One Month Post Activation......

Here's the results of my one month activation which was today ;-) The centre weren't expecting I would reach this in the first month!! and to gain well in CUNY test (voice and lipreading) Very pleased with my self! The red is my pre implant, and blue is with CI. CUNY Pre Implant was 40%, Post Implant is 64%. Click the picture to enlarge.

Another Birthday Year Had Gone....

Today is my birthday, it had been a beautiful warm sunny day. I had lunch with my friends at a pub in the countryside, finishing off with a brownie and a candle on it! Gosh, the year had gone so quickly.
Last week it was Boris the dog's 2ND Birthday, he's officially an adult dog now!! It seems like yesterday when I brought him home as tiny puppy, barely big as my dad's hand. He was so cute but fiercely brave dog. However big the opponent is, Boris thinks he's bigger than it! He is really a lovely dog. And Yes, I got him new squeaky ball for his birthday, and today it lost its squeak!!!!! Actually the squeaker lasted a week and it was a record! Normally with those cheap balls wouldn't survive 5 minutes! this ball is (well was) stronger and it did lasts a week!!! I am impressed!

And for me, in the past year it had been a roller coaster, My parents move to another country, jobs, doing up the house, racing on the boat, and the implant which put everything on hold!. Now as an implantee, I can relax and look forward to new year of new hearing, start enjoying my holidays, able to race more that I am sorted out CI wise, I have few jobs lined up for the winter as the yachting season is nearly finished.

Oh, I had hair cut last week, It wasn't too bad until the hair dresser gave me head massage and touched the painful spot! I grimaced and politely said to her you can forget the head massage for now. It was fine other wise. I felt so much better and lighter with hair cut.

Dear Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Friends, Thank you for the cards. Charlotte xxx

Clip Clop Clip Clop!

Today, I went to see my horse, Buck and brought him in for a brush and bit of food, I heard him wickering when he saw me and after I tethered him, we walked on the tarmac I heard him walking, he had shoes on. It was awesome!!!

I also heard Boris the dog eating his dinner... god he must be a loud eater!! and him lapping up water. :-)

Today had been good day :-)

Little update

I went back to the centre today to have my processor tuned up as I was maxed out, When the processor were turned up I had this awful feelings again as I did on my activcation day. Understandably I was so worried and it felt like I took a lot of steps back, I thought I went to the centre because I was improving! Sarah tried alot of ways for about 45 mins then eventually she ended up turning 4 of the electrodes off, Ahhh...thats is so much better and Sarah were able to turn things up as loud as I could bear without feeling the jolts on the side of my head. I think I have 10,11,12,13 turned off and 1,2 switched back on, I can hear her counting clear as day, also hear her saying the days of the week (of course with lipreading), 3 of programs are now same but different loudness and on P4 i have faster speed. I was relieved! I can now hear myself talking clearer and the telly is clearer too... Hope this is the way forward from now on... :-)

I am looking forward to my first hair cut with the CI next thursday! It had been nearly 5 months since I had my hair trimmed! In April I knew I would be implanted so didn't bother having my hair done.
Did you explain to the hairdresser that you have an implant on your head? did you tell them to be gentle? Any tips greatly appericated. Thank you

I miss my Mum and Dad

After reading Katie-Louise's post about her talking to her Grandad on the phone had brought me to happy tears! And I realised that I miss my parents, we are very close family, I haven't seen my Dad since April and my Mum since my operation in July. They live in Austria and had been since Feb. When they were living in UK, they had been brilliant supportive with phone calls, sorting the important things out for me. I have been doing those since they left and it was pretty hard but eventually I started to pull through and managed myself but I hate using the phone, I use Type talk but most of the time it's just horrible to use. I do have lovely family (aunts, uncles, cousins, Grannies and Grandad) all round me. But my mum and dad are so special to me.
My parents haven't yet seen me with my CI. It would be so wonderful to share the experience with them.
I am SOOOO looking forward to flying out to Austria with my brother, Stephen, at end of October.

And one day I WILL pick up the phone to say I love them.

CI Moment....

I decided that I don't like my first 2 programs (both 2000 p/s at diferent loudness), I did really liked them at the centre but since I realised I couldn't hear voices well as previous programs, the tapping of my computer went quiet, I couldn't hear my cat purring unless she's right next to my ear! So I Jumped to P3 (which is 4000 p/s) and see what happens... I turned the telly on, a kids program (not telly tubbies) was on, in almost clear english I was able to follow what they were saying with subtitles (and DO know if they missed a word out of the sentence!!)At the same time I had Fan heater on (it was freezing last night!!) I was able to block that sound and listened to the TV! and this is without the HA!

Now I need to get dressed for Marwell zoo, SOECIC had kindly invited the patients and their families to the zoo for the day. There is going to be 350 of us going!! I am looking forward to it and hoping to hear some more sounds and the animals!

New Processor

Today, i tried the processor again, still not right. I had to work today. So I went to work without the Processor and use the HA (in my other ear) It was howling with winds and torrential rain, I was drenched to the bone working on the Boat... I texted to the centre to see if i could get appt after the weekend. I got reply, can you come at 4pm TODAY.. With big smile I said "Yes". I still really need to get this boat ready for the weekend, there was so much to do so I worked through lunch. Come at 3.30 with a very wet dog and I, we made our way to the centre only 15 mins away.

Sarah my Audio was bit baffled on how i couldn't hear her voice with processor/controller itself but I could hear her if the processor is connected to the computer, so out come is a new processor and controller! Sarah had also tuned my levels down a bit as last settings were bit much.... now it's better.

I heard my cat purring when she was on my shoulder....... thats one of sounds i wanted to hear so that's ticked off the list ;-)

Better have bath now before I catch cold as I am still shivering from this morning.

Dartmouth....

I had been to the Centre again on the 3rd of September for another tune up. I have now got 4 programs, 2 is ARDO (i think) and is setted at 2000 p/m (pulses per min) and the other 2 is at 4000 and 7200. I was on the P1 when i left the centre... I was given list to listen for and recongise... umm that's gonna be hard as single lady who lives on her own, detecting sounds and identifying them seems to be impossible as they sound same! But time will tell. I also had hearing test with CI and HA, They both were 70db across the audiogram... whay hey! the highs had made exist on the audiogram! The lows were with HA and the highs were with CI. I was delighted with how things went today.
Just before my tune up I had agreed to my boss to deliver 2 boats back to Hamble for friday, thinking I would need to leave Hamble for Dartmouth on thursday morning... nope we left Wednesday evening after a very quick pasta and sauce, dropping my dog off at neighbours. There were 4 of us in a hire car, the drive took nearly 3 hours, we arrived in Dartmouth at 11.30, I was already exhausted from the tune up. We were talking about when to leave... and agreed on leaving at 5 am to catch the tide out. I went to sleep at midnight, and woken up with lights, grr (I HATE THAT!) at 4.30, donned on my warm clothes, and wet weather gear on. I didn't put my processor on as it was forecasted wet! It was Pitch black when we left, a sign that winter is on it's way boo hoo. My skipper and I made our way, pulled full main up and headed out to the open sea... PERFECT the wind were right on our back which the trip was short and we were home for tea!. With the wind and full main out we crusied quite fast, flowing over the surfs clocking up high speeds, I beat my skipper! he he. We arrived at Hamble 12 hours later, VERY VERY tired but glad to be back home.
When I got home, had shower, and went out for supper with Laura. I wore my processor at this time.... something not quite right. I couldn't turn it down as it still sound same and very very high pitched... I couldn't hear the tell sounds...
I thought... oh bugger! No chance of calling the centre tonight to arrange the appt for today (fri).

Ew aw ew aw!

Today I took Boris for his morning walk and it was the first time I actually turned towards the sound of an ambulance with sirens going...

Also the plane going overhead.... a long humming

the wind (it's very windy here) is becoming louder and clear as whistle.

Wicked!!!