mapping session I had before and do now hear more pitches, etc., of voices. There's no soft sounds just yet and I am anxiously waiting for this part. I hope it won't be too far into the future. Right now, everything is still loud to me, but I am hearing alot more things now than before, they are alot more distinct and clearer. Like I can identify the sounds better than before. It is still work in progress.
Cathy got me into the sound booth and was pleased to learn that I am almost where I should be. She gave me sheet of paper where there were 4 words in each section. She would cover her mouth and say a word in that 4 word section. I got 23 out of 25..... only two wrong. I was quite pleased with this because my hearing is different now than it was when I had my hearing aid, so I wasn't too sure before. Now I am sure :)
I don't need to go back to see Cathy again until October - likely the latter part of October, so this gives me nearly two months to work on the CI processor switches she has set up for me. The switch 1 is my old program, switch 2 is the new program, and finally, switch 3 is the same as switch 2 but louder.
Cathy has advised me that she would like for me to stay on switch 2 to get used to it. Up to today, September 20th, I am still on switch 2 and 12 o'clock. I can't seem to get it higher because if i do, it is so loud. I really don't know why. It seems like I have struck a "stand still" time, .......nothing is moving or nothing is happening in order for it to improve....hopefully it will break through one of these days. Cathy says, "have patience, it takes time."
The MOST difficult thing I am going through is the noise level at work. It is so ungodawful! I returned back to work on August 18th on an "ease back into work" transition of working 4 hours a day and up to today, I am still not used to the noise level. I work in a call centre so there are constant noises in the building. There is white noise above supposedly to help you "tune" out noise... ha ha... that ain't helping me at all. There is constant talking in the background, people coughing, sneezing, and laughing. Even worse, across from my pod, there is a private office and the lady who works in there is so loud. She gets alot of visitors so I hear them chatting away in there and her laugh is piercing!! (don't worry, she doesn't know me, so I am safe to say this in here :)
Two weeks ago, I tried two days of 6 hour shifts and I couldn't handle it, so reverted back to the 4 hour shift. Then went on vacation for 9 days. Returned back to work today, and did 6 hours today. I have not heard back from my case manager if I should stay on the 4 hours or not, so hope to hear from him for sure on Monday. If not, then I will ask my TM to call him for me to see what the next plan is.
When I returned back to work on August 18th, I was exhausted by the time I got home and had alot of naps daily. Now I try to avoid the naps, and instead I take off the CI just for a little break.
So in overall, work is still very difficult to get used to. Especially in a noisy group, etc. When I go back to see Cathy in October, I truly do HOPE that she will put in a background block on one of my switches so I can tolerate the work noise level. Keeping my fingers crossed and keep your fingers crossed for me please :)
The following are what I have heard for the last while:
- Beeping of the crosswalk. One day, Raymond and I drove down Main Street - downtown Moncton and stopped at the stop lights. I heard a beeping sound and asked Raymond what that beeping was... he smiled at me and said, "It's the crosswalk!" I NEVER knew it actually made noise. Boy, I was really amazed. I am 42 years old and I am just learning this NOW... geez.... This was about 2 weeks ago, and I am still in awe about this :)
- Cell phone ringing. I was in Chapters on the other night browsing around for a book and I was in deep concentration reading a book.... and all of sudden I heard a cell phone ringing! The person answered it on the second ring. I had this goofy smile on my face when I heard this. It was amazing!
- Bird communication. One day, I was sitting at the kitchen table and our patio door was open. A blue jay came to our bird feeder and started "calling" out to others. Did this twice so I looked over and sure enough it did it again. Two other blue jays came along.... so the first bird was calling out to them telling them, "Fresh food here!!! Come on down!!" ha ha....
- Raymond on phone. I was in the living room reading a book and Raymond was on the phone in the sun room....for those who has never seen my home, the kitchen separates the living room and sun room. When Raymond talks to a family member, he tends to be loud talking to them as they do to him as well....so I listened into his phone conversation and heard, "Yeah" a few times, "Okay" a few times, "Not a problem" and "Okay bye bye" and then heard him walking through the kitchen to see me... could hear his foot steps. Wicked!!!
- Unknown Noise. One evening, I was home alone and I could hear a noise constantly all evening and it was annoying, I shall tell you! I didn't recognize this one so I had to struggle to figure out what it was, I even listened around the house, nearly every room on the main floor, and soon learned it was from outside... but "what"???? Finally Raymond comes home shortly after 9 pm... and told him immediately - "Listen!!!".... so he listens and tells me what it is right off the bat... I felt soooo small! They are building a garage next door, so they were using the hammer all evening. LOL.....
- Cracking.... I hear the cracking of my neck and wrists all the time.
- Newspaper & Kitchen Noise. I still despise the sound of the newspaper, getting better each time though. Raymond is soooo noisy in the kitchen, so while he is in there, I actually take off my CI, I have no choice. He bangs things, does not put things down lightly, bangs the doors, etc... gosh...I cringe everytime he goes in there to make something or make a meal. His meals are lovely, so it is worth it anyways. :)
- Flooring. We have uniclic flooring in our house and they do squeak everytime I walk down the hallway. I never heard this before with my hearing aid. It is annoying but I am getting used to this now.
- My voice. Everybody tells me that my voice has nearly disappeared. I talk really low now, just above a whisper. The T-mic next to my ear is very close to my mouth, so to me, I sound very very loud, but to them it is like a whisper or a very low voice. This can give you a fair idea that sounds are indeed loud to me.
- Keys in truck. I am trying to "train" Raymond just to put the key in the ignition but don't turn it on until he puts the seatbelt on first. The beeping of the seatbelt warning is so ungodawful loud.
Up to now, my very favorite sound is the rain!! How I love this so much! I love the way it hits our screen room roof, the roof of the truck, the roof of the trailer, and even the roof of the house. It is an awesome sound!
As I read through this blog, I realize that I complain that certain things are so loud. It is supposed to be like that for the first while after your CI has been activated. This is the process for your brain to learn the sounds. It will get better within time and patience is virtue. I know it is not easy, and there are some days, I just want to whip off the CI and leave it off, but I love alot of the sounds I hear and have learned to hear. It will get better within the next few months after a period of adjustments and mapping, etc.
Learned today that I go back to see Cathy on October 23rd, so another trip to Halifax again :) Looking forward to this one.
Coming soon, Raymond's update....
Until next time.....
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