Thursday, May 31, 2007

Is that a lawnmower?? I'm ON!

Hi All,
Sorry I didn't post last night, it was a long tiring day. Both my kids had baseball games in the evening. By the time we got home, settled down and finish up everything, all I wanted to do was lay on the couch and watch a little TV.
So, here goes:
Had a 1:30pm appointment at UW and after running some test and listening for beeps and sounds (kinda like a hearing test) to see if all my electrodes are running and working, and they were, I was turned on. Turn on time was about 2:45pm.
The first thing I heard was my Audiologist, (I think she is a Audiologist, or I should say, mapping girl:)) Anyway, I could understand her very well, caught most of what she said. The only thing odd, which a lot of people have said, the voices sound robotic, and everyone sounds the same. Robotic meaning, like Mickey Mouse, or someone just inhaling helium and then talking. That is still going on now and probably for some time. But I am understanding! They gave me a little hearing test as far as understanding words, I would look at a group of words, four of them, all sounding similar, my Audio would say one, with her mouth covered and me looking down and I would have to repeat the word she said or the word I think she said, and also some sentences tests. I scored 25 out of 35. Said I was doing very well. YESSSSSSSSSSS!
After all that, they did a few settings and volume controls, showed me how everything works and so on. Then off I went into the hearing, or I should say, noisy world :)
I heard many things, but it is hard to make out what it is. At the office I heard the computer running, the pen clicking in and out, my hand running across the table softly. Many more things, but think about that, my hand running softly on the table and I could hear that, totally awesome.
I have many sounds going on, some seem in the way of hearing others. It is sometimes like a little chaos going on inside my head, but I just keep reminding myself, it's only day one, and it's the long run that will be different. A few sounds that I found funny. Running water and a motorcycle engine sound like popcorn popping in the microwave :) Heard a bird chirping outside, thought it was a crow, my wife said no just a regular bird, he kind of sounded like a duck:) , but I heard him! Heard the lawn mower guys today, not just outside my window, but a distance away, that also has a popping sound, even as I type the sound is popping. Remember, all this is with just my Cochlear, not wearing my hearing aid anymore, which is what did get me by, if that did anything as far as understanding things. So it is pretty amazing. One more thing that I found truly incredible. I have not understood anything on the radio as far as commercial talk, sometimes I even thought there was a song going on, but my son would say, "it's not a song, it's a commercial", feeling stupid I would go oh.....:) But yesterday on the way to baseball, I put the radio on and listened to a song, sound pretty good, but could not make out the words yet, but a commercial came on, and I knew it right away that it was a commercial, just sounds different, someone was talking. The amazing part was, I understood him or her, not sure :) saying "tomorrow from five to seven", I sat there and smiled after hearing that.
Today at 1:00pm I go for my second mapping, adjust a few things. I had to write down what I heard and recognised and describe the sound or anything unusual. Right now someone is outside with the weed whacker as I call it :)
Anyway, thanks so much for caring and waiting to hear from me, it is really great that you guys care so much. Your are all becoming my second family, and we are all really like family in a way.
Well, that's how I feel anyway:)
I will let you know how it goes
Talk (type) to you soon.
Billy