A new Hearing aid

Since my last blog, I took the plunge and went to my hearing aid clinic. I have not been there since I was refered to the CI centre, the CI centre provided me with temporary HA for my unimplanted ear to keep me out of the silence for 5 weeks while I was recovering from the operation. That hearing aid was an analouge and did pretty good job of hearing the environmental sounds but with the cochlear implant, I couldn't tell if it was on or off! I went weeks without realising that the battery were dead and thats when I took my CI off to change the battery! Duh Oh...

I had alot of listening practices with the Speech and language therapist, at first I used both ears and realised I found it little easier to listen with both ears not just CI alone. I think it's because I get better low frequency input from the hearing aid. This influences me to get my self in gear and get new hearing aid. I got my mum to call the audiology department at my hospital and were surprised with very quick appt date, usually they put me on the list and sometimes I had to wait 3 months, but not this time, I only waited few days and they already had HA all set up and ready for me to use. I received a Phonak Supero, it's a digital hearing aid. At first I found it hard to use, the sounds were so tinny, and over powering the CI, everyone sounded as if they are on helium... I remembered 2 years back when I was first switch on, it was just like that, so I said, I will try it for few weeks and see how I get on with it. The audiologist was surprised at my response as most people would immediately hate it in the room! I didn't like it at first but I knew if I waited and got used to it then it might be worth it. I am glad I did, after 3 weeks of helium sounds it finally the sounds became more sense! The audiologist had setted the HA to the max which means this hearing aid have no more room if I loose any more hearing or lose the benefit of it.

I am picking more speech sounds without lipreading, today I got a teacher to sign some papers for my course and while I was looking at my papers I heard her saying, "I need a pen, do you have one on you?" then I went to the other room to get the pen without looking back at her and came back with a pen, she looked at me flabbersgated, she had known me when I was at the school as child, she used to work very hard to help me with oral speech since I couldn't hear any speech now with bit of practice, a new hearing aid and wonderful cochlear implant. She smiled and saw the success of the CI.

Today I heard some strange noises and couldn't work it out until I realised it was the battery dying on my hearing aid! I am pretty pleased that I finally could tell if the battery is dying.

The nice thing about the superos is that they are 1/3 rd smaller than my old hearing aid. I asked for brown one to match with my Cochlear implant/and my hair they said no... so I will work on it....

Long time no see, no hear, no speak, no blogging!

Over the last few months had been very busy with the following...

College:- I have been doing a lot of college work which I am very glad to say is now OVER!!! I have few things to tweak, complete before having professional discussion to sign me off as COMPLETED, I really enjoyed my time at college and will miss the busy life. I am hoping to seek further education once I know what I am doing in September.
While I was at college, I had to do Maths and English exams to see if I am up to scratch, I am pleased I got 85% in Maths and hoping to get similar for English which is on 21st of June.
I am loving the school life! I love the kids, they look up at me with their pleading eyes and asks if I am coming back in September (which I am not sadly!)so, I have got 5 short and quick weeks left with them and will miss them a lot. They have been a great sport with my assignments (I had to do case studies about some of them)

Love life:- I have new (well since January) love in my life that had been keeping me very busy, his name is Tim, he is a lovely guy and it is going very well.

Cochlear Implant:- I am just 2 months short of 2 year "switch on" anniversary (20.08.2008), the mappings seems to have settled as I haven't had real map since one year anniversary last september, although it's going very well and I seem to have become a calmer person and is less stressed out as I get on with my life much easier. This morning, I had a dutch people asking me for directions to the supermarket, I heard them the first time without asking them to repeat!
Heard what people say in the shops without looking at them. It seems to only happen on really good day, a person that are speaking nice and crystal clear, I am pleased that my wish for less lipreading had started to happen, to keep my expecations low, I know it won't be perfect.
I can almost understand sentences without lipreading but as long I know the context. For my seesions, I am now on one syllabe words such as identifying a word out of list like Pat, Mat, Bat, Cat, Sat, Fat etc...
I am having integrity test to see if there is way to re arrange my map to get the middle freqency (I have one switched off) which is vital for sounds like Bit, Bed, Pit, Pet as I can't hear the I and E sounds very well.

One day I pushed the battery into my controller and it cracked big time! I had always been very cautious about pushing battery cages in after few stories of cracked controller and thought it would never happen to me but it did!! I got brand new replacement very quickly.


Recently, I had fallen ill with ear infection, my first one since I had the implant (Pre implant I used to have ear infections 2/3 times a year), it was strange, as it was only in the implant side, my implanted ear was red, my throat was one sided red and I had temp of 100oF, the nurse weren't sure if I can have antibiotics drops for the ear so she had put me on 5 day course of oral antibiotics which means I cannot have a glass of wine!

I am looking forward to finishing the school year and to have proper break! I do need it, my brain is fried!! LOL... I will be going back to Austria for a weeks holiday straight after the school breaks up.



Hope you all are keeping well and busy.

Take care