Happy Xmas everyone and Season's greetings as most of you going away on holidays this Friday 19th December 2008
More mappings have been scheduled for 2009 as implant center is closed for the Xmas / new year break and another mapping session booked for January 2009 and three month test for the right implant is scheduled for February 2009
Stay tuned for more updates and exciting 2009
Thank you for your support in 2008
update - not so magical bilateral moment - having blow flies buzzing around both processors microphones - damned noisy bloody bastards they are
Cheers big ears
BW
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Mapping sessions
Tuesday 23 December 2008
7th Mapping session
Still Fine tuning all 22 electrodes and improving as the day goes by and basically the same as the last mapping session with a better result due to increased threshold and comfort levels. They are getting better as my hearing is responding to softer sounds more than ever. Got new program installed ' Music ' from Smart sounds 2 and looking forward to experimenting both processors on the music setting
Wednesday 10 December 2008
6th Mapping session
Fine tuning all 22 electrodes and improving as the day goes by and basically the same as Monday with a better result due to better threshold and comfort levels.
Picked up the phone for the first time as its never been done for the right ear, used the T- switch for the first time and very successful using the phone with 70% result and able to carry on conversation using M /T setting on processor, this will improve over time especially at 3 month interval
Loved listening to these video clips
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=UYz38BDhXVE
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=VRsJlAJvOSM&feature=related
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=T_dnWWnKCTk
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=vnRqYMTpXHc
Magical bilateral moment's today - I have discovered that the ability to use a program 'Noise' is great in shopping centres and around screaming kids during school holidays :) HA HA take that you damned hearing people.
Monday 08 December 2008
5th Mapping session
Fine tuning the 22 electrodes and improving dramatically as the day goes by and basically the same as Friday with a better result. I am getting better at the beep test as I am listening to softer beeps and counting correctly how many beeps are there in a sequence.
One speech discrimination test I found very difficult was the nursery rhymes which I am not familiar with, scored 11/15. Did the test again and better result 14/15. Other tests scores 7/7 and 10/10
Magical bilateral moment's today - hearing the notebook whirring away - its normally ultra quite
Friday 05 December 2008
4th Mapping session
First week gone, Fine tuning the 22 electrodes and improving dramatically as the day goes by and basically the same as yesterday with a better result (99% in listening and recalling longer sentences without looking at the audiologist mouth). Very happy with the progress so far. I am getting better at the beep test as I am listening to softer beeps and counting correctly how many beeps are there in a sequence.
I experimented with a new smartsound 2 program called "noise" in the car and it's bliss as it cuts out the road noise and I was able to hear speech more clearly. It's a very good program to have with bilateral implants.
http://www.cochlearamericas.com/Products/2303.asp
Looking forward to next week as it's the first time that I going to try to have a telephone conversation with my right ear.
Magical bilateral moment's today - listening to the waves crashing at the beach in true stereo and detecting the sense of directions where the helicopter flying in the sky and which car was starting up in the car park.
Thursday 04 December 2008
3rd Mapping session
What a session, much improved mapping with more natural sounds of voices and less robotic noises. The high pitch squawk is still there but less notable. Fine tuning the 22 electrodes and improving dramatically as the day goes by.
Still blown away by the speech recognition /discrimination tests as able to hear and listen longer sentences for e.g. ‘in order to lose weight you have to exercise regularly’
Magical bilateral moment today - hearing the grunt / roar of the v8 car from a distance of 100m out of all cars in the busy CBD street, it was sweet
Tuesday 02 December 2008
2nd Mapping session
Amazing what a mapping session does to your implant as the robotic sounds and high pitch squawk are becoming less noticeable.
The Beep listening tests are always the hardest - trying to listen the number of beeps in a sequence e.g. 1-2-3 or 1-2-3-4-5-6 and so far heard most of them correct. Power surge seem to be deceasing once the processor is turned on and fine tuning the electrodes threshold levels (the loudness level at which you are first aware of a sound) and the comfort levels (where sounds become comfortable and/or too loud) with each mapping session to determine the ''map'' that provides the best sound. This is becoming more evident when you see the on screen PC desktop
Scored 98% first time on speech perception / discrimination tests - ( 20 long sentences) the audiologist holds a piece of paper over their mouth and I just repeat what they say word for word and sentences to sentences not looking at them - prior to the assessment I only scored 0 -1 % with hearing aids on both ears
Got two programs from Smart sounds 2 installed in the processor and they are noise and focus
Mapping is the term given to the measurement and adjustment of electrode frequencies within the implant. At each mapping session, the audiologist works with the patient to determine the softest sounds they can detect, and also to measure and adjust the loudest sounds comfortable for the patient. Over time, maps become more stable and require less adjustment.
7th Mapping session
Still Fine tuning all 22 electrodes and improving as the day goes by and basically the same as the last mapping session with a better result due to increased threshold and comfort levels. They are getting better as my hearing is responding to softer sounds more than ever. Got new program installed ' Music ' from Smart sounds 2 and looking forward to experimenting both processors on the music setting
Wednesday 10 December 2008
6th Mapping session
Fine tuning all 22 electrodes and improving as the day goes by and basically the same as Monday with a better result due to better threshold and comfort levels.
Picked up the phone for the first time as its never been done for the right ear, used the T- switch for the first time and very successful using the phone with 70% result and able to carry on conversation using M /T setting on processor, this will improve over time especially at 3 month interval
Loved listening to these video clips
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=UYz38BDhXVE
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=VRsJlAJvOSM&feature=related
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=T_dnWWnKCTk
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=vnRqYMTpXHc
Magical bilateral moment's today - I have discovered that the ability to use a program 'Noise' is great in shopping centres and around screaming kids during school holidays :) HA HA take that you damned hearing people.
Monday 08 December 2008
5th Mapping session
Fine tuning the 22 electrodes and improving dramatically as the day goes by and basically the same as Friday with a better result. I am getting better at the beep test as I am listening to softer beeps and counting correctly how many beeps are there in a sequence.
One speech discrimination test I found very difficult was the nursery rhymes which I am not familiar with, scored 11/15. Did the test again and better result 14/15. Other tests scores 7/7 and 10/10
Magical bilateral moment's today - hearing the notebook whirring away - its normally ultra quite
Friday 05 December 2008
4th Mapping session
First week gone, Fine tuning the 22 electrodes and improving dramatically as the day goes by and basically the same as yesterday with a better result (99% in listening and recalling longer sentences without looking at the audiologist mouth). Very happy with the progress so far. I am getting better at the beep test as I am listening to softer beeps and counting correctly how many beeps are there in a sequence.
I experimented with a new smartsound 2 program called "noise" in the car and it's bliss as it cuts out the road noise and I was able to hear speech more clearly. It's a very good program to have with bilateral implants.
http://www.cochlearamericas.com/Products/2303.asp
Looking forward to next week as it's the first time that I going to try to have a telephone conversation with my right ear.
Magical bilateral moment's today - listening to the waves crashing at the beach in true stereo and detecting the sense of directions where the helicopter flying in the sky and which car was starting up in the car park.
Thursday 04 December 2008
3rd Mapping session
What a session, much improved mapping with more natural sounds of voices and less robotic noises. The high pitch squawk is still there but less notable. Fine tuning the 22 electrodes and improving dramatically as the day goes by.
Still blown away by the speech recognition /discrimination tests as able to hear and listen longer sentences for e.g. ‘in order to lose weight you have to exercise regularly’
Magical bilateral moment today - hearing the grunt / roar of the v8 car from a distance of 100m out of all cars in the busy CBD street, it was sweet
Tuesday 02 December 2008
2nd Mapping session
Amazing what a mapping session does to your implant as the robotic sounds and high pitch squawk are becoming less noticeable.
The Beep listening tests are always the hardest - trying to listen the number of beeps in a sequence e.g. 1-2-3 or 1-2-3-4-5-6 and so far heard most of them correct. Power surge seem to be deceasing once the processor is turned on and fine tuning the electrodes threshold levels (the loudness level at which you are first aware of a sound) and the comfort levels (where sounds become comfortable and/or too loud) with each mapping session to determine the ''map'' that provides the best sound. This is becoming more evident when you see the on screen PC desktop
Scored 98% first time on speech perception / discrimination tests - ( 20 long sentences) the audiologist holds a piece of paper over their mouth and I just repeat what they say word for word and sentences to sentences not looking at them - prior to the assessment I only scored 0 -1 % with hearing aids on both ears
Got two programs from Smart sounds 2 installed in the processor and they are noise and focus
Mapping is the term given to the measurement and adjustment of electrode frequencies within the implant. At each mapping session, the audiologist works with the patient to determine the softest sounds they can detect, and also to measure and adjust the loudest sounds comfortable for the patient. Over time, maps become more stable and require less adjustment.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Telemetry check
Friday November 14 2008 –A few days after the operation a "Telemetry" check is performed to ensure the cochlear implant is working as expected – all passed and heard beeps from all 22 electrodes
Very Successful switch on
Monday 01 December 2008
I am happy to report that the switch on is a success and I am learning to cope with new sounds in the right ear and sense of direction. What was more amazing was to be able to hear / listen to four to five words at a time and a 10-15 short sentences with 95% success.
The sounds ( bloody awful ) are more Robotic and "jingle bells" type theme with lots of high pitched squeals and whistles. Some sounds are like two squirrels fighting. My poor brain is trying hard to adapt to hearing new sounds. So far I am loving it as was expected to hear these type of sounds and exploring more new sounds around the house.
No two cochlear implant switch on's are alike - both are completely different
Looking forward to many more MAPping sessions this week and next few weeks and in the new year to fine tune the BTE processor
I am happy to report that the switch on is a success and I am learning to cope with new sounds in the right ear and sense of direction. What was more amazing was to be able to hear / listen to four to five words at a time and a 10-15 short sentences with 95% success.
The sounds ( bloody awful ) are more Robotic and "jingle bells" type theme with lots of high pitched squeals and whistles. Some sounds are like two squirrels fighting. My poor brain is trying hard to adapt to hearing new sounds. So far I am loving it as was expected to hear these type of sounds and exploring more new sounds around the house.
No two cochlear implant switch on's are alike - both are completely different
Looking forward to many more MAPping sessions this week and next few weeks and in the new year to fine tune the BTE processor
This is it - the moment I have been waiting for
Today is the day that my hearing is going from unilateral to bilateral - I will update this post once I get switched on - Bring it on
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)