Naida Accessories

I have always been so thrilled with the hearing I get from my cochlear implants that I never really concerned myself with little extras or accessories that I did not have. My Harmony behind the ear processors served me well for many years without a remote control or any other add-ons. But now that I have them ...

The Naida replacement systems that I received in March came with some options. Since I am bilateral, I ordered the MyPilot remote control with one and the ComPilot with the other. I didn’t think I would use them much but since one or the other came with the kit, then why not? 

Although there are buttons on the Naida processors for changing maps and volume, I have found that I do really like using the MyPilot for adjustments and program changes. Along with the visual screen that allows me to see where I am, there are more options for adjustments with the MyPilot. One of my favorites is the sensitivity setting. When I was first implanted and used the Clarion Platinum body processor for the CII implant, I had sensitivity control. I gave that up to wear behind the ear processors that did not have a switch for that. It is really nice to have that back. I found it really helped me to adjust to a new map on my right ear that seemed a little loud at first, but by adjusting the sensitivity for a day or two, I was able to adjust to the map by giving my ear/brain time to get used to having more sound.

As a Harmony user I loved the T-mic and the ability to just pick up a phone and hold it to my ear like everyone else. I also found ways to listen to music that did not require me to change settings or use the direct connect to enjoy listening to my favorite songs. So I was a real skeptic when it came to the ComPilot thinking I probably wouldn’t use that much at all. 

About a week after getting my Naidas, I decided it was time to check out the ComPilot. Following the instructions provided, I first hooked it up to the Bluetooth on my laptop computer. Wow - the direct sound coming from my computer was great and I was curious to hear more. I then hooked it up to the Bluetooth on my iPhone 4 and tried a phone call to my mother. The only background noise I heard was coming from my mother’s end of the conversation. This was wonderful for cutting back on the “what’s, pardon me’s, and please say again,” parts of the conversation. Finally, I hooked it up to my Nano Shuffle to check out listening to the music I would play when carving my Trikke. I love this. I have to say it is wonderful to be out on the trail, carving and listening to my music just like other people out there wearing their earbuds and headphones as they walk, jog, bike or run. I have never been big on needing to fit in, but by golly this just felt really great! I was so wrong about the ComPilot. I use it all the time and really love it.

There is one more accessory that I am really excited about. The Naida waterproofing kit for swimming! It has not yet been approved in the USA, but is coming soon and I am excited for the release. Living in Minnesota, land of 10,000 lakes, I believe this is another accessory I may use a lot. Being able to hear while swimming with my grandsons would truly be a joy. 

Naida Accessories - Now that I have them - don’t want to live without them!

From CII to Naida

When the decision was made 13 years ago to get a cochlear implant and I was faced with choosing a brand, my audiologist sent me home with information packets from two companies. The appointment to meet with the surgeon was scheduled and my audiologist informed me that I would need to let the surgeon know what my choice was when we scheduled the surgery.

I inspected the packets thoroughly. Advanced Bionics impressed me with what appeared to be a progressive attitude. They seemed to posses motive to provide the best cochlear implant technology while continuing to research ways to make the delivery of sound better. That seemed like a good fit for me. Even when things are good, I’m content, grateful and satisfied with my life, I don’t stop and say, “good enough.” Advanced Bionics doesn’t either. My hearing experiences with AB cochlear implants has been a series of continued advancements and joyful improvements in the quality of sound for me.

My first implant was the CII in a ceramic casing and used with the platinum II body processor and the CII BTE (behind the ear). The internal part of the implant, the CII, is still in place. It has worked with the Auria behind the ear processor, followed by the Harmony processor and now with the Naida.

When I went bilateral the AB implant was the 90K, and the processor was the Harmony. Since going bilateral in 2007, I had Harmony processors on both sides until March 12, 2014 when I received my Naida processors.

The above list of changes includes only the hardware. In between those changes there were also sound processing changes that were tested, approved and then applied to the processors bringing such things as more clarity in delivery of sound and better background noise management. Advanced Bionics did not disappoint me as they are always improving  - always looking for a better way.

My Harmony behind the ear processors provided me with many years of great service. They gave me great sound and wonderful features like autosound tuning and the T-mic. But with seven years of daily use, they were showing wear and the fit on my ears had become uncomfortable often causing soreness. It was time to replace them with new Naidas.

I have been using my Naida processors for almost three months. There are so many new features I am greatly enjoying with the Naidas that I want to talk about and share with my readers. If I write about them all in this post, it will become quite long. So I have decided to share in several posts. This will also serve to get me back in the habit of writing regularly - I hope. 

The phrase, “You’ve come a long way baby,” comes to mind as I think about the years I have been an Advanced Bionics CI user and all the changes that have taken place. The creation of the waterproof Neptune, the design of the Naida and all its features are great leaps from 13 years ago when I got my first implant. 

To begin my list of things I like about my Naida processors I will start with the fit. They are smaller and the new design of the T-mic places the microphone in the perfect spot on my ear without bending and twisting of the stem. 

Thank you AB for listening to your customers. Your actions and designs show us that you are paying attention and I for one appreciate that we are heard.

I'm Not So Tough

I thought I was tough. Turns out - when it comes to my hearing - I’m not so tough. The thought of being without sound for even one day brings tears. Wouldn’t you think after losing my hearing little by little over 30 years I would be able to bear a day or two? Not so. 

Sunday night I noticed that my left processor kept cutting out. I discovered that the wire on my headpiece had a crack in it. It had been my practice to always have a backup on hand, but I discovered that I had forgotten to order a backup. Because I had a meeting on Tuesday that was important to me, I felt a little panic. 

Getting creative, I decided to charge up the batteries to my body processor which I had not worn in a very, very long time. The flashing light told me the processor was getting power yet I had no sound. Switching through the programs I finally got something on the last one. It then dawned on me that all but one of my programs was set on 100% T-mic and the body processor does not have a T-mic, therefore no sound. Settling on the one program that did work, I wore my body processor on the left side and a BTE with a poorly working headpiece on the right. This would get me through Monday and I would immediately order new headpieces. I knew I probably wouldn’t get them before my meeting on Tuesday, but with prayer and tape, I managed to wear both my Harmony processors and get through the meeting and that day.

Wednesday I started watching for a Federal Express delivery. When nothing came by 4:30 pm my husband, Paul, encouraged me to call customer service again and ask about my order. To my shock and dismay, the order had been put on hold due to new regulations and probably some confusion about my immediate need. As the customer service person was explaining equipment changes, the new procedures and how long it could take, I was overcome with emotion. I gave the phone to Paul, my rock. I am so blessed to have a husband who has been willing to come to my rescue and give me rest, or let me cry.

The customer service representative and insurance assistant stayed with us on the phone figuring out how to make sure I have sound as soon as possible. Replacement headpieces should be here by Friday and the order process for Naida has been initiated. With the new parts on their way, I have rallied and have much to look forward to as the Naida has some great new features I am excited to try. Still - I am not as tough as I thought - and I will never be without backup parts again!

Clear Voice

People often ask and want to understand how I hear with my cochlear implant. When trying to help others understand, I and other CI users have described pictures. For instance, if moderate deafness is a blurry picture, then hearing aids bring the picture into focus. When you are profound to severely deaf and you can’t make out the picture at all, it is just a smear of colors - a cochlear implant brings the picture back so you can make out what it is. The degree of blurriness varies amongst users. My cochlear implant experience has been great and I have a pretty sharp picture that includes bright colors representing my enjoyment of music. 

The company that makes my cochlear implant, Advanced Bionics (AB), is a progressive company that continues to seek ways to bring better hearing to the deaf and hard of hearing. They keep fine tuning the picture and since I got my first cochlear implant in 2001, AB has presented their cochlear implant users with three advances in the processing technology. The last improvement I received was like getting a high definition television. Today I got the third. It is called “Clear Voice” and my hearing picture just went 3-D. 

Clear Voice processing is able to identify background noise that may interfere with understanding speech and then lowers it to a level that gets it out of the way for better speech comprehension. There are three levels to choose from, low, medium and high. 

While I was being fitted with Clear Voice, there was a steady rain coming down pattering on the window of my audiologist’s office. When she first turned Clear Voice on for me, I immediately noticed the softening of the sound of the rain. She had it set to medium. When she put the Clear Voice on high, the sound of the rain disappeared. Then we tried the low setting, which I liked. I could still hear the rain, but it felt pushed back and out of the way of the conversation with my audiologist.

For my three programs, I decided to go with Clear Voice low on one map, medium on the second and my old favorite map in the third slot. I had my processors set to the first map with Clear Voice low for the drive home. I was planning to test the sound of music during the drive and I discovered that I really like Clear Voice low to listen to music. This map pushed the car and road noise down enough so that the music sounded wonderful. 

This technology is amazing! I think I’m going to love hearing with Clear Voice. It is a whole new picture!

Thankful for Health and Hearing

There were some rough patches for our family during the 2011 holiday season which served to enlarge our blessings with the contrast of getting through some moments to celebrating others. Due to illnesses with a daughter and grandson, I found myself in emergency and hospital rooms more times than I care to remember over a two month period. We all value health and it is during these times we are reminded to be grateful for it. So we start off 2012 recovering, being well and looking forward to living well.

During one of my daughter’s hospital stays, I had the opportunity to share how I hear with a senior resident. He said they tend to go over cochlear implants fairly quickly in medical school and he was truly interested in how I hear with them. He was genuinely surprised at how well I hear. The conversation moved along without any phrases like “pardon me” or “I’m sorry, what did you say?” The doctor admitted that had no one told him, he would not have been able to tell that I don’t have natural hearing. It was fun to share with him and I enjoy every opportunity to educate medical professionals. Fortunately that conversation took place when the doctor and his team were preparing to discharge my daughter and things were looking up that day.

It was approximately a month later, on Christmas morning, that I was in the emergency room with another daughter and her son. Her husband was unable to go with her because he was sick and we were taking their one month old baby boy, Jared, to the hospital. I was glad I was able to be there for them. It is hard when they are so young and blood draws and an IV are needed. I watched as the RN explained to Paula, my daughter, how hard it can be to get an IV into a baby and that often they have to try twice. Upon hearing this I immediately began to pray for Jared asking God to bless the nurse’s skill and help her to get it the first time so that this precious baby boy only had to be poked once.

Paula was helping to hold Jared and I was sitting in a chair at the side of the room. The nurse had her back to me and I had my head down praying. After giving it to God, I sat there just listening and waiting. The nurse and lab tech were taking there time with the process. When I sensed the RN was ready I was holding my breath. Before I took in any air, I heard her say, “Well there is your Christmas present. That is a Christmas miracle right there!” The IV was in on the first try. I sighed a prayer of relief, “Thank You Jesus,” and then I smiled for Jared. When I realized how well I had heard the nurse I smiled again and sent another thank you to the Lord for my hearing. A little while later, a diagnosis was made and Jared was admitted to the hospital for treatment. He was discharged after three days and continued to recover at home.

On a daily basis, I experience the extreme of complete silence to being able to hear most everything once my AB cochlear implant processors are on.  You would think after ten years that I wouldn’t still be amazed by this, but I am. I will never take my hearing, my health, or the health of my family for granted. Now that I have had some recent reminders of how precious all that is, I will try to remember to thank the Lord for it all every day.

Subtle changes...mean a lot to me.

In my previous post, I wrote about my recent mapping and the fact that it had been almost two years since my last mapping. There I described some of the changes that were made and used the terms; some gains, and small adjustments. In day to day hearing, subtle changes to a map might not be that notable, but today I had the chance to listen to a CD while in the car for about 50 minutes. The difference in the music was enough to choke me up. In the sound of music the changes were very notable. 

I was listening to Styx Live. This CD is different from a studio recording. Some of the songs are longer and they talk in between sets. I used to skip around if the song was too long and I couldn’t always hear what they were saying when they talked because of the crowd noise. The music and talking sounded so good today, I didn’t want to miss a thing. 

It will be a joy listening to my music collection. There are all kinds of new sounds there! This motivates me to continue to reach for perfect bionic hearing. Though it may be in small steps - every gain counts. I know the perfect bionic ear is coming. If not in my lifetime, maybe yours.

Still Changing and Learning for Better Hearing

After a long stretch of not being mapped, I worked with a new audiologist to map my cochlear implant hearing. Since it was his first time working with me, we did word recognition tests in the booth with both ears and then each ear alone. Both ears together were at 86%, left ear alone 80% and right ear alone 20%. I was a bit disappointed that the right ear has not come along as well as the left - but I love the hearing I get with both together and would not choose to give it up.

After the assessment, we then set up for mapping. I did the tones on each side and did have some gains on the right as well as small adjustments on the left. It had been a long time (almost two years) since I was mapped. It felt good to be getting reset. Since it had been so long, I couldn’t remember exactly how we mapped for both ears together. My audi asked me if I wanted to map and attempt to match the ears electrode by electrode. I knew I had not done that so I decided we should go for it. 

We started with the first low tone. Wow! They sounded very different. On my left side, my first implant, I have the Clarion HiFocus Electrode with Positioner. The sound of the first low tone is rich and deep and seemed normal for its position on the scale. On my right side, which has the 90K HiFocus Electrode, the tone sounded like it is several notes higher than the left side. My starting point there is not as low and rich as the left side. If you compare it to the song Do Re Mi, the left starts at Do and the right starts at Mi. We talked a bit about why the two sides may sound so different and then we decided to finish the mapping based on how speech sounds.

Before this mapping, I thought a lot about how I use my cochlear implants. I’m not one to change the settings very often, so three slots seems to be plenty; however, while we were talking about it, I think I could have used five! I decided to have my daily map in slot one. In two we put the telecoil on as it seems I have had more opportunity this past year to use it. Slot three is my noise program. My new audi was pretty aggressive with the settings for shutting down background noise. In recent years, I have not had the IDR below 60. He put it at 40 and we talked for a bit. It was great, but I decided I could handle a little more background sound and asked him to put it at 50. He did that and also removed the boost to the low tones.

I had the opportunity to fly this weekend and tried out the noise program while traveling. It was great! I could still hear the announcements but I didn’t have to put up with the drone of the airport noise or the airplane noise. I simply told my husband to be sure he was near me when he wanted to talk. 

I have had my first cochlear implant for ten years and with the help of audiologists’, I’m still finding better ways to hear. Although I have been bummed when an audiologist I have gotten comfortable with retires or moves on in his/her career, it is always a joy to meet someone new and learn from their experience. 

I Can't Hear You

I am the oldest of five. For the most part, my siblings and I share similar political beliefs. Unfortunately, our parents seem to feel quite the opposite, so if we happen to end up talking politics at a family gathering, a heated discussion may escalate into a shouting match. We are learning to avoid certain subjects.

Last time I was visiting my parents, while my mother and I were preparing breakfast, the conversation started dancing around a sensitive subject. I don’t know what possessed me to do it, but I happened to announce where I stood on the issue. My dad didn’t agree and started on a tirade denouncing what I believe. Immediately I regretted having said anything but I was not going to back down. My mother was getting uncomfortable and wanted everyone to stop - which was fine with me, but dad was not getting the message. I was at the kitchen sink wiping a dish and dad had his back to me. I decided to give him the message visually. I put the dish down, wiped my hands, walked around to get in front of him and when he was looking at me, I reached up and with exaggeration I knocked my CI headpieces down to my shoulders. He got it. He looked at me and his mouth stopped moving. There I was in my silence feeling like a naughty child. I didn’t enjoy disrespecting my father, and I didn’t enjoy being disrespected.

I have shared the story of that incident with my girls and one of them said she finds herself wondering how many children with cochlear implants or hearing aids, have, or eventually will, take their hearing off in the face of being scolded or lectured. I suppose it is the equivalent of a hearing child plugging her ears with her fingers and taunting, “I can’t hear you.” With a CI it is much more dramatic and effective - but still naughty.

Trusting My Ears

We had our piano tuned in November. When the girls come home, they enjoy playing some of their favorite songs as well as Christmas music and complain if the piano hasn’t been tuned, so this year I did manage to get the tuning scheduled and done.

While trimming the Christmas tree, I started thinking about the Christmas concert at the high school and the tradition they have carried out for many years of singing “Beautiful Savior” to close the concert. They invite choir alumni on stage to sing this hymn with the present choir and then the audience is invited to join in for the final verse.

I was never a soloist, but I participated in choir at high school and church through my junior year. Now with my cochlear implants, I have been trying to listen to my own voice and get the confidence back to sing. Since the piano had recently been tuned, I decided to pick out the melody of “Beautiful Savior” and try matching my voice to the notes. My thoughts were, “My piano is in tune, my hearing is great with my cochlear implants, this should work.”

As I picked my way through the first verse, I felt I was doing pretty good at matching my voice to the notes, but it sounded a bit off. I stopped singing and played the melody one note at a time and one spot sounded off to me, so I played the top two notes at a time, still off. Because I was unsure if I could trust my digital ears to be an accurate judge of whether or not a piano is in tune, I asked my husband when he came home to listen to the notes I was playing and tell me what he thought. To my surprise he said, “Yep, that one note sounds like it could be a little off.”

I emailed our piano tuner and he said he would come back and check it out. Our piano was Paul’s mother’s and is quite old. This piano has not been tuned regularly in the past ten years so it is not unusual for the tuning not to hold. The piano tuner came back, made some adjustments and now it sounds as good as the old piano can.

I have known for a while now that I would prefer a new digital piano and someday I hope to have one. From this old piano I learned that my new hearing is pretty awesome and I can trust what I think I hear. I remember the notes and how they are suppose to sound and my brain sings in tune. Now if my ears and my brain and my voice would all work together - maybe I could be that soloist I have always wanted to be. (*Dream*)

This Is Who I Am

Sometimes a dream can seem so real that when you wake up you wonder if it happened. I had a dream like that last night and what I dreamt is impossible, but it seemed so real. I dreamt that my husband was leaving for work, on his way down the stair he said over his shoulder, “Good-bye,” and I responded, “Good-bye,” and then it hit me, I didn’t have my processors on. I said, “I heard that!” and Paul, knowing that I wasn’t hooked up, turned right around and came back upstairs. He was talking to me and I was repeating back to him what he was saying almost word for word. I would miss one now and then, but still we were thinking how could this be? 

After I was completely awake and thinking about this dream I realized it was like dreams I had after I quit smoking. I would dream that I smoked and then in the morning wonder if I did. I didn’t want to start again so I would be relieved that it was just a dream. I guess we dream about what we miss and I think I was missing those spontaneous moments that happen at the beginning or end of the day when I might not have my hearing prothesis on.

This dream surprised me and it feels like it came at an odd time. On the last Saturday we spent at our cabin before closing it up for the winter season, I felt like I had crossed a threshold. I got up that morning and Paul was preparing to take the boat to the storage place. He indicated that he was leaving and I knew I had at least an hour to myself. My normal routine in the morning is to get ready for the day and get my hearing on first thing. On this particular morning, knowing I didn’t need to communicate with anyone for awhile, I decided to relax in my comfortable pajamas, and linger over breakfast and coffee while I enjoyed the vision of the lake outside my window. Sitting in the silence, I came to realize that I have finally found peace with my deafness. 

It is okay. This is who I am.

I am a woman who puts on her hearing in the morning

and takes it off at night. 

I am a woman who sleeps in total silence

and wakes to the morning light. 

When I look out the window to see what kind of day it will be, 

I may notice the birds in the branches of a nearby tree.

I need not wonder if they are chirping or singing a song,

even though I knew their silence many years long.

It is now in my blessings a matter of choice,

If I want to hear birdsongs or the beautiful human voice.

The sounds of life are mine to have no matter the place,

And the silence is mine to choose, to reject or embrace.

Choosing a Cochlear Implant

You are at a point in your life where you have to make a life altering decision and choose a cochlear implant either for yourself or your child. Where do you start?

I had to make that decision eight years ago. After going through all the testing and qualifying for the cochlear implant, the audiologist gave me all the brochures he had from each of the companies and answered the questions I had that day. An appointment was then scheduled with a surgeon.

While the surgeon was willing to answer any questions l had about each appliance, he would not advise me in a way that indicated any favoritism of one company’s product over another’s. We picked the date for the surgery and then he said, “You will have to let us know which implant you want two weeks before the surgery.”  

Whether they realized it or not, both the audiologist and the surgeon gave me body language clues as to which product they thought was the best at the time. Since I was good at reading visual communication due to my hearing loss, those clues did not get past me.

Armed with my brochures, the answers I got from my audiologist and surgeon, I went home to read and discuss with my husband which implant to choose.

Eight years ago, that is what I had to work with to make my decision. I had to rely on the integrity of the companies whose brochures were going to tell me all about their cochlear implant. I knew what was most important to me and I was able to figure out which implant I wanted. I know I made the right decision and I am very happy with my cochlear implants and the company that makes them.

In the time that has passed since I had to choose a cochlear implant, independent studies have taken place and now a person trying to figure out which cochlear implant to choose has more information available to them when making their decision. The key here is to make sure you have an independent report and not a report that has been construed to favor a company that didn’t do well in the study.

Advanced Bionics made my cochlear implants. I received my first one in 2001 and had the other side done in 2007. The number one thing on my list when I was choosing my first implant was the ability to upgrade without surgery; to have an implant with internal technology that would grow with the science and that is what I have. There is six years between my two implants and I have modern cutting-edge technology on both sides and love the hearing I get with my two implants. My older implant was able to upgrade to the technology I was getting with my newer model on the other side. How great is that? 

For anyone making the decision today, it is still a difficult decision with even more information to peruse. As I learn more about the technology and advances, I know that Advanced Bionics would still be my choice today.

Click here to read an excellent and well researched article about choosing an implant.

Vaulted Ceilings and Wood Floors

Where I live, the popular home design for quite a while now has been vaulted ceilings and wood floors. I cannot think of another design in home planning that is more unfriendly to the hearing impaired except maybe smooth tile with vaulted ceilings. 

I really enjoy hearing with my cochlear implants and in most situations I hear very well. In my own home I have a combination of carpet and brick tile and my ceilings are flat and eight feet high. Sound doesn’t bounce or echo like it does in homes that I have been in with wood floors and vaulted ceilings. 

I find these homes to be so irritating the way sound bounces around that it is getting difficult for me to enjoy going to the homes of friends or family with vaulted ceilings and smooth floors. I don’t want to limit my social life again due to hearing issues when it seems like I have just gotten it back, but more and more I find myself in this situation as friends and family buy or build new homes.

Why are acoustics in home design ignored? Why is this design so popular? The world is  noisy enough without creating a situation in your home where noise is amplified. Do others think about the acoustics in their home or is it all about big space?

In my home I want cozy, warm, conversational space. No vaulted ceilings or floors that bounce sound for me.

It Feels Good to Feel Normal

Yesterday was eventful with two experiences to remind me how fortunate I am to have hearing with my cochlear implants.

It started out with a trip to the grocery store. I was driving down Main street when I noticed a motorcycle behind me. I “see” motorcycles because I used to have one and I try to be very aware as I was hit by an unaware driver on mine. So, I was keeping an eye on this guy as we left the changed light to move through the next block. Half way up the block I decided to take a right turn at the next light and I needed to change lanes. As I was preparing to signal and move over, I “heard” the motorcycle’s engine rev up and sure enough the impatient driver decided to pass me on the right. It was a stupid and unsafe move on his part that could have ended in an accident if I had not “heard” him because he moved into a blind spot and I would not have seen him. It was also ridiculous on his part as we both ended up waiting at the same light half a block ahead.

After the relief of a near miss, I was quite angered at this motorcycle driver as it is his kind of driving that gives motorcycle enthusiasts a bad rep and leads to accidents. If I would have had the opportunity to tell him so, I would have.

Next on my agenda yesterday was a trip to my audiologist to participate in a study regarding cochlear implant use. That involves a 40 mile drive to another city. I was ready early and thinking about leaving early when I decided to read the newspaper instead. Funny how the timing of things sometimes works out to put us in a certain place  at a certain time.

After reading the newspaper, I headed out. I was barely out of town on a county road heading for the highway when the SUV in front of me crossed into the oncoming lane, came back across both lanes, went into the ditch and rolled completely over. As I was pulling over, I was reaching into my purse for my cell phone and was on the line with 911 in a matter of seconds. I didn’t think, “Will I be able to hear them? Can I do this?” I just did. Another car pulled over and the man asked if I was on the line with 911 and I said, “Yes.” He proceeded ahead of me to the car to check on the driver. She appeared to be fine with only minor injuries. I stayed on the line with 911 to give them directions to where we were. 

Before my CI, I might have hit the motorcycle. Deaf people are very good drivers, but without sound we rely solely on our vision. Also before my CI, I wouldn’t have had a cell phone to call 911 after witnessing the rollover. I still would have stopped to help, but my assistance would have been very restrained by my limited communication.

It was a dramatic day with a roller coaster of emotions: relief, anger, shock, concerned panic, and relief again. As I finally calmed, relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the day, I thought, “It feels good to feel normal.”

Stunning - Susan Boyle

I have watched this YouTube piece several times now and I just can't seem to get enough. Like Piers says, this woman's performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables is stunning. As Amanada said, it truly is a privilege to hear that , and the faces that Simon makes are priceless. He is fun to watch when he is impressed.

It is such an incredible joy to be able to "hear" a performance like that. To be able to hear the pureness of each note, the accent and the dynamics she put into her presentation. Watching the YouTube piece left me wanting more and I will definitely be watching for more from Susan Boyle.

It also left me feeling, once again, very grateful for my bionic ear; for the advances that have been made in inventions and medicine that allow me to hear with this amazing quality. All I have to do to know the alternative is take off my processors and there I am in the silence. What a relief and a blessing that I don't have to live the rest of my life in that place.

The title links to a closed captioned version of Susan Boyle's performance so you don't have to miss the dialogue. The button to turn on the closed captioning is the arrow pointing up in the lower right hand corner of the video window. If you decide to take a look, I hope you enjoy the performance as much as I did.

Spring Song

I started spring cleaning yesterday. It is not warm enough to open the windows yet, so I was working in my closed up house dusting out window sills when I heard his song. The male cardinal singing to his girl. It is such a beautiful song and I could hear it through the window. Wow - I could hear it through the window with my bionic ears.

We have a pair of cardinals that seem to come back here each spring. Last year I almost succeeded in getting a good picture of the male and this year I plan to. He is beautiful with his bright red feathers. His girl is a little harder to spot. With nature's natural protection for the mother of the offspring, she has browner feathers and blends in with the trees. I love watching these two flit around our yard and even better, I love that I can hear them. 

With the joyful sounds, come the annoying sounds and when I hear the squawking of the blackbird, I smile to myself and think, "Ah, yes, I must hear him too." And I remember when I couldn't hear him at all and I thank God for the blackbird's call.

It seems that I write about hearing birds a lot. With my hearing loss starting in the high frequencies, they were one of the first sounds that I lost, so I didn't hear them for over 20 years. It wasn't something that I dwelled on or thought a lot about, but since I have gotten that hearing back, I simply cannot take it for granted and continue to be amazed.

It is finally spring and with it comes nature's choir. Sometimes it is the hard rock of a blackbird's squawk, or the simple twitter of a sparrow, or the beautiful song of a bright red cardinal singing to his girl.

Mentors

Smiles and laughter, voices strong
A room full of friends with a common bond
Relationships growing, new and old
Lives changing from quiet to bold
Brought together in life
Because of stories we share
Paying it forward because we care
A new hand needs holding
A tear has been shed
We reach out and answer
To concerns we have read
Comfort our goal and hope we bring
To the pain and sadness the voices ring
We know the hardships
And we have come through
So we offer our knowledge to those that are new
Raising each other
To new heights we soar
Because when you give
You get back even more

Yesterday I returned from a weekend training session for Bionic Ear Association mentors. It was held at the Advanced Bionics offices in Valencia, CA. Cochlear implant recipients along with parents of children with cochlear implants were brought together to learn more: about AB’s implants; the numbers of people with profound to severe hearing loss; and how we can educate and help others with hearing issues.

The weekend carried a lot of impact, touching me in many ways. There was the impact of meeting people in person that I had only met through the internet. It took a lot of hugging to get caught up! Then there was the impact of making new connections, all of them strong. In the trainings, the impact of the up-to-date statistics regarding hearing loss was eye-opening and being given tools to share more effectively was exciting. Visiting the plant where the cochlear implants are made had an impact all its own. I haven’t yet discovered a word to describe how it felt to be where they built the devices that allow me to hear.

It was a wonderful opportunity and I am grateful for the people I met and all that I learned. Now I hope to put old and new knowledge to good use mentoring others with hearing loss.

Not a Minute Too Soon

I can hear the ticking of the clock on the wall

I can hear your footsteps as you walk down the hall

I can hear the laughter of the children in their room

The sounds of life came back to me not a minute too soon

My sadness overwhelmed me as my ears began to die

I often asked the Lord, if He could tell me why

But then He showed me there was hope up ahead

And to a hearing miracle my heart and life were led

I sat alone in silence for a period of time

The Lord, He said to me, “There is no reason why

But the lessons you will learn, and the things that you will know

Will settle in your mind and make your heart grow”

So I waited for the Lord to show me the way

I trusted He would take me where my heart was meant to stay

He walked me from the silence and back to the sound

And here I am again, my life is being found

I can hear the ticking of the clock on the wall

I can hear your footsteps as you walk down the hall

I can hear the laughter of the children in their room

The sounds of life came back to me not a minute too soon

Found Sound

It was a beautiful day and I decided to take advantage of it and go for walk. I grabbed my camera with the hope of getting some good pictures and headed towards a park with a waterfall. Unfortunately, when I got to the park, the light was too low for anything special and the waterfall was not running yet.

All was not lost. Although the pictures I did take aren’t very good, the memory of that walk will stay with me always. I’ll tell you why. Just before I got to the park, I heard the beautiful whistle of a bird - a bird call that I had not singled out before. I could hear birds with one implant, but with two there is a finer quality allowing me to distinguish different birds. Even more awesome than hearing the bird, I automatically turned to where I thought the sound was coming from to see the bird, and there it was right in my line of vision. It was automatic and I turned in the right direction. I’m still having a hard time believing it. I took a picture of the bird, but before I could get a good focus, it flew away.

Feeling just wonderful and wishing there were more birds to hear, I continued to the park. Even though the waterfall had no water and the sun was getting low I took a few pictures anyway and then headed home.

As I emerged from the park, I heard a beautiful tinkling in the breeze and once again I turned toward the sound. I was thrilled to see a chime hanging on the back of the house I was looking at because now I knew for sure I had direction. And I was hearing a chime!

Birds, chimes – it amazes me. My hearing loss started in the high tones and birds were one of the first sounds I lost. To have these sounds back, the sounds that have been gone the longest (more than 25 years), is fabulous, amazing, awesome, great. Being able to locate the sound is frosting on the cake!!!

Mapping Back

I had a mapping on December 16th, 2008. The allergy issue is still present and I was taking medications to control the symptoms when I was mapped that day. Because I was feeling good and my symptoms were under control, my audiologist suggested that I try the map I had before the allergies started to affect my hearing in October. She turned it on and to my surprise and my audi's too, it sounded good. Good enough to keep. We made some volume adjustments and made that my main map. She then made a crowd noise map from that one for slot 2 and finally for slot 3, she recommended we keep the map we made when my allergy symptoms had flared. I agreed, but I was thinking I probably wouldn't need it. Ha! To my surprise, I turned it on that very evening. I was relaxing in front of a movie on the TV when the sound became loud and distorted sounding. I was trying to figure out what was going on when I realized that the allergy medication I had taken that day had probably worn off. I was only half way through the movie and irritated that my hearing had changed that much when I remembered I had the other map in slot 3. Switching to the other map made enough of a difference that I was able to enjoy the rest of the movie. This was a better alternative than taking more medication at the end of the day when I would rather not (it sometimes affects my sleep cycle). I was glad I had the map as an option.

I'm not one to switch from map to map very often, but it is nice to have choices when I think of using them. I need to be more thoughtful about controlling my hearing in different situations and hopefully I will be more mindful of my options in the coming year.

Happy New Year!

Clear Headed

When I put my CIs on this morning, the volume seemed much louder and I had to turn them down. My hearing is much clearer today as my allergy symptoms also seem to be subsiding. I'm still taking medication and now maybe I can begin to ease off of it.

I don't know exactly what I'm allergic to. The onset was late August and early September, when the change in the foliage kicks off. The leaves are all down now and we have been experiencing cooler weather, rain and snow.

Since the maps I currently have were done while I was experiencing allergic reactions, I may need to have them redone as my symptoms go away. I have noticed that the sound is not as good as it was before all of this started. It seems to have a bit of a reverberating affect, like you can get with a guitar string.