So I finally got a new mapping session for my cochlear implant!

Lost already?

A mapping session is where they reprogram my cochlear implant. It’s best to get it reprogramed every once a while so when my brain gets used to the sounds & volume then I can go in for another session to increase and adjust the program.

So anyways, about a month ago I got a brochure in the mail from the company of my cochlear implant (Advanced Bionics) about a new program called ClearVoice where it eliminates a lot of background noise so speech is more clear and easier to process/understand. They did a video clip (click on video demos) showing how it sounds if you’re curious.

So I immediately called my cochlear implant doctor’s office to schedule for an appointment. I met with the audiologist that works for the doctor and we went into her office. She threw me off at first because her voice was so high I wasn’t sure if she was doing that because I was deaf and thought it was easier for me to understand her….which it definitely was not helping at all!

She asked me to take my hearing aid off for the session and had me take my cochlear implant off too. She had to connect my cochlear implant to the program on her laptop.

I explained to her how the volume control was ridiculous. The most comfortable I could have it on was at 7AM of the wheel. She said it should be on at noon. So she turned it on to ask me if this was a comfortable setting and I jerked and immediately grabbed the cochlear implant off. It was extremely loud! I was surprised she didn’t have it on low to be safe then slowly increase it. So after a while we finally got it to be at noon.

I also asked her if she had a new stronger magnet for my cochlear implant because the one I had wasn’t strong enough. It kept falling off especially when people hug me or if I was laying down. So now I’ve got a stronger magnet and just that makes me happy!

So we proceeded with reprogramming my cochlear implant. I have 3 programs on my cochlear implant and she explained that she was going to have the program #1 be with background noise, program #2 with some background noise and program #3 with VERY LITTLE background noise.

So today my co-workers and I went out for lunch and I was finally able to test it by having it on program #3. Seriously, it made a big difference. I could hardly hear the background noise. I heard some but it was so quiet that I could ignore it easily and focus on speech and understanding my co-workers. But in order to not hear background noise, I had to turn my hearing aid down or off. I could really hear everything they were saying but it doesn’t mean I understood everything. I still have to lip-read to understand them.

Even when I’m driving home and have music blaring in the car with it on program #3, I can’t really hear the traffic! Looove it!

ClearVoice is AMAZING and I’m so excited! It makes me want to wear my cochlear implant everyday now.

I haven’t wore my cochlear implant for a month. It’s frustrating because I clearly need another mapping session. There are still sounds/things I can’t hear with it. I feel like there’s so much more background noise that I should be hearing with it and I’m not. I know this because I hear the background noise with my hearing aid all the time. So that’s probably why I haven’t felt the urge or desire to wear my cochlear implant lately.

A few months ago I lost an extra magnet piece that I had on my cochlear implant because of my hair. I need two magnets so my cochlear implant won’t easily fall off. It’s not fun hearing then all of a sudden I can’t hear anymore whenever I touch my hair or hug someone.

I also have a “special” direct connect cord that I can connect to my cochlear implant and plug in my iPhone so I can listen to music. I do this a lot at work so I pretty much only use my cochlear implant if I want to listen to music. Lately my direct connect cord has not been working. I have to wiggle it or have it placed in a certain way for it to work. So annoying that this morning I went online to buy a new cord. $25 for a new cord….okay, fine with me. But then I looked around into buying a new power gel (battery) because I should have four power gels but I lost one a few years ago. Each one of them only last 8 (or less) hours before charging again. So guess how much it costs for one power gel? $165! Being deaf is expensive. I didn’t buy it but I probably will need to later on.

Anyways, so this morning I called the doctor’s office who did my cochlear implant surgery back in 2006. I asked for a mapping session and they told me I need a referral from my primary doctor so I can have it covered by insurance. So I hope I can get this sorted out soon so I can get a mapping session done. I’d love to have a new map added to my cochlear implant so maybe I’ll be able to hear background noise and high pitch sounds.

Know how I know I can’t really some sounds that I should be hearing? Well, as I was driving home one day I turned my hearing aid off so I could practice hearing with my cochlear implant on only. I had the music blaring in the car then all of a sudden a car swerved in and cut me off. I yelled a bad word and then realized I couldn’t hear myself say the whole word. Instead I only heard myself say hole. So yeah, this is the story that pushed me to get a mapping session done! :)

P.S. You should go check out my friend, Sean Forbes’s music video (I’m Deaf) in sign language. Also check out the teaser of the new music video that’s coming out soon with Marlee Matlin in it (Let’s Mambo).

August 2006

I wear my hearing aid every day from my waking moment to the second I go to bed… unless I have a headache or want to ignore someone, haha. You get the point anyways.

I remember the day when my cochlear implant was activated for the first time which was a month after my surgery. We arrived at my doctor’s office and they led us to a small room. My parents and Tyler were with me with this lady, M, who did my activation.

M had me put my cochlear implant on and hooked it up to the computer. I had to tell her when I heard the beeping sounds and to tell her if it was comfortable, loud, or too loud/uncomfortable. After doing that for a few minutes M warned me she was going to turn my cochlear implant on for the first time.

My hearing aid was off so at this point I wasn’t hearing anything until M turned it on. My parents immediately started talking so I could hear them – it was almost like they were cooing at me. It quickly turned to be an unpleasant experience. I could hear my parents but their voices sounded so weird and I hated what I was hearing. Everything sounded mechanical.

M asked me to try talking so I could hear my own voice and I refused. I didn’t want to disappoint myself.

What if I hated how I sound? Was it really how hearing people hear me?

M told me she was going to turn up the volume and keep turning it up slowly until I told her it was uncomfortable. At this point I didn’t know what comfortable felt anymore. When M turned up the volume it sounded like a lion roaring but loud & louder.

We did some testings where she would say a month behind a piece of paper and I had to listen and tell her what month she was saying. I didn’t do too well and got a lot wrong unlike with my hearing aid I get them all correct. M assured me it was just the beginning and my brain was “waking up” and I would get used to it.

We left the office and I did not wear my cochlear implant. My parents & Tyler tried getting me to wear it so I can practice and get used to it. It was really unpleasant when I put my cochlear implant on as the roaring sound occurred for a minute then subsided.

I slowly got used to wearing it but I wanted to wear my hearing aid too and I did. I was hearing things that I could never hear before or was not that clear and sharp until now. With all the traffic noise going on I could even hear my blinkers!

There was one problem. I had to learn how to tell where the noises were coming from. With my cochlear implant – it makes me think all the sounds are coming from the left side. This was the main reason why I wear both my hearing aid and cochlear implant at the same time.

I had to get used to the fact that when my cochlear implant battery dies, it just dies/turns off without any warning. I hated this. My hearing aid doesn’t do this – it slowly dies so I have time to change my battery. The nice thing is I have rechargeable batteries for my cochlear implant that are good up to 8 hours so I have 8 hours before it will need to be recharged.

Tyler has helped me so much when I would constantly ask him what that noise is. I still do now sometimes. I’ve learned to love and hate some sounds. I hate the sound of people rubbing their hands. I can even hear Tyler doing that behind me in the grocery store! The other night Tyler was talking to his Dad on the speakerphone and I could hear his Dad talking from the other room. I’m always amazed at the sounds I hear all the time.

Just because I can hear sounds clearly now does not mean I can 100% understand everything now. I’ve had some people tell me that they couldn’t wait to have a phone conversation with me after my activation. Learning how to understand people on the phone is a difficult thing since I can’t lipread through the phone…obviously.

I can call people and do all the talking but then I’d have to hang up before they even talk. I do that sometimes with Tyler if he’s not responding to his text messages. I’d call him and say what I need to say then hang up and he would text me back. Lame I know, but it works!

Feel free to ask me any questions or for clarification if I confused anyone on this long post!